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Rural Financial Counselling Service
The RFCS Program provides grants to state and regional organisations to provide free and impartial rural financial counselling to primary producers, fishers and small rural businesses* who are suffering financial hardship and who have no alternative sources of impartial support.
*'Small rural business' for the purposes of the Rural Financial Counselling Service Program is defined as a rural business that employs no more than ten full-time-equivalent (38 hours per week) employees and provides the majority of its services to primary producers and is directly involved in primary production (e.g. fencing, harvesting, spraying or stock management contractor).
At June 2008, there are 14 service providers in the program and employing more than 110 rural financial counsellors.
The RFCS Program was established in 1986 in response to drought, depressed commodity prices and increasing interest rates, and has continued because of ongoing need. The program is funded by the Australian and state governments, who have committed funding to 30 June 2011.
What is rural financial counselling?
Rural financial counselling is:
- free
- impartial
- independent of financial institutions, welfare agencies and government.
The client makes the decisions: It is up to the client to choose which option is right for them. The rural financial counsellor will help clients develop some options and will provide support with their decision making.
What can rural financial counsellors do?
Rural financial counsellors can:- help clients identify financial and business options
- help clients negotiate with their lenders
- help clients adjust to climate change through the Climate Change Adjustment Program, identify any advice and training needed and develop an action plan
- help clients meet their mutual obligations under the Transitional Income Support program
- give clients information about government and other assistance schemes
- refer clients to accountants, agricultural advisers and educational services
- refer clients to Centrelink and to professionals for succession planning, family mediation and personal, emotional and social counselling.
Rural financial counsellors do not provide family, emotional or social counselling, financial advice or succession planning services - but they can provide referrals and information.
Contact a rural financial counsellor
- lists of rural financial counsellors for each state, or
- phone 1800 686 175
National map of rural financial counselling services 
PDF [538kb]
