RIC expansion brings aid closer to drought and flood-hit farmers

An Australian Government-backed funding organisation that supports farmers through natural disasters is significantly expanding its operations, hiring nearly 30 new staff across customer services, technology and lending roles.

The Regional Investment Corporation, based in Orange, currently operates with 70 employees and is recruiting 27 additional staff to bring loan services closer to those who need them most. The expansion marks a structural shift toward handling all stages of the lending process in-house—from initial assessment through to decade-long loan management—rather than relying on external partners.

Chief Executive Officer John Howard explained the rationale: "We've done significant parts of it before but we are increasing our base of how we do that, we are bringing in a contact centre, we're having our own loan management system." The goal is straightforward: farmers dealing with the RIC will now manage their entire application and loan journey with a single organisation, simplifying a process that has historically scattered responsibilities across multiple agencies.

Since its inception five years ago, the RIC has approved more than 2,910 loans valued at over $3.15 billion to farmers recovering from flooding, drought, pests and biosecurity threats. The organisation offers concessional loans at rates significantly lower than commercial banks—critical support for farmers facing the financial squeeze of disaster recovery.

Program Delivery Executive Director Alli Gregory said the expansion allows faster, more responsive communication. "When an application comes in, we do an assessment, we do all the loan documentation, we disperse and settle the loan and then we manage the loan for the rest of the 10-year loan term," she said. "From a customer perspective, that's a significantly improved experience."

The expansion also reinforces the RIC's commitment to regional Australia. Nine in ten current staff members are based regionally, with two-thirds stationed in Orange and the Central West. The recruitment campaign specifically targets positions available both at headquarters and remotely across the country.

The timing reflects persistent pressure on the agricultural sector. Years of drought followed by flooding have kept farmer stress and financial need at elevated levels. When a business operates on tight margins, faster loan decisions and simpler administration can mean the difference between recovery and collapse.

Howard emphasised the importance of hiring staff with deep ties to farming communities: "One of the things we've found really important is actually having a workforce that's got a great affinity with the farmers and the farming community that we're dealing with." That approach—staffing the RIC with people who understand rural challenges from the inside—underscores the organisation's mission to provide not just loans, but informed and empathetic support through crisis.