Orange lender adds 27 jobs as farm-crisis lending demand surges

The Regional Investment Corporation, the Orange-based lending body that has become a lifeline for Australian farmers hit by natural disasters, is embarking on a major restructuring aimed at accelerating loan approvals and improving customer service.

The expansion will add 27 full-time positions to the RIC's existing team of 70 workers—roughly a third increase across customer service, agri-lending, information technology, finance, and systems management. The shift marks a fundamental change in how the RIC operates: instead of outsourcing portions of its loan management to contractors, the organisation will now handle the entire process in-house, from initial assessment through documentation, dispersal, settlement, and ongoing management.

Chief Executive Officer John Howard described the transformation as necessary given the organisation's five-year track record. By late January, the RIC had approved 2,910 loans worth more than $3.15 billion. With government backing, it has become the primary source of concessional lending for producers struggling with the fallout from flooding, drought, pests, and biosecurity crises—circumstances where mainstream banks simply won't lend.

"We've been managing significant parts of the process through external partners," Mr Howard said. "Now we're bringing it all in-house. We're building our own contact centre, developing our own loan management system, and customers will be dealing directly with us at every stage of their 10-year loan term."

The restructure addresses a persistent tension: the RIC's lending impact has grown faster than its internal capacity. Program delivery executive director Alli Gregory outlined the customer journey that the expanded team will now manage entirely. "When an application comes in, we assess it, prepare the documentation, disperse and settle the loan, and then manage it for a decade," she said. "Speed and direct communication matter enormously to farmers in crisis."

The recruitment campaign underscores the RIC's commitment to maintaining a regional character. Nearly nine in every ten existing staff are based outside the capital, with two-thirds concentrated in Orange and the surrounding Central West. New positions will be advertised at the Orange headquarters as well as for remote and hybrid work across Australia—a recognition that farming communities operate nationwide.

The timing reflects the chronic pressure on Australian agriculture. A decade of droughts, floods, and pandemic-related disruption has left large swathes of the industry dependent on government support. By investing in faster, more responsive loan management, the RIC is signalling its expectation that rural hardship will persist and that accessibility will be as important as the loans themselves.