The NSW Supreme Court advised the NSW RFS donation fund today that the money could not be distributed to other charities.
But Justice Michael Slattery said the cash could be used to set up a fund to support injured volunteers and the families of those killed in the fires.
The RFS was nominated as Barber’s charity as she set up a fundraising campaign on Facebook amid the bushfire crisis in December and January, which destroyed thousands of homes and properties and killed 33 people across the country.
But the comedian announced plans to help other causes as well, as donations exceeded well beyond the $30,000 target.
“I’m gonna make sure that Victoria gets some, that South Australia gets some, also families of people who have died in these fires, the wildlife,” Barber wrote on Instagram in January.
“I want you to know that, otherwise why raise this money if it’s not going to go to the people who absolutely need it.”
Justice Slattery today described Barber as a “public spirited” NSW citizen.
But he said the terms of the trust did not allow the money to be distributed to other charities and the court’s decision excluded causes which many donors expected their money to go towards, including the Australian Red Cross and animal welfare group WIRES.
“The various public and perhaps private statements made by Ms Barber or any of the donors do not bind the trustees’ application of the funds,” he said.
As well as helping those injured and the families of those killed, the RFS was also told it could spend the money on physical training, mental health training and trauma counselling.
The costs of the court case will also come out of the millions raised.
