Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

Australians are a generous people. The most recent Giving Australia survey found that an estimated 14.9 million Australian adults—that's around 80 per cent of Australian adults—give around $12.5 billion to charities and not-for-profit organisations each financial year. I saw this generosity firsthand in my electorate of Indi this past summer as the bushfires ripped through and devastated communities, property, livestock and wildlife. Within a matter of weeks over $500 million was raised to help support the volunteers fighting the fires as well as provide emergency relief and recovery assistance to the communities reeling from the impacts of those fires. Another story emerged as well during that time around the efficacy of the management and distribution of those moneys.

Charities and fundraising drives of all shapes and sizes were inundated with generous donations from large multinational aid organisations like the Red Cross to online platforms like GoFundMe, regional organisations like the Country Fire Authority of Victoria and local operations and organisations operating out of our region, like the Into Our Hands Community Foundation. Each of these organisations had bona fide objectives: to do the best they could with the resources they had to assist the community in need during an emergency. But as the weeks unfolded questions were raised across Australia and, indeed, internationally, about how well this charitable giving was coordinated and whether the system governing charities in Australia was getting in the way of an effective response. Many expressed frustration at large sums of charitable donations destined for bushfire affected communities sitting in the trust accounts of large organisations, waiting for sign-off to be deployed. Others welcomed non-charitable methods of raising funds that could be injected into communities and households overnight, such as crowdfunding campaigns on social media, but they were wary of the lack of oversight and exposure to abuse.

In the moment, it was difficult for even the most well intentioned to know how best to help. We all remember the amazing work of comedian Celeste Barber and the raising of $51 million in charitable donations for the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, which the New South Wales Supreme Court later found could not be legally redirected to other bushfire relief charities or for other purposes even if the New South Wales Rural Fire Service wanted to, because of its governing trust deed. Just yesterday, the ABC reported that, of the $282 million donated to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul, $135 million is yet to be spent.

Now there are often good reasons for this. Bushfire recovery is not a one-week thing; it lasts for many years. It makes sense to keep some money in the bank to finance recovery needs a year or two down the track, once the spotlight has gone. But many members of the public are wondering where their donations have gone and how they're being spent, especially when there is still so much need out there. Part of this is also anger at the slowness of government's response. When people look at their situation now, six months on from the fires, it's fair enough to direct that frustration at the general powers that be. It's heartbreaking to hear people say that after this bushfire season they will never donate to bushfire recovery again. Australians, as I said at the beginning, are generous people, but they don't like to feel like the wool's being pulled over their eyes. I don't believe for a second that it is, but clearly we must do more to ensure there is transparency about how the money we donate to bushfires will be spent.

This is not about bashing the charities. The Red Cross, the Salvos, Vinnies and many smaller charities are often the first people on the ground in the wake of a disaster. I've met so many of them. They're outstanding. They've committed to being around for years to come. But the many letters I receive indicate there is a gap between community expectations and the way donations are delivered on the ground. There are many things we can learn from this bushfire season, and re-imagining how charities work is one of them.

The motion raised by the member for Fenner notes that current fundraising laws and governance regimes do not allow charities to make optimal use of the resources donors provide. The current rules are from a time gone by and not nimble enough to respond to real community needs. I'd like to echo these concerns, and I will support any push in this place to support charities and the work they set out to do. Australians have an immense spirit of giving, and we should do what we can to cultivate that to ensure that these generous everyday Australians feel confident and have the trust to give again when inevitably we need to call on them in the future.

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