COUNSELLORS who have supported Central West =
farmers through=20
drought and flood are set to lose their jobs because of a cut in Federal =
Government funding.
The Gilgandra office of the Rural Financial Counselling Service, NSW =
Central=20
West (RFCS-CW), will close and 12 part-time workers at the service =
=E2=80=93 10=20
administration assistants and two counsellors =E2=80=93 will lose their =
jobs after a cut=20
of $800,000 in funding for the next financial year, despite a rise in =
demand for=20
the services.
Offices in Walgett and Parkes were saved by a last-minute $30,000 =
=E2=80=9Clifeline=E2=80=9D=20
from the NSW Government but they will only open four days a week for the =
next=20
three months.
The offices at Dubbo and Buronga, near Mildura, will be reduced to a =
nine-day=20
fortnight.
Funding for those four offices is not guaranteed after September 30.
The case load in the Central West is the highest in the country, =
increasing=20
by 34 per cent during the past 12 months to 1190 clients after droughts =
and=20
floods impacted on rural families.
The Federal Government has still promised $1.7 million for the =
service during=20
the next year, but that figure is down from the $2.5 million required at =
the=20
moment.
RFCS-CW chief executive, Jeff Caldbeck, said the recent increase in =
client=20
cases was a clear indication of the need for the service in rural and =
regional=20
NSW.
=E2=80=9CDespite a commitment from the Federal Government to the tune =
of $1.7 million=20
a year, our budget shortfall will severely impact on our ability to =
service the=20
existing case load and we=E2=80=99ll effectively have to reduce it by =
approximately 400=20
clients,=E2=80=9D he said.
=E2=80=9CAt this stage, we have submitted our budget to the Federal =
Government last=20
Friday for our core funding and we now have to wait and see.=E2=80=9D
Hundreds of Gilgandra residents are expected to rally today in =
protest at the=20
cuts.
The sudden nature of the decision has hurt the community, according =
to local=20
rector, Reverend Michael Birch.
=E2=80=9CThe objective of this rally is to secure emergency funding =
from governments=20
to keep this essential service in operation,=E2=80=9D he said.
=E2=80=9CThere was no prior warning or consultation with local =
communities.=E2=80=9D
Federal Member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, said he will pressure =
Minister for=20
Agricul-ture, Joe Ludwig, to reverse the decision.
=E2=80=9CThe rural financial counsellors provide a free and valuable =
service to=20
farmers and agriculturally-based small businesses, not only in times of =
crisis,=20
but also when times are good seasonally,=E2=80=9D Mr Coulton said.
=E2=80=9CThis includes succession planning advice.
=E2=80=9CIt is important the Minister ensures this program keeps =
operating and that=20
these organisations are not under resourced.=E2=80=9D
Cuts to the Central West service have alarmed similar departments =
across NSW.
RFCS southern region executive officer, Ian McGufficke, said his area =
=E2=80=9Ccould=20
have had a total closedown=E2=80=9D, before Mr Ludwig guaranteed some =
Federal Government=20
funding last month.
=E2=80=9CThings will be downsized come July 1,=E2=80=9D Mr McGufficke =
said.
=E2=80=9CWe have had a succession planning package that was started =
last year not=20
renewed, so we won=E2=80=99t be keeping the two staff on.
=E2=80=9CA lot of family farms have been using Exceptional =
Circumstances payments but=20
when they finish, it will leave a hole in their finances and they will =
need=20
people like us to help them plan for the future.=E2=80=9D =