From: "Saved by Windows Internet Explorer 8" Subject: Rural counsellors fear funding cuts Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:21:09 +1100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01CBED21.17AA6DE0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.0.6002.18263 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01CBED21.17AA6DE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201103/s3173599.htm Rural counsellors fear funding cuts

ABC Rural

Rural counsellors fear funding cuts

Friday, 25/03/2011

There are fears the Rural Financial Counselling = Service=20 could be cut from July.

The federally-funded service helps farmers, = fishermen and=20 rural businesses who are suffering financial hardship.

Funding for the service runs out at the end of = this=20 financial year, and counsellors say they can't get reassurances that it = will=20 continue.

They've been in Canberra lobbying the Federal=20 Government.

Tasmania's RFCS chairman Bruce Williams says the = feeling is=20 that the funding is at serious risk.

"There is a misconception, I think, in government = circles=20 at the moment, that because it's rained the issues associated with the = ten-year=20 drought are gone," he said.

"It's going to take at least five years for the = effects of=20 the drought to be dealt with by the rural community.

Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig won't comment on = how much=20 funding the service will get in the May=20 Budget.

=20

The Federal Government = drought bus=20 visiting Bicheno in northern Tasmania. Rural counsellers fear funding = will be=20 cut in the Federal Budget. (Rose=20 Grant)

Audio

The Rural Financial Counselling Service could be = slashed when=20 funding runs out in July.

There are growing concerns funding won't be renewed,=20 effectively ending the Federal Government-funded service which helps = farmers=20 suffering financial problems. The jobs of 110 rural financial = counsellors around=20 the country are at risk.