There were a few happy faces at the Northern Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS) in Magellan Street last Friday. CEO Gary Goldberg had learned that his company would receive $335,000 from the federal and state governments for a 12-month pilot program to support the mental well-being of farmers on the North Coast.

The program will enable the non-government RFCS to offer farmers mental health coaching to a community that has endured an onslaught of drought, bushfires, floods, and biosecurity threats, as well as fluctuating commodity prices. It is a collaboration between the National Farmers Federation and Norco, and has been made possible with funding from the federal government.

The aim of the service is to provide trusted and confidential support to farmers and their families, helping them to address any situational distress or conflicts that are affecting their daily lives.

Gary Goldberg, CEO of Rural Financial Counselling Service (RFCS), says about 50 per cent of farmers in Australia have contemplated self-harm or suicide in the last seven years.

“We know from the National Farmers wellbeing report, exactly how farmers have suffered it, particularly in this region over the last seven years. And I know that we have a number of clients already that have a crying need for the service,” said Goldberg.

“We need an alternative method of dealing with this problem. At the moment, there are fantastic services out there, like Lifeline, Beyond Blue, etc, but they are all telephone services. The farmer never gets an opportunity to get continuity, to build a relationship with whoever is providing the counselling.”

Mr Goldberg said he knew of 15 farmers who need help straight away.

"They trust us. They invite us onto their farm. We never go onto a farm uninvited. They have had an opportunity to build a relationship with a financial counsellor, and our financial counsellors have got the skill set and training to recognise that the other situations in their life, other than financial hardship, that are causing situational distress. So, it could be a problem with a marriage. It just could be depression, it could be fear of the next drought. It could be domestic violence. It could be anything that causes situational distress, and what we find is quite often, those things are related to financial hardship, and that's how they come to us in the first place."

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, said the service will provide farmers with access to trained financial counsellors, who can help to identify any underlying issues and develop a plan to address them.

“The Rural Financial Counselling Service is a trusted source for farmers, and this service will help them to address the whole of their lives, not just their financial situation,” said Saffin.

“This is a pilot program, but we are confident that it will be successful and that it will make a real difference in the lives of farmers and their families.”

The pilot, which will run until September 2025, is part of an initiative designed by the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Rural Adversity Mental Health Program.

The RFCS is now accepting applications from farmers and their families through its website.