Help for farmers and regional small business in Western Victoria

Pyrenees Council and Agriculture Victoria provide strategies for recovery and long term farm planning.

After the brutal and terrifying results of bushfire has left it’s indelible mark on buildings, farmland and stock, it can be difficult to know where to turn for support. No doubt there are farmers in Western Victoria concerned about their financial position and weighing up their future on the land after this summer’s fiery gift. It’s a stressful, uncertain time for any victim of bushfire disaster but there are supports out there and not just from RFCS Victoria West. Local and State Governments have sprung into action to provide practical assistance and planning strategies to help now and into the future.

Pyrenees Shire Fire Recovery Outreach Sessions – Raglan and Amphitheatre

Outreach sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday in Raglan and Amphitheatre up until April 4. Council officers will attend these sessions to help fire-impacted residents access the support they need. Drop in any time during the session, no appointment needed.

• Raglan Hall – from 12pm to 1.30pm every Tuesday and Thursday until April 4
• Amphitheatre Hall – 2pm to 3.30pm every Tuesday and Thursday until April 4
  
  
  

Planning your Recovery

A whole farm planning course for Beaufort district farmers

RFCS VicWest are proud to promote this fantastic free series of workshops by Agriculture Victoria.

Farmers affected by the recent Bayindeen – Rocky Road bushfire are invited to attend a 4 to 6 week whole farm planning course at Beaufort beginning Thursday 11 April.

Making farms more productive, efficient and sustainable while at the same time protecting natural assets like soil, water and the natural environment.

Workshop topics include:

• farm design and layout
• soils and land classing
• pasture and grazing/feed management
• farm water supply
• farm business planning
• adapting to a changing climate

“I did the FarmPlan 21 course following the Moyston fire. It helped me redesign paddocks and importantly got me off the farm and sharing with others for a few hours each week.”

David Coad, Moyston

Event Details:

Start Date: Thursday 11 April then every Thursday from 4 – 6 weeks

Time: 10am – 3am

Where: Beeripno Development Centre
1 Lawrence Street, Beauort

Cost: Free, lunch provided

PIC needed: Please update your PIC before registering for this workshop

For more information or to register, go to the Agriculture Victoria Website here.

To register directly click here.

For free and confidential assistance with financial problems on the farm, contact RFCS Victoria West here.

Payments announced for fire impacted Victorians

Residents in the Pomonal area who have been significantly impacted by recent fires are now able to apply for the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP).

Available for people who suffered serious damage or injury as a result of the bushfires, eligible residents can receive $1,000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child to help with the immediate costs of recovery.

Minister for Government Services, the Hon Bill Shorten said that
“The AGDRP supports those who have experienced the worst this event has to offer get through tough times by helping to replace some essential items that were lost.”

Residents will be able to check their eligibility on the Services Australia Website The quickest way to claim a payment will be online through myGov

If people need help to claim, they can call the Australian Government Emergency information line on 180 22 66 between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. If they want to speak to someone in their language, they can also call the Centrelink multilingual phone service on 131 202

The federal payment builds on disaster assistance measures jointly funded with the Victorian Government, which are already available in areas impacted by the fires and February 13 storms including:

• Personal hardship payments of $640 per adult and $320 per child up to a maximum of $2,240 per eligible family to help cover the costs of essentials like food, clothing, medication and accommodation.

• Emergency re-establishment grants of up to $49,300 for people who are uninsured and their primary place of residence has been destroyed or is uninhabitable.

• Prolonged Power Outages Payments of up to $1,920 per week for households and up to $2,927 per week for up to three weeks for affected small businesses.

• The Emergency Recovery Hotline has been activated to process calls from anyone affected by fires or storms. To access recovery support, affected residents can call the Hotline on 1800 560 760.

RFCS Victoria West has people on the ground to help primary producers and small business owners affected by fires and other natural disasters. If you need help in understanding the eligibility criteria, completing applications or negotiating with insurers, give us a call or send a message here. Our wait times are short and our services are free.

Strategies and Support at the Four Posts Hotel

It’s never easy to ask for help, especially from a counsellor. There’s an unrealistic expectation that farmers should deal with every obstacle that appears on their farm with the dexterity of a kelpie in a sheep pen. It seems ridiculous that they blame themselves for not easily recovering from extreme weather events or economic downturns, or for somehow adjusting to lower stock or grain prices, or for a million other things that disrupt their income. And it seems puzzling that they would not seek help from a counsellor when financial hardship is threatening their farm, business, family or mental health. But that is exactly what happens in many cases, and the RFCS (Rural Financial Counselling Service) is determined to bury the stigma associated with counselling.

Enter Heidi Chrislett and Adrian Polkinghorne from The Four Posts Hotel in Jarklin. Here’s a couple of community minded entrepreneurs who are taking positive steps to connect the services of the RFCS Vic West to their local clientele. The publicans have welcomed financial and wellbeing counsellors from the Service to use their facilities as a meeting space each Thursday.

“Farming is a tough gig” says Heidi, “we know that from firsthand experience – Adrian still very much a farmer at heart regardless of the fact that he is spending all his time renovating the Four Posts right now.                                                                                                                                

We see our role at the pub as offering a reprieve from the hard work and the constant pressure associated with life on the farm (and I’m talking about our customers, not Adrian). We normally do that by offering food, drink, and entertainment in comfortable surroundings, but it makes sense to extend that to real, practical help. If RFCS can provide that to our local farmers and business owners it helps make a better, stronger community and it’s good for business – theirs, ours, everybody’s.”

The relationship between The Four Posts and RFCS began soon after the 2022-23 floods that swept through farmlands and townships across much of Western Victoria. One of the RFCS financial counsellors grew up on a farm not far from the Hotel and often returned (with his dog) to catch up with family and old friends. He was helping his brother-in-law out on the farm during the floods when he mentioned his day job to Heidi one night. Applications for flood assistance grants were taking up most of his time at that stage but face to face appointments at client’s properties were proving to be a challenge under the circumstances. “Well why don’t you hold your appointments here?” suggested Heidi. And just like that, The Four Posts became a hub for locals wanting help with flood assistance grants.

RFCS VicWest CEO David Stafford is delighted by the arrangement: “Our Vision is to promote strong communities, and this is exactly the sort of activity we want to be involved with” he said. “This is community working from the ground up and not being afraid to be proactive. It’s a great opportunity and it’s up to us now to prove our worth, to get to a point where farmers will call us as readily as they would their accountant, veterinarian or stock agent.”

Torrential rain on Christmas day undoubtedly sent anxiety levels soaring for those impacted by flood less than 12 months earlier, and recent heavy rain is again posing a serious threat to some communities. Repercussions from the 22-23 floods are still having an effect on the region and are the instigator for appointments with financial and wellbeing counsellors. Many are still repairing their houses or waiting for tradespeople to do so. Others are negotiating with insurers, refinancing properties and facing creditors. And while most financial counsellors aren’t that great with a nail gun, they do excel with unravelling red tape, form filling and negotiating with insurers, banks and creditors.

RFCS counsellors live and work in rural and regional areas across Western Victoria and know the landscape. Primary producers or business owners in the Jarklin region can book an appointment by calling 1300 735 578 and meet face to face in a quiet spot at the pub to seek the assistance they need. Those outside the area or wishing to meet in the privacy of their own home can call for an appointment at a time and place of their choosing. RFCS services are confidential and free.

For more information on our financial counselling services, follow these links: farm | small business | wellbeing