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Applications for the Federal Government Flood Assistance Grant close on the 13th July 2023.

The Rural Financial Counselling Service is available to help primary producers affected by floods from
November 2022 in completing an application for the grant.

Simply call the RFCS on 1300 735 578 to organise a free and confidential appointment. But hurry, time
is running out.

RURAL Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) Victoria West values its association with the Victorian Government and Business Victoria’s Small Business Bus, with more than 20 additional events scheduled over the coming months.

Financial Counsellors will be available for rural and regional small business owners for 45-minute support sessions; all free and confidential.

The Bus will travel around the State with other services supporting people to develop business ideas and capabilities.

The Small Business Bus currently offers information through various Government organisations, business assistance from expert advisers, and financial business counselling through RFCS.

RFCS Victoria West Executive Officer David Stafford said the Small Business Bus is a practical solution for the busy lifestyles of rural and regional business owners.

“The Small Business Bus is a fantastic initiative, and we are proud to continue to support the program that travels across our vast region,” he said.

“We understand that sometimes people are busy and would prefer to stay in their own towns or try and duck out when its quiet to have a quick discussion to see what support is, or may be, available.

“Our involvement in the program also allows us to stay in touch with local business owners and make sure we are across all issues being faced in our local communities.

“We are a free and confidential service, and we are only a call away. If you can’t book onto the Small Business Bus, you can call us on 1300 735 578.”

To book a session with a Financial Counsellor please visit https://bit.ly/businessbusbooking or contact us on 1300 735 578.

Rural Financial Counselling Services (RFCS) across Victoria and Tasmania have come together to expand on ways to help farm and small business owners in rural and regional communities as the cost of living continues to rise.

More than 50 financial counsellors and wellbeing counsellors from RFCS Victoria West, RFCS Gippsland, RFCS Victoria North East, Rural Business Tasmania and representatives from Agriculture Victoria attended the Social Connection Training Conference in Melbourne recently.

It was a poignant conference based around how each not-for-profit service could better support their communities as the ripple effects of fire, flood, drought, inflation and COVID continues to impact.

A range of topics were covered including windfall tax, succession planning, negotiation skills, insurance claims and advanced techniques for wellbeing counsellors in dealing with clients.

RFCS Victoria West Executive Officer David Stafford, the host of the conference for 2023, said the past few years have highlighted the importance of social connection and quality service delivery.

“Our clients rely on us to provide the most up to date and relevant services in an ever-changing environment,” he said.

“Conferences like this provide opportunities for us to build on our experience and knowledge base and to feed a passion that is unique to not-for-profit organisations offering free service and support like ours.

“In the same week as the lights went out at the Gabba during an AFL match, many Victorian primary producers and rural small businesses are struggling to keep their own lights on. A succession of extreme weather events, COVID repercussions, fuel price hikes and interest rate rises has created financial and mental health concerns across the State, and it’s our job to help consider and present options to ease the pain for our clients.”

Supporting Farmers & Small Businesses throughout their Flood Recovery Journey. 

The government recently announced support measures for flood impacted business. The extent of the damage across the state means many communities are eligible for support. The flood grants are available now, with some grants continuing to be available for the next six months. 

Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) Victoria West’s rural and small business financial counsellors and wellbeing counsellors are on the ground working alongside farmers and small business owners impacted by the damaging and unpredictable nature of the floods.  

“We appreciate that it can be difficult during times of crisis to know when or how to reach out for help, or even if you qualify.  First and foremost, I encourage people to avoid  self-assessing their eligibility as you may miss out on valuable assistance – there are many communities impacted by floods right across Victoria.  Our financial counsellors are available to have the conversation no matter the level of impact.  We’re here to help farmers and small business owners understand their entitlements, access grants and funding as well as link them and their family in with additional supports to ease their recovery journey,” says Mr. David Stafford, RFCS Victoria West Executive Officer. 

During times of crisis, it’s common for mental health and wellbeing issues to also become a concern.  Feelings of stress, anxiety and loss can all make the rebuilding journey that much more difficult.  At RFCS Victoria West, we have a team of qualified wellbeing counsellors available to ensure anyone eligible or currently working with a financial counsellor is fully supported.   

Our counsellors live and work in and around the communities in which we service making them highly accessible, locally relevant, and available for long-term engagement.   The service is free, confidential and we can come to you; in your home, on your farm, in your small business, wherever you feel most comfortable. 

Reach out when you’re ready, on 1300 735 578

For additional information see the Official Government Media Release.

