> Overview

The Rural Financial Counselling Service Programme aims to help primary producers, fishermen and farmer-dependent small rural businesses identify ways to become self reliant and better equipped to manage change and adjustment.  The new Rural Financial Counselling Service SA Inc. (RFCSSA) was established on September 1, 2006.

The rural financial counselling service program has 14 provider organisations operating throughout Australia for 2008-11. The RFCSSA will also be providing a counselling service to the Northern Territory. The Service receives core funding from the Commonwealth department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry under the Australia's Farming Future initiative and the SA Government.

There are rural financial counsellors available to cover every area of the state.

The primary objectives of the Rural Financial Counselling Services are:

• To provide free rural counselling services to assist primary producers, small rural businesses and fishing enterprises in rural areas, who are experiencing financial hardship.
• To identify enterprise and industry issues where change and adjustment are required
• To contribute to the goal of a more competitive, sustainable and profitable rural Australia
• Ensure primary producers, fishermen and small rural businesses have access to financial information, options, decision support and referral services
• Allow primary producers, fishermen and small rural businesses to consider information and options to implement decisions to effectively manage change and adjustment
• Encourage early contact and use of rural financial information services to promote awareness of the benefits of early intervention in accessing information and available services, and
• Provide a needs-based financial information and referral service that is free, effective, responsive and flexible.

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> Services

Rural Financial Counsellors can assist you and your family with the following:

• Assess and prepare reports on your current financial, cash flow and viability circumstances (counsellors can only provide a meaningful assessment if you provide full disclosure of your financial position)
• Help identify financial and business options for the future of your enterprise, including adjustment out of agriculture
• Review contracts and loan applications with lending institutions, and provide information to help you prepare loan applications
• Facilitate meetings with lenders and financial institutions and assist in non-legal appeal processes
• Provide information and referrals to government or industry assistance schemes, including for specific events (drought, fire, flood, industry reform etc)
• Provide information on educational services
• Refer you to a range of professional service providers, including accountants, lawyers, agricultural advisers, farm succession planners, social counsellors and personal or family mediators

Rural Financial Counsellors do not provide family, emotional or social counselling, financial advice or succession planning services - but they can provide referrals to experts qualified in those services.

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> History

The Federal Minister of Primary Industries and Energy, John Kerin, first announced the Rural Counselling Scheme in 1986. The Government’s Economic and Rural Policy Statement of April 1986 identified that $900,000 for three years would be allocated to provide support to local communities affected by the severe economic downturn.

The money was available to community groups to establish a rural counselling service where there was a demonstrated need and community support. The local management committee would be responsible for matching the Commonwealth’s grant on a 50:50 basis with funding in cash or kind and in appointing and managing a Rural Counsellor.

In South Australia a meeting of rural community group representatives, bankers, government and service organisations was held in July 1986 when a decision was made to support the development of local action groups in areas of the State deemed to be in difficulty. Public meetings were subsequently held at Ceduna, Kimba, Cummins, Naracoorte, Keith, Berri, Nuriootpa, Gawler and Wudinna.

In 1987 Rural Counsellors were appointed in the Barossa and Light region, Riverland and Le Hunte and Environs. In 1988 Rural Counsellors were appointed in the Murraylands region and the Far West Eyre Peninsula. In 1989 Eastern Eyre appointed its first Counsellor and further Counsellors were appointed in 1991 on Kangaroo Island, another in the Riverland, another in the Eastern Eyre Service, two in the South East, one in the Mid/Upper North and one in Broken Hill servicing an area as far south as Peterborough. By 1992 a Rural Counsellor was appointed on the Yorke Peninsula and in 1993 the Fleurieu Region had a Rural Counsellor.

By 1993 15 Rural Counsellors were positioned in 12 Rural Counselling Services in South Australia covering all agricultural enterprises and focussing on the needs of farming families by:

• Co-ordinating local information and service provision
• Encouraging farmers to seek help
• Providing referrals to appropriate professionals
• Informing community groups of the situation faced by the farming sector.

The Federal Government funded community groups for up to 50% of the cost of employing a Rural Counsellor. To qualify for the grant, the group had to:

• Be representative of the area
• Establish a need and demand for the service
• Match the grant on a dollar for dollar basis with cash or in-kind contributions.

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