Who we are
Rural Business Support (RBS) is an organisation committed to building a profitable, sustainable and resilient rural sector by supporting businesses, farmers, landowners and communities in rural and regional South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Our Vision
A profitable, sustainable and resilient rural business sector.
Our Purpose
“We genuinely care about supporting rural business families when they need it most, providing them with hope and direction for the future”
Our Values
Build Community
Work Compassionately
Influence with Credibility
Continually Improve
We’re focussed on delivering programs aimed at developing a sustainable primary industry sector with resilient rural communities to support them.
This includes delivering free, independent and confidential Financial Counselling Services for primary producers and regionally based small business owners in SA and NT, as well as the landowner information service for South Australian landowners, farmers and community members who have queries on resources exploration, mining and quarrying.
While our programs are mostly funded by the Australian Government and Governments of South Australia and the Northern Territory, we are independent and trusted by the communities we serve.
We believe that sustainable rural communities are essential for Australia’s future, and that by supporting rural communities through adversity we have the opportunity to empower business owners with the knowledge and confidence needed to build future resilience.
Our business financial counsellors and strategic analysts co-design business programs aimed at collaboratively removing barriers to building resilient rural businesses.
With a focus on developing better business practices, financial and industry literacy, growing individual capabilities and building confidence; RBS has a reputation for developing and delivering bespoke programs in partnership with federal and state governments, industry groups and other agencies.
History
The Rural Financial Counselling Service began nationally in 1986 after a meeting of rural community groups. The decision was made to support the development of local financial counselling groups within regions that were deemed to be in difficulty through drought, depressed commodity prices and increasing interest rates with Rural Financial Counsellors appointed throughout South Australia.
In 2006 a new state wide service, the Rural Financial Counselling Service SA, commenced and replaced the 12 existing regional based Rural Financial Counsellors that were managed by volunteer committees.
At the peak of the drought in 2007, the 12 Rural Financial Counsellors increased to 21.
In 2011 Rural Business Support was formed, expanding its services to the whole agribusiness sector across SA. We also expanded our offering to Northern Territory.
In 2020 Rural Business Support again expanded our program offering to include the Small Business Financial Counselling Program across regional SA and the Northern Territory, a government funded pilot program recognising the need to provide additional support to main street businesses at risk due to the ongoing drought, bushfires and the challenges and uncertainty created by the covid pandemic.
In addition, we welcomed the opportunity to pilot the Landowner Information Service, a new program aimed at providing easy-to-understand information to any individual or business affected by resources exploration and mining activities in South Australia.
At the height of the introduction of these two programs, Rural Business Support staffing levels increased to 50, with 12 regional offices across SA and NT.
In mid-2021 the ongoing challenges of the covid pandemic, drought and bushfire recovery following the black summer of 2019/20 saw the Small Business Financial Counselling pilot extended to December 2022. At the same time, we were delighted to see the Landowner Information Service extended beyond the pilot as a fully funded program until July 2025. RBS welcomed a second Landowner Information Service Officer to the team.
Rural Business Support’s work has always been, and always will be focussed on helping rural people and their families, and we have been on a constant journey to find ways to do more to make a difference in the lives of our clients, their families, and their communities.
As a not-for-profit with full DGR1 status, in July 2022 Rural Business Support launched our Relief Fund aiming to provide practical and immediate relief to primary producers, foresters, fishers and small related agricultural enterprises in distress and at risk of poverty, financial distress, or emotional hardship due to adverse events or natural disasters beyond their control.
