Rural Financial Counselling Services are:

• Free, independent and confidential
• Staffed by qualified and experienced Rural Financial Counsellors (RFCs) who understand farming and business – our RFCs are required to have a Diploma of Financial Counselling as minimum qualification, and have years of experience in assisting farming businesses
• For primary producers of livestock, milk, honey, fruit, crops, wool, meat, vegetables, eggs, fish, plants, trees and logs
• For small businesses who mainly support primary production such as: fencing, shearing sheep, controlling weeds or agricultural pests, managing stock, planting crops etc.
• Able to assist farm or small agribusinesses experiencing or at risk of financial hardship
• Able to come to your place of business or you can come and see us.

Rural Financial Counselling Services can assist businesses affected by:

• Drought/water issues
• Low commodity prices
• Natural disasters
• Structural adjustment
• Industry downturns
• Low equity/tight cash flow
• Difficulties with lenders or access to finance
• Unpaid creditors/debtors
• Market disruptions
• Changes in personal circumstances
• Farm accidents or illness
• Share farming/succession agreements/ contracts.

Rural Financial Counselling Services can help you:

• Understand your financial position and the viability of your enterprise
• Identify options to improve your financial position
• Develop a plan to implement your chosen options, and implement that plan
• Provide information, referrals, and support to access, government or industry grants and programs
• Assist you to deal (whether through meetings or otherwise) with lending institutions in relation to:
  • Applications and contracts with those institutions; and
  • Processes relating to farm debt mediation
• Assist you to identify the need for advice from professional service providers, and provide support with preparation for meetings with professional service providers.