Northern NSW rural financial counselling service opens up Tocal office

New Casino-based executive officer Gary Goldberg has overseen a few changes since coming on board late last year - the biggest of which being the closure of the Gloucester office in December following the retirement of long-time financial counsellor Ron Lindsay.

A new office has since been organised to operate out of Tocal Agricultural College, chosen, according to Mr Goldberg, so service can continue for the Upper Hunter, while resources are also made available to the regions around Sydney.

Mr Goldberg said former Narrabri financial counsellor and 2016 NSW-ACT Rural Women’s Award finalist Fiona Meade will work from Tocal, with Leah Bailey at Moree and Julie Roy at Tamworth servicing the Narrabri office a miniumum of one day per week.

Mr Goldberg said telephones will continue to be manned at all times.

Mr Goldberg comes to the Northern NSW Rural Financial Counselling Service with an extensive background in manufacturing, accounting, and business management.

Originally from South Africa, he was the group accountant for the Northern Co-operative Meat Company in Casino for seven years, and has since been working in agribusiness in Papua New Guinea with Trukai Industries, Mainland Holdings, and Coca Cola Amatil PNG.

Mr Goldberg said he saw the rural financial counselling service as a proud member of the bush community.

“To have such a free, professional service available is an amazing privilege and it is up to us to ensure that communities start to see us in the same light as any other profession like they would their accountant, lawyer or agronomist,” he said. 

“We have the skill set required to assist farmers in assessing the financial strengths and weakness’ of their business, and we have the network available to refer them to whatever assistance is available, whether that be government departments or other professionals.”