Rural Financial Counselling Service NSW - =
Central West=20
(RFCS-CW) was established in October 2006 by the amalgamation of nine =
previous=20
central west services and has since played an extremely active role in=20
supporting rural clients within the Walgett and Lightening Ridge area.=20
Mr Jeff Caldbeck CEO of RFCS- CW identified that the service remained =
committed to assisting primary producers and rural small business owners =
recover=20
from the drought and more recently extraordinarily intense and damaging =
weather=20
systems.=20
He reiterated the service=E2=80=99s commitment to focus support =
directly to the rural=20
communities via the appointment of a new rural financial counsellor and=20
administration support officer at the Walgett office site in January =
this year.=20
Jeff advised that Fiona Mead has been appointed to the position of =
Walgett=20
RFC and will undertake to provide primary producers and small rural =
businesses=20
with free and confidential financial counselling and referral support =
through=20
the Walgett office, currently located within the Walgett Council =
Building, 77=20
Fox Street.=20
Jeff Caldbeck identified clearly that he was very pleased that =
RFCS-CW could=20
attract a person of Fiona=E2=80=99s calibre.=20
This is a positive appointment that will be of a major benefit and =
will also=20
reinforce our organisation=E2=80=99s focus on direct counselling support =
to the rural=20
sector.=20
Fiona comes to our organisation with a strong background in financial =
and=20
administration management and her family has lived and worked on the =
land in=20
both Africa and Australia for more than 28 years.=20
Jeff identified that Fiona will, over the coming months, ensure that =
the=20
local rural sector has available to them information on assistance =
programs and=20
grants not only relating to flood assistance but also exceptional =
circumstance.
He stated that with the planned end of the exceptional circumstance =
program=20
on March 31 within many areas of the state, the effect will be the =
removal of=20
millions of dollars in relief payments for the region.=20
Jeff stated that each producer and small business owner=E2=80=99s =
individual=20
eligibility is based on their own unique situation and urged primary =
producers=20
to refrain from self-assessing.
=E2=80=9CI encourage primary producers and small rural business =
owners in EC-declared=20
areas to approach Fiona (Walgett RFC) to receive the support and =
assistance=20
needed to review their RAA application and implement enterprise =
activities=20
designed to improve drought recovery sooner rather than later.=E2=80=9D =