Rural West offers free, confidential and independent business financial counselling to eligible clients across WA.

You stay in charge of every decision. Your Rural Financial Counsellor works alongside you to understand where things stand, explore your options and build a plan that works for you.

Who is eligible: Rural Financial Counselling Service

Farmers, Fishers, and Foresters

You have an interest in a commercial primary production business (agriculture, horticulture, grazing, beekeeping, aquaculture, wild-catch fishing, or growing or harvesting trees) and:

• you put a significant part of your own work and capital into the business, and
• your Rural Financial Counsellor assesses that you’re facing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

Hobby farms, fishing charters and horse training aren’t covered.

Small Businesses that serve primary producers

You have an interest in a business with 19 or fewer employees, including sole traders, and:

• the business mainly or only serves primary producers, up to and including harvest, and
• your Rural Financial Counsellor assesses that you’re facing, or at risk of, financial hardship.

Examples: fencing contractors, harvesting and crop contractors, shearers, weed and pest control, and stock management services.

Not covered under this category: suppliers of machinery, farm supplies or chemicals, veterinarians, bookkeeping or IT services, sellers of livestock or farm assets, and transport or haulage businesses.

Some of these businesses may be eligible under the Live Sheep Export pathway below.

Farm Household Allowance Recipients 

You receive the Farm Household Allowance under the Farm Household Support Act 2014 (Cth).

Additional eligibility: Live Sheep Export Transition

Because the live sheep export trade is ending, extra eligibility is available to people and businesses in the WA live sheep export supply chain who currently rely on the trade and will be financially affected by its end.

This includes:

• Transport and freight: transport company managers, truck drivers and offsiders, freight handlers (road or rail)
• Veterinary and animal care: veterinarians, vet nurses, animal husbandry technicians, animal attendants and trainers
• Shearing and wool: shearers, wool classers, wool handlers, wool buyers
• Stock and station agents
• Farm and livestock workers: sheep, cattle, livestock, mixed production and broadacre farm workers (including senior roles), livestock husbandry workers, agricultural mobile plant operators
• Farmers and farm managers
• Agricultural and agritech technicians
• Importers, exporters and wholesalers
• Primary products assurance and inspection officers

If your role isn’t listed but your income depends on live sheep export, get in touch. We can work through your eligibility together.

Not sure if you’re eligible?

A quick conversation is the easiest way to find out. Call 1800 612 004 or email enquiries@ruralwest.com.au

Rural Financial Counselling Service of WA. Supported by funding from the Australian Government and the Government of Western Australia.