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
INTEGRITY
Respect & trust are our core values & are embedded in everything we do
COMMUNICATION
We value open, honest & authentic communication, recognising diversity of thoughts
RECOGNITION
We Recognise & celebrate individual & team effectiveness
IMPROVEMENT
We encourage ‘bigger thinking’ & are focused on continuous improvement
Economically & Socially Prosperous Rural Communities
Champion & Empower Primary Producers & Small Rural Businesses to Plan for a Secure Future
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
With an applied background in Accounting; Banking; Insurance, Corporate Recovery & Insolvency, his speciality is negotiating with banks on clients’ behalf, particularly Farm Debt Mediation, being 100% focused on achieving the best outcome for his clients.
Marshall also brings extensive personal experience in agriculture and farm management, coupled with a vast array of qualifications including Masters of AgriBusiness, G.Dip Applied Science (Horticulture), B. of Business (Accounting), as well as Dip. Rural Financial Counselling
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.
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.
Craig is a certified management accountant and CPA with a passion for supporting owners to understand their businesses in a way that can help them succeed and work through potential issues. This allows for a strong local economy and the positives impacts it can have on the community.
Our Board
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.
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.
Awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 2017 for his services to the Gippsland community, he has held various leadership and governance roles including as a Shire Councillor, Commissioner and Board Member/Chair for numerous organisations, incorporating significant financial oversight.
Peter has 14 years prior experience working for RFCS Gippsland, including 9 years in the Executive Officer role.
Milking 270 cows at Dumbalk North, Damian has held roles with the United Dairy Farmers of Victoria, Australian Dairy Farmers, Victorian Agricultural Advisory Council and is a Board member of Farmconnect. As well as farming, Damian & his family also operate businesses in Leongatha.
Awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in 2012 Damians study topic was ‘Young Farmer Finance Schemes’, and is now the Vice Chair of Nuffield Victoria.