Celeste Barber’s $52m bushfire fund stalls

None of the money has been spent due to rules stating donations cannot go to families or charities.

Comedian Celeste Barber and husband Api Robin.

Lawyers for Celeste Barber and the NSW Rural Fire Service are expected to meet in a bid to unlock $52 million raised by the comedian’s bushfire appeal.

None of the money has been spent due to RFS rules that state donations must be spent on firefighting equipment and training, not on families or charities, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

Barber’s online appeal last month attracted more than one million donations from around the world as catastrophic bushfires devastated parts of NSW and the country.

RFS spokesman Ben Shepherd said the service wanted to distribute the money in line with Barber’s wishes and both sides’ lawyers would try to find a way.

“No one is being bad about this, it’s all very amicable, and we will try and see her wishes through,” he told the newspaper.

“But, as it stands, the RFS is the beneficiary and we can’t donate money people gave us to other charities.”

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The setback comes as Barber prepares to host the huge Fire Fight Australia bushfire relief concert in Sydney on Sunday.

Profits from the event will go to the Red Cross’ disaster relief and recovery fund, rural and regional fire services and the RSPCA’s bushfire appeal.

The union representing NSW volunteer firefighters told The Weekend Australian it remains concerned government funding for the NSW Rural Fire Service might be reduced due to the ­organisation receiving millions of dollars in public donations.

NSW Rural Fire Service ­Association president Brian McDonough said the public’s generosity should not be used as an ­excuse by the government to avoid funding essential responsibilities.

“The association’s fear, and the government’s certainly not made any noises to the effect — but our fear is this stuff will pay for what the government should pay for,” Mr McDonough said.

His remarks were backed by Labor MP Hugh McDermott, an RFS volunteer at the Horsley Park RFS brigade in Sydney, who said similar concerns about government spending had been raised with him by colleagues.

“It shouldn’t be up to the public to supply those things. The state government has a responsibility to make sure Fire and Rescue NSW and the RFS are fully equipped for the future, and relying on the public to do their job should not be part of that — that’s why we pay our taxes,” he said.

Brigades across NSW are ­already lining up to access the millions of dollars in donated funds to replenish supplies destroyed during the bushfire catastrophe. ­Others in remote and regional communities are contending with facilities that have no power or working toilets.

With AAP