Sand gropers urged to turn mining boom into giving bonanza

The head of World Vision Australia Tim Costello has urged Western Australians to begin shaping a legacy of philanthropy that will last long after the mining boom slows down.

In a recent speech to a Giving West function in WA, Mr Costello noted the need for a new philanthropic culture to develop in the state, where the majority of the nation’s wealth is being produced.

“What is quite extraordinary is that the rich have far greatest capacity to give but unless there is this new norm, this new benchmark of expectation, it just doesn’t happen,” he said.

According to a University of Western Australia report, A Rising Tide? Exploring the Future of Giving in Western Australia, WA has a broad percentage of people who give, but overall Western Australians give less than the national average.

A Rising Tide figures show the national average donation is $424, while the average for Perth is just $303.

Speaking to 100 of WA’s wealthiest at the Giving West event, Mr Costello said many Western Australians were spending their money on life’s luxuries rather than sharing their wealth.

“We really have a simple question – how many roofs do you need to keep the rain out, how many cars can you drive when there are people doing it tough?" he said.

Wife of WA Governor Malcolm McCusker and Giving West board member, Tonya McCusker, agreed with Mr Costello’s comments.

“We have a two-speed economy – some are doing very well and others are struggling and it’s those who have the ability to give back who need to do more,” she told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Mr Costello reminded his audience of the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s, which created a culture of giving that has become so deeply seated that the results can still be seen 150 years later.

“West Australians really do have to look in the mirror and say ‘If this is one of the great booms of Australian history – the gold boom in Victoria is why now we have 70% of all the philanthropic headquarters of organisations in Melbourne – what will be the legacy of this boom?’” he asked.