Admin costs soar as wildlife charity yet to spend bushfire money

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The biggest wildlife rescue organisation in Australia, WIRES, raised more than $100 million during the black summer bushfires. It wants to reduce oversight of the remaining $69 million.

The nation’s largest wildlife rescue charity is yet to spend the vast majority of more than $100 million raised to care for burnt and injured animals during the black summer bushfires, and is now trying to reduce oversight of the remaining $69 million.from all over Australia and the world during the 2019-2020 fires, in a fundraising campaign promoted by Barack Obama and Ellen DeGeneres.

The NSW Department of Fair Trading requires WIRES to change from an association to a company limited by guarantee, and the organisation must adopt a new constitution approved by 75 per cent of members. The rebel members are also unhappy with clauses in the WIRES version of the constitution that require members to reapply for membership every year, and allow directors to refuse membership without giving any reason.

“I’m concerned about its governance,” van der Laan said. “The fundamental purpose of WIRES everybody’s going to support … but it looks like the way it’s being run is of particular concern.” Expenses were $16.5 million in the 2023 financial year, up from $15.6 million, including large hikes in accounting bills and employee benefit expenses. Yet, the money spent on wildlife rescue and branch support went down.

Van der Laan said WIRES should have a plan for how to spend the $69 million in the public gift fund to benefit wildlife, but it was not sustainable to use it to bankroll ordinary operations.

 

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