RFCS Gippsland
Rural Financial Counselling Service
RFCS Gippsland offices are conveniently located across our service region covering the whole of south east Victoria – from smaller acreage properties of south east Melbourne surrounds to as far as the New South Wales border, taking in farming and fishing regions of Gippsland and the coast.
Our service covers eleven (11) Council shires across south eastern Victoria: Bass Coast, Baw Baw, Cardinia, Casey, East Gippsland, Latrobe, Mornington Peninsula, Nillumbik, South Gippsland, Wellington and Yarra Ranges.
Our Service
Experienced and professional Rural Financial Counsellors (RFC) are available to meet with you on your farm, business premises, or any location that is suitable for you.
RFC can help develop plans for improving your future.
Free Service
Experienced & Qualified Counsellors
Here to help you achieve financial sustainability
Our Purpose
Respect
We treat everyone with dignity, express genuine care and concern for others, and have an appreciation that all people and circumstances are different
Integrity
We treat everyone with honesty and fairness, in a professional and engaging manner, and we take responsibility for our actions
Trust
We build trust by being open, honest, respectful and reliable with each other and with our clients
Achievement
We are inclusive and recognise the contributions and achievements of everyone involved in our success
Communication
We value the opinions of others and commit to fostering a culture of open and honest communication and transparent and fair decision making
To provide free rural financial counselling services (RFCS) to eligible primary producers, fishers and small rural businesses in south-east Victoria as supported by programs funded by the Australian and Victorian Governments.
To provide charitable financial assistance to farming families in need.
Be a valuable service
to our rural community, with a skilled, professional and respected team of Rural Financial Counsellors (RFC)
Ensure a flexible, effective and efficient service for the delivery of rural financial counselling service (RFCS).
Support the ongoing development of skilled, professional counsellors.
Facilitate structural adjustment for farmers wishing to exit the industry.
Work with RFCS East Vic clients to ensure goals are reached and the client feels supported along their journey.
Provide valuable service to our clients, the community and our funding body.
Maintain the confidentiality of our clients.
Our Governance
We are a non-profit organisation supported by programs funded by Victorian & Federal Governments aiding farming communities and small rural business owners at risk of financial hardship.
Our two Victorian and Federal Government major funding bodies are:
Commonwealth Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR)
Victorian State Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR)
Donations from local Gippsland businesses provides at risk households with invaluable emergency relief support.
RFCS Gippsland Board of Directors provide the governing oversight for the achievement and reporting of our funded purpose.
View our current Board Members
They are accountable for upholding our legal, financial, risk and regulatory obligations, as well as guide our strategic vision, objectives and community advocacy.
To ensure appropriate understanding and guidance of our services, all of our Directors must have significant background and experience in the Agriculture/Rural sector(s), in addition to governance, business, economic, legal and community acumen.
Interested in being a member of the Board? view the Board Position Description
Directors and members of RFCS Gippsland operate within its adopted Rules of Association
To further ensure compliance with statutory and funding obligations, the Board have formed sub-committees to oversee Audit, Remuneration and Governance:
Remuneration & Governance Sub-Committee – Terms of Reference
Annual General Meetings are held in November
RFCS Gippsland Board members, Executive Officers and Employees all operate under a Code of Conduct (in conjunction with our policies and the Australian Public Service (APS) Values (Part 3 of the Public Service Act 1999 (Cth)). The code of conduct provides guidance and rules for appropriate conduct in the performance of our duties. This embodies the commitment to act honestly and exercise a high degree of care and diligence in the discharge of our responsibilities, and to undertake activities in a manner which ensures public confidence in the administration of our services.
Read the detail of our Code here – RFCS Gippsland Code of Conduct
To ensure the protection, inclusion and satisfaction of our clients, employees, stakeholders and community, our Board have adopted and work within a suite of policies to provide appropriate controls, commitments, treatment, responses and guiding principles of operation.
Our policies cover financial and risk management, diversity and equality, compliance, integrity, employment, as well as work health safety & wellbeing.
To view our policies in detail, click the following link or visit the page Our Policies
Our Team
Jenny grew up on a dairy farm and has continued to be involved in the dairy industry as a farm business owner and operator in partnership with her husband.
This background provides Jenny with a very comprehensive and practical understanding of both business and operational issues confronting farmers in Gippsland.
