History of Reclaim WIRES
Reclaim WIRES began as a grassroots response from long-standing wildlife carers who believed the core values of volunteer-led wildlife rescue needed protecting.
For decades, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in New South Wales has been carried out largely by volunteers. People who give their time, resources, and emotional energy to caring for injured and orphaned native animals. Many of these volunteers feel a strong sense of responsibility not only to wildlife, but to the organisations built to support that work.
In the years following the 2019–2020 bushfires, significant governance and structural changes within WIRES prompted concern among some members and volunteers. Questions were raised about transparency, decision-making, and the role of volunteers within the organisation’s future. When proposed constitutional changes were put forward, a group of carers came together to ensure volunteer voices were heard and understood.
Reclaim WIRES was formed to provide information, encourage engagement, and support volunteers during that period. The group sought to create space for respectful discussion, informed participation, and accountability, while grounded in a shared commitment to wildlife welfare.
While the relevant votes were held and counted, many of the underlying concerns raised by volunteers remain. Reclaim WIRES continues to advocate for transparency, accountability, and stronger support for the volunteers who carry out wildlife rescue and rehabilitation work.
What remains, and what continues to matter, is the wellbeing of wildlife carers themselves.
The experience highlighted something larger than a single organisation or moment in time: many people caring for wildlife feel vulnerable, unheard, or unsupported within existing systems. Reclaim WIRES has since evolved to reflect that broader reality.
Today, this site exists as a record of that history and as a resource for the wider wildlife rescue community — offering connection, shared experience, and support for those doing demanding and often invisible work.
Understanding where we came from helps clarify where we are going:
toward a culture where caring for wildlife also means caring for the people who protect it.
Why WIRES volunteers needed to take the drastic action of court proceedings.
A Fight to Stay True to Our Mission
WIRES was founded 40 years ago with a singular mission: to rescue and rehabilitate native wildlife, aiming always to release animals back into the wild. Volunteers were—and always have been—the foundation of the organisation.
In 2020, following the Black Summer bushfires, WIRES received an unprecedented $100 million in donations. This dramatic shift in financial position required a change in structure: WIRES had to transition from an Incorporated Association to a Company. This should have been a relatively straightforward process—simply transferring registration from the NSW Department of Fair Trading to ASIC, with a few tweaks to the existing constitution. Voila.
However, WIRES chose to significantly alter their constitution before the transfer. A constitution is a legally binding document that governs an organisation. It outlines the organisation’s purpose and the rights of its members—in this case, the volunteers who rescue and care for wildlife across 28 semi-autonomous branches in NSW.
Why This Is Important
Volunteer members have always had a voice within the organisation, and it’s an important one. We possess valuable knowledge and insights that help refine wildlife policy. Under the new company structure with ASIC, members are the legal owners. This means they have the right to influence the management and direction of the company through their votes.
In 2023, when WIRES first revealed their proposed new constitution, members were shocked to find that “Rescue & Rehabilitation” was no longer listed as the organisation’s core objective. Instead, the new aim was to become an “Environmental Organisation,” with the only additional activity being “advocacy for licensing and animal cruelty.” Members sought clarification, as to what this meant for WIRES, but no satisfactory explanation was ever provided. But the ‘Animal Welfare Team’ was evolving—Ex RSPCA Inspectors were now employees of WIRES.
An alarming clause stated that members would be required to reapply annually to retain their membership—and could be refused without explanation or warning.
Another clause appeared designed to allow the bushfire donations to be absorbed into WIRES' general funds. This could lead to reduced oversight over how the remaining millions are spent and open the door for those funds to be used for purposes unrelated to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
We Have The RIGHT To Care & Deserve Transparency
Wildlife caring is a passion. Volunteers make significant personal and financial commitments to this work. In NSW, individuals have the right to care for wildlife if they choose. WIRES holds a privileged position—it licenses individuals to care for wildlife. It is unreasonable and, we believe, unlawful for WIRES’ management to abuse that authority by refusing to renew memberships without due process or explanation.
Members wanted—and deserved—transparency around these changes and their implications for both volunteers and wildlife welfare. Recent policy shifts have raised fears that wildlife rehabilitation is no longer the focus of the “new WIRES,” and that the proposed constitution would cement this shift in future governance.
When WIRES repeatedly failed to address these concerns, members exercised their rights and voted against the adoption of the new constitution—three times.
A Sudden and Unlawful Ultimatum
In September 2024, WIRES made a move that shocked everyone. The board announced that, as part of the transition to a company, they would adopt the new constitution anyway—and gave members just seven days to accept it or be removed from the organisation.
Wait, what?
Members were told they had to accept this new constitution or they would be out. Legal advice obtained by members (at their own expense) confirmed that the WIRES board’s actions were illegal. This advice was shared with the board, but they refused to listen.
WIRES members reached out to the regulators—National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), and NSW Fair Trading—but none were able to offer support or guidance. We were on our own.
A small group of determined members concluded they had no choice but to initiate legal action in the NSW Supreme Court—entirely self-funded through contributions from members and supporters.
Did they want to do this? Absolutely not. But they had to protect members’ rights and ensure that WIRES’ mission remains focused on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
Two court cases are now underway: Emmett vs WIRES and Henderson vs WIRES. Directions hearings are set for 24 June 2025.
Both cases were instigated because we are witnessing worrying policy changes at WIRES—changes that could be legitimised under the new constitution, which we believe was not legally adopted by members.
New Policies Are Hindering Wildlife Care
New policies are hindering carers and vets from providing adequate care to wildlife. We are seeing more euthanasia and increasing reliance on smaller organisations with fewer resources. Meanwhile, WIRES is offering research grants to universities, employing more staff than ever, and outlining plans to become a national organisation. For those of us involved in day-to-day wildlife rescue, this is terrifying.
We created a Facebook page—WIRES Members: Vote to Keep Wildlife Care in Our Hands—because that’s exactly what we want. During the SGM process, WIRES shut down members’ ability to provide feedback or even talk to one another about the proposed changes, so this FB group became essential.
Click on the Facebook Icon in the menu bar to connect and/or join our Facebook page.
The Truth Emerges
On 17 April 2025, WIRES issued a letter to members finally admitting to irregularities in their transition to a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and in the adoption of their new constitution.
This confirmed what our legal advice had told us: since September 2024, WIRES has been purporting to operate under a constitution that was never lawfully adopted by its members.
Yet, as of today, no attempt has been made to correct these irregularities or reinstate the members who were ousted.
Our Aim Is This
We want to Keep WIRES focused on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.
We want ethical and transparent governance.
We want to reduce escalating head office expenses and support our dedicated volunteer workforce in their efforts to care for injured and orphaned wildlife in NSW.
Thank you for your continued support.
Together, we are strong.