The warning signs for Rural Aid counsellors often come before they hit the road to reach farming families all over Australia.
“I can hear it in your voice. You’re not OK.”
Those words, from a Rural Aid staff member on the end of the phone, reached dairy farmer Jason Cousins during the 2022 floods, when he was telling everyone he was fine.
“She wouldn’t hang up until she knew I was OK,” he said.
“From there she arranged for a Rural Aid counsellor to ring me, and I still talk to him.”
It’s a story shared by farming families across the country who are being pushed from one extreme to the next.
Four years after the floods, Mr Cousins’ fourth-generation farm near Singleton in NSW’s Hunter Valley is now in the grip of drought. A 300-acre paddock that once ran 40 head now holds just three, and even they rely on hay brought in by hand.
The financial strain is only part of it. Self-reliant by nature, many farmers are reluctant to ask for help, which is why Rural Aid takes support to them.
Its 11 qualified counsellors live in the rural communities they serve and offer confidential support one-on-one, at no cost, at local events and at the farm gate, often driving hours to sit with someone at their own kitchen table.
Keeping them on the road is Ampol. Building on a partnership that formally began in 2024 after five years of support, Ampol recently announced a new three-year commitment to Rural Aid. The energy company has provided fuel assistance for Rural Aid counsellors, volunteers and field teams, who clocked up more than 180,000km last year reaching families battling floods, fires and drought.
The fuel also powers hands-on help. In 2025, it got 156 volunteers to five Farm Recovery Events, including in Chinchilla, Queensland, and Loxton, South Australia, where they put in 6400 hours helping 43 farming families get back on their feet.
Rural Aid chief executive officer John Warlters said the support was making a real difference on the ground.
“Ampol’s support means we can strengthen the programs that matter to farming families, providing disaster assistance, mental health support and practical support when communities are doing it tough,” Mr Warlters said.
“This partnership will help us reach further, connect with more communities and make sure more people know there is support available when they need it.”
Through the new agreement, Ampol will enable Rural Aid’s highest-priority programs, including disaster assistance, infrastructure and initiatives to support farmers through everyday pressures, hardship, disaster and long-term resilience.
The expanded partnership also creates opportunities for Ampol employees to volunteer alongside Rural Aid teams, contributing directly to practical assistance for farmers and rural communities, while continuing Rural Aid’s inclusion in Fuelling Change, Ampol’s workplace giving program.
At the launch of the partnership, Ampol managing director and chief executive officer Matt Halliday said the partnership reflected the company’s longstanding connection to regional Australia and its commitment through the Ampol Foundation.
“Regional communities are central to Australia’s economy and way of life, and Ampol is proud to deepen our support for the farmers, families and local communities who keep the country moving,” he said.
Rescue boats keep surf clubs ready
Surf life saving clubs rely on modern equipment including Inflatable Rescue Boats to be ready when it matters most.
At Tallebudgera Surf Life Saving Club on the Gold Coast, volunteers now have a new boat, after the club was among 12 winners of last year’s Ampol IRB Hull Competition.
For club member of more than 40 years, Skye Bond, the benefits reach well beyond the flags. “Having more IRBs on the water helps the community feel safer, keeps young people involved in surf lifesaving and gives patrolling members opportunities to build their rescue skills,” she said.
A lifesaving staple since the 1970s, IRBs also prove their worth well away from the beach.
Surf Life Saving Australia CEO Adam Weir said the ongoing partnership with Ampol continues to make a meaningful difference to clubs and communities across the country.
“Ampol’s continued support through the IRB Hull Competition means more clubs can upgrade their rescue fleet and strengthen their ability to protect their local communities. Their investment in recent years has enabled dozens of clubs to improve capability.”
Ampol chief brand officer Jenny O’Regan said the partnership was part of Ampol Foundation’s commitment to community safety.
Extracted in full from: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/partner-content/ampol-commits-three-years-of-fuel-funding-to-expand-rural-aid-support-services/news-story/55b199572f7e456af2628cdbb1d4b867