Formal qualifications and accreditation include Business (Accounting), Community Services – Financial Counselling, Case Management & Welfare Work, Training & Assessment, Family Meeting Facilitation, Professional Supervision.
Christine works with our clients personally, offering ongoing support and holistic strategies to reduce stressors and empower clients to reestablish positive mindsets.
Karen’s focus is supporting the Gippsland community enhance their lives through employment and training opportunities with tailored support so clients can achieve their goals.
Previously an accountant, Jane is CPA accredited and holds a Diploma of Financial Counselling (Rural).
Together with her husband, she was a dairy farmer in Trafalgar for 15 years before leaving the industry at the end of 2015. She was also a director of the Board of Trafalgar Community Bank®.
Anne has a background in finance having worked at the Commonwealth Bank and a local finance organisation. She also worked at the Department of Primary Industries for six years assisting in various departments in a casual administration role.
Anne and her husband owned and operated their family dairy farm at Buffalo in 2008.
Wayne has a background in banking and finance in the Gippsland region of over 25 years. Previous roles have included Regional Finance and Regional Finance/Administration Manager with Wesfarmers, Branch Manager with Bendigo Bank and Gippsland Area Finance Manager with Westpac/AGC. Over the last 10 years Wayne has worked in employment within the job network and retail management in Leongatha.
Wayne has lived in Berry’s Creek for 22 years and is an active CFA firefighter for 20 years.
As a former dairy farmer, she has owned and operated a dairy farming business in south Gippsland for 24 years until 2012.
She formerly worked at South Gippsland Water as the Procurement Officer and IT training and support. Trudi has a background in banking having worked at the Commonwealth Bank and has held positions in accounts payable and purchasing in the communication industry.
Trudi holds a diploma of Agriculture; Cert IV in Training and Assessing; as well as diploma in Rural Financial Counselling.
With a farming background, Chris also has significant experience understanding and representing fellow farmers as a committee member for the Southwest Rural Counselling Service for 10 years, as well as bringing substantial understanding of government assessment criteria working within Centrelink for 23 years (7 of those as a Rural Service Officer and Farm Household Case Officer), receiving written commendation from Federal Minister for Agriculture for work as a rural public servant.
Chris grew up in South West Victoria working for local dairy farmers and contracting business and has resided in Gippsland for 10 years. He brings over 7 years of banking and finance experience with previous rolls as small business personal banker, financial planner and accounts manager. He has a passion for business and farming, particularly the diverse and unique Gippsland businesses with the support they give each other.
Ian understands first-hand the impact of drought, fires and the pandemic is having on small business our rural communities and is keen to use his skills and experience to help business operators recover.
Our Board
Aubrey lives at Hill End in West Gippsland where he has operated a dairy farm business since 2002. Before farming Aubrey worked in rural and retail banking and for Bonlac Foods during 2004 – 2005 as a field officer in Gippsland.
Aubrey was a director of GippsDairy between 2010 and 2014, is currently the Deputy Chairman of the Bonlac Supply Company, a Fonterra Forum Delegate since 2012, and appointed to the Agribusiness Gippsland Board in 2017.
Robin grew up on a small dairy farm in South Gippsland before completing his Bachelor of Business at Monash University. He is a Senior Principal of Crowe Horwath, an integrated financial services provider within Gippsland and part of an international accounting network.
Robin has over 35 years in public practice and has spent his entire working career in advisory roles. A diverse client base of small to medium enterprises provides exposure to a very wide range of business situations. He has a keen interest in the not-for-profit sector and is a long serving President of the Sale Tennis Club as well as serving on advisory committees with Tennis Victoria.
Robin is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Registered Tax Agent and a Registered Company Auditor.
Clare has considerable experience on boards within the education and aged care sectors, with specific expertise in finance and audit.
A previous member of the Regional Victorian Small Business Partnership and Reference Group, Clare is highly involved in her community of Sale, and is currently appointed as a Victorian State Bail Justice.
Current positions include a Mentor for the Lifeline Farmers’ Friend program; Deputy Chair of Heyfield Hospital; Customer Consultative Committee Deputy Chair for Southern Rural Water, with representation on the Modernization Program and Agriculture Industry Group engagement committees. Previous advisory roles include representing the agricultural sector in the Gippsland Regional Assembly, and representing the Dairy industry in local and government discussions and inquiries.
Raelene brings significant experience in business management and governance including finance; risk; strategy; stakeholder relations; legal and regulatory compliance.