For many of us around here, this time of year means the return of our rural and regional agricultural shows – and not forgetting the Melbourne Royal Show opening this week.

This year we might be looking forward to the return of the shows with a little more anticipation than usual, with so many postponed or cancelled over the last couple of years – but back with a bang, especially the ones with fireworks planned.

In our region (Victoria’s regional west), the show calendar kicks off at Horsham this weekend. And while we might call it ‘the show’, it’s officially The Grand Annual 144^th Horsham Agricultural Show. We think that’s pretty special and worth a trip to Horsham from wherever you might be. But we do love an agricultural show.

At Horsham you can catch whipcracking, a miniature goat show, a shearing competition, a wool handling competition, yard dog trials and heaps more.

According to the website, this year’s show will be held this Saturday 24 (twilight to 9pm) and Sunday 25 (10am-10pm). Kids 15 and under are free and there’ll be fireworks on Sunday night at 8.30pm.

Website: horshamshow.com.au/horsham-show

Facebook: facebook.com/horshamshow

You can line up Murtoa Show and Swan Hill show for the following weekend, so pace yourself, if you can!

Murtoa’s show is on Friday 30, a part of Murtoa’s Big Weekend, which looks amazing. The Stick Shed will be open all weekend with an art show and there’s a market by the lake. Friday’s show even includes a biggest weed competition. Fireworks are scheduled to wrap up the GrainCorp Lake Party.

Website: murtoabigweekend.com.au

Facebook: facebook.com/MurtoaBigWeekend

By the way, it’s only 2hrs and 12 minutes from Murtoa to Swan Hill. Swan Hill’s show runs Friday September 30-Saturday October 1, with a fireworks display Friday 9pm. 

Website: www.swanhillshow.com.au

Facebook: facebook.com/swanhill.show

If you live a little closer to the SA or NSW border, you might have some shows lined up to attend or participate in across the border. The Melbourne Royal Show starts tomorrow, Thursday 22 Sep-Sunday 2 October. Vic ag shows can be found on this handy online calendar from Victorian Agricultural Shows: vicagshows.com.au/show-calendar .

In 2022, we can pencil in Goroke, St Arnaud, Kerang, Elmore & District Machinery Field Days, Donald, Kaniva, Sunbury, Camperdown, Boort, Rainbow, Mildura, Geelong, Nhill, Barham Koondrook, Dimboola, Charlton, Maldon, Jeparit*, Bendigo, Stawell, Ararat, Castlemaine, Warrnambool and Dookie – and that’s only October, in our Vic west region.

In November we can look forward to Colac, Coleraine, Port Fairy, Ballarat, Casterton, Koroit, Kyneton, Clunes, Edenhope, Noorat, Beaufort and Daylesford.

Have we missed any?

*Correction: Jeparit’s show won’t be going ahead for 2022 but planning has begun for their 125th show in 2023.

What an honour it is to be able to ‘be there’ for our region’s farmers and small business owners during the tougher times. 

We see how hard you work – all hours and all seasons, through drought, flood and bushfires, and more – and we all benefit, from local employment to keeping local schools open and sports clubs going, an abundance of fresh, healthy food and local shops to amazing day-trip or getaway destinations around the region. 

Farmers and small business owners hold up billion dollar industries that keep Australia competitive, prosperous and self sufficient. We can’t imagine where we’d be without you. And we want you to know that we are here for you too.

Heroes need help sometimes too. 

The RFCS has been been supporting Australian farmers for over 35 years, and now services regional small business – always independent, always free. 

RFCS Victoria West further supports local farmers and small business owners through our unique wellbeing services, also delivered on farm or at your business premises, with remote options. 

Today, we launch our new website. We’re also introducing 4 new wellbeing counsellors, working across Sunraysia-Millewa, Wimmera-Southern Mallee, Bendigo-Swan Hill, Central Highlands and the Great South Coast. (You can meet them at our wellbeing page.)

It’s fitting, as September brings Mullets for Mental Health (all month long), RUOK? Day on the 9th, and World Suicide Prevention Day on the 10th. 

We wouldn’t be here without our team, working both in regional offices and remotely across Victoria’s regional west, covering over 30 local government areas.

I’d like to give thanks to our local community champions too – all who help others find their way to the RFCS, including former clients of the service who go on to become advocates for the service.

Our vision is strong rural communities and our theme for 2022-23 is ‘Rural. Regional. Remote. Connected.’  I invite you to get in touch and share your experiences and ideas for our primary producers and small business communities, and for building strong regional futures together.

David Stafford, Executive Officer