The $51 million raised by Celeste Barber for the Australian bushfires can't be distributed between charities, the NSW Supreme Court ruled on Monday.
The money will instead stay with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) and be spent on training, counselling, equipment and injuries.
The money was raised through the comedian's Facebook fundraiser early in the year and was meant to be distributed to several different charities. However Barber nominated the RFS as the beneficiary, unaware of the strict rules around how donations can be spent.
NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers told Sunrise the money would be put to good use.
"In defence of Celeste, she had the best of intentions and we thank her very much, so I’m the last person that would ever put any criticism to her in regards to this," Rogers said.
Rogers told Sunrise he is incredibly grateful and the money will be used in a "transparent" way.
"There will be no secrets and there will be no administrative costs taken from this money."
Barber responded to the court's ruling on her Instagram, saying she had hoped the money would be distributed, but acknowledged "the incredible things" the RFS is doing.
"They are going to be doing trauma counselling, money is going to families who lost firefighters, it's going to injured firefighters."
"It isn't going everywhere that we had wanted it to, but what it is going to will make such a difference," she said.
Barber also thanked everyone who supported her fundraiser, saying they made a "massive difference".
