Rural Financial Counselling Service North Queensland

22/10/2026

Need assistance from Services Australia and you live in Cloncurry or Richmond. Make sure to get along and visit them on their upcoming tour of the region.

Our staff travel in mobile service centres (MSCs) to rural and regional areas to help people with our services and payments.

15/10/2026

You’re not in this by yourself.”

After 19 years as a Rural Financial Counsellor, Andrew Grist knows just how challenging the road to recovery can be for primary producers following a natural disaster.

In the wake of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, producers across the Cassowary Coast faced more than immediate damage to crops, machinery and infrastructure. Continued rainfall delayed the return to paddocks and income, while demand for contractors, repairs and other support put further pressure on already stretched businesses.

For Andrew, rural financial counselling is about helping producers bring some calm and structure to that uncertainty.

From understanding available disaster assistance to working through cash flow, debt, banks and the ATO, Rural Financial Counsellors can help producers prioritise their resources, make informed decisions and build a practical way forward.

In our latest Stories of Recovery & Resilience, Andrew shares what he has learned from supporting producers through disaster recovery and why reaching out early can make a difference.

Watch Andrew’s story and read more:
https://www.rfcsnq.com.au/resilience/rural-financial-counselling-recovery-support

Assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

Andrew Grist has been a Rural Financial Counsellor for nineteen years, and is currently based on the Cassowary Coast. With a background that includes running his own farming enterprises and as a CPA he knows how hard, and how many things can be outside your control as a producer – including those ...

14/10/2026

Disaster season is approaching in North Queensland. Is your rural business ready?

A little preparation now can make it easier to respond if severe weather affects your property or operations. This is a good time to:
✅ Review your insurance and check what’s covered
✅ Back up financial records, important documents and contact details
✅ Make a plan for staff, livestock, equipment and access to your property
✅ Check how you’ll keep operating if roads, power or communications are disrupted

You don’t have to work through the planning alone. RFCSNQ can help primary producers & small business owners understand the risks facing their business and develop practical disaster response and recovery plans.

Find out more about our free, impartial and confidential support: https://www.rfcsnq.com.au/disaster-recovery

12/10/2026

Thinking about purchasing your first farm business or planning for farm succession?

Join RIC’s free "Get RIC Ready" webinar and learn how the RIC AgriStarter Loan may help eligible first farmers and support the next generation through farm succession arrangements.

📅 Wednesday 28 October 2026
🕛 12:00 noon AEDT for 1 hour
👉 Register here: https://bit.ly/4wCd2GW

Hear from RIC Agri Lending Specialists and guest speakers as they cover:
✅ What you need to know about the AgriStarter Loan and how it can help
✅ Key eligibility requirements and what you need to prepare before applying
✅ Succession planning opportunities and pathways into farm ownership
✅ Practical tips to apply with confidence

The AgriStarter Loan can help eligible applicants purchase a first farm business, support succession planning arrangements, invest in land, livestock and equipment, and build a strong foundation for long-term farming success.

Whether you're a first-time farmer, part of a farming family planning for the future, this RIC webinar is designed to help you understand your options and prepare for the next step.

🎥Can't attend live? Register anyway and you’ll receive the recording after the webinar.

🌾Register now and take the next step towards your farming future: https://bit.ly/4wCd2GW

06/10/2026

"It just knocked it all down flat... it was devastating."

When Cyclone Jasper hit the Vang family's taro farm on the Cassowary Coast, it destroyed a paddock they'd spent years building, along with their water pumps, tractors, and an entire season's crop.

With support from Rural Financial Counsellor, Andrew Grist, at RFCSNQ, Kee and his mother Mei were able to repair their machinery, restore their water pumps, and replant, keeping four generations of family farming going.

Watch Kee and Mei's story: https://www.rfcsnq.com.au/resilience/rebuilt-their-farming-enterprise-after-cyclone-jasper -and-meis-story

Assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

27/09/2026

“Even though it's not a direct impact, we all suffered.”

When Cyclone Jasper closed the roads into Innisfail, Tony Leacy's shop at Tropic Cartridges and Printing was cut off for days with no one able get to get in or out. Like many small businesses on the Cassowary Coast, it wasn't just the cyclone itself that hurt, it was everything that came after.

With support from Small Business Financial Counsellor Kendell Thessman, Tony was supported to deal with the ongoing impacts of Jasper, including accessing grants to help work on his branding, marketing and diversification.

“I don't know whether I'd still be keen to be in business if it wasn't for the help I got from Kendell.”

Watch Tony's story https://www.rfcsnq.com.au/resilience/more-than-a-storm-building-small-business-resilience-beyond-tc-jasper -story

Assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).

When Tropical Cyclone Jasper hit the flooding and road closures that followed brought Tony Leacy’s business, and many others in the region, to a standstill. But that didn't mean he was on his own. Small Business Financial Counsellor Kendell Thessman's role, funded through the Disaster Recovery Fun

25/09/2026

Over the coming weeks, we’re proud to share stories of recovery and resilience from producers and small and family business owners across the Cyclone Jasper affected region. In their own words, they reflect on the challenges they’ve faced since December 2023 and the support that has helped them get back on their feet.

We begin with Malanda cattle producer Anita Stoddart.

“He was pretty, pretty horrible. Everything got really washed out - places that had never washed out before, got washed out.”

For Malanda cattle producer Anita Stoddart, Cyclone Jasper meant a week of pulling cattle from the mud with a four-wheeler and trailer, just trying to keep them alive.

QRIDA connected Anita with Lynette McGuffie, her Rural Financial Counsellor at RFCSNQ and with funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, Anita was able to replace lost weaners, repair washed-out roads, and get her property back on track.

“Without the rural financial counselling service, I would not be able to do these applications myself.”

Watch Anita's story https://www.rfcsnq.com.au/resilience/back-on-their-feet-how-disaster-recovery-funding-helped-a-malanda-cattle-producer-through-cyclone-jasper -support

16/09/2026

16/09/2026

Being prepared - no truer words. Have a chat to the team at Farm Business Planning North Queensland

The saleyards are bustling, the sugar harvest is full steam ahead, and farm businesses across North Queensland are busy.

But sometimes we forget the human side.

Talk to your local Farm Business Planner about preparing your business for the unexpected.

fbpnq.com.au/about-us