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What we do

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.

Assistance when

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.

How can we help you

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.

News

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NECMA conference

North East Regional Soil Health Conference - 14 May 2021 at Beechworth is for ALL land managers, agriculture industry groups and soil health service providers in North East Victoria.
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The team at the Young Farmer Business Network have put together a series of sessions designed to build skills in financial planning and business resilience for your farm business.
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The Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) provides free rural financial counselling to farmers, fishing enterprises, forestry growers and harvesters, and small, related businesses who are suffering financial hardship.

There are 12 service providers across Australian that employ rural financial counsellors to assist clients in need across Australia. The RFCS Programme is funded by the Australian, State and Northern Territory Governments.


Rural Financial Counselling Service

Rural financial counsellors operate from regional offices however they are a mobile workforce who may come to you.

Rural financial counsellors can;

  • help identify your financial and business options
  • help negotiate with your lenders
  • help you develop an action plan
  • help support you to access the Farm Household Allowance (FHA)
  • give you information about government and other assistance schemes
  • refer you to accountants, agricultural advisers and educational services
  • refer you to Department of Human Services and to professionals for succession planning, family mediation and personal, emotional and social counselling.

The boundaries for the RFCS service provider regions in Victoria, NSW and Queensland changed from 1 April 2016.

To locate your nearest rural financial counsellor refer to the list of RFCS offices below.

 

Rural Financial Counselling Offices

Victoria:

Eastern Region; Head Office - Leongatha, Phone: 03 5662 2566

North Eastern Region; Head Office - Wodonga, www.rfcsvicne.org.au - Phone: 1300 834 775

North Western Region; Head Office - Mildura, www.sunrcs.com.au - Phone: 1300 769 489

Western Region; Head Office - Hamilton, www.wswrcs.com.au - Phone: 1300 735 578

 

New South Wales:

Central Region; Head Office - Dubbo, www.rfcscr.com.au - Phone: 1800 940 404

Northern Region; Head Office - Casino, www.rfcsnsw-northernregion.org - Phone: 02 6662 5055

Southern Region; Head Office - Cooma, www.rfcsnsw-sr.com.au - Phone: 02 6452 5850

 

Queensland:

Northern Region; Head Office - Longreach, www.rfcssq.org.au - Phone: 07 4652 5666

Southern Region; Head Office - Roma, www.rfcssq.org.au - Phone: 07 4622 5500

 

South Australia / Northern Territory:

Head Office - Magill SA, www.ruralbusinesssupport.org.au - Phone: 1800 836 211

 

Western Australia:

Head Office - Geraldton, www.rfcswa.com.au - Phone: 1800 612 004

 

Tasmania:

Head Office - Launceston, www.ruralbusinesstasmania.org.au - Phone: 1300 883 276

 

Service Area Map

rfcs vic ne region map

Local Government Areas

The RFCS VIC-NE Region includes the following Local Government Areas;

  • Alpine
  • Benalla
  • Campaspe
  • Greater Shepparton
  • Indigo
  • Mansfield
  • Mitchell
  • Moira
  • Murrindindi
  • Strathbogie
  • Towong
  • Wangaratta
  • Whittlesea
  • Wodonga

Call 1300 834 775 to find out what assistance we may be able to provide you, or make an appointment with one of our experienced Rural Financial Counsellors.

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Contact Us

Rural Financial Counselling Service Victoria - North East.

102 Hume Street

Wodonga VIC 3689

PHONE: 1300 834 775

EMAIL: info@rfcsvicne.org.au

FAX: (02) 6100 6123