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02/10/2023
When friends visit Goondiwindi’s Webb family, conversations often follow a familiar theme, expressing how lucky they are to live in such a lovely, vibrant community.
Yet Owen Webb believes that when it comes to the strength of rural communities, it’s got nothing to do with luck.
“The Goondiwindi community is full of generous people, all engaged and committed to making the town a great place to live. If you’re willing to put the effort in and contribute, it will certainly give back to you.”
And Owen, a Rabobank Rural Manager, should know, with much of his spare time dedicated to community endeavours.
He’s president of the local State primary school’s P&C, on the committee of the MacIntyre Valley Cotton Field Day, a volunteer at the weekly Park Run and coach of a youth soccer team.
While he admits such community contribution is demanding of his time, the rewards make it more than worthwhile.
“It’s so important, not just in terms of maintaining a strong community, but in terms of the networks I’ve made as a result. I’ve met so many people in town I wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise, and it’s broadened our social circle immensely.”
“Rural communities are only strong if people contribute, and whether it’s a government institution like the primary school, or a local grassroots initiative, ensuring that all sectors of our town thrive is what keeps me really engaged.”
Forging a meaningful career in the bush
Owen and wife Kath have called Goondiwindi home for the past 15 years, during which time they’ve also been raising three children 13-year-old Eva, 12-year-old Sinclair and 10-year-old Hadley.
Raised on a fourth-generation mixed-farming operation in the Narromine region, Owen has carved his own successful career in agriculture working in both the agri banking and cotton industries.
Owen’s first role out of university was working in agri banking, based in Dubbo and later progressing his career in Narrabri.
It was here that he gained exposure to north west NSW’s prominent cotton industry, with an opportunity to work at Namoi Cotton in Goondiwindi sealing his fate in a new home town.
“Namoi Cotton was going through an exciting business restructure and it felt like a really good fit, and an opportunity to broaden my knowledge, network and exposure to the cotton industry, which has been so valuable.”
“I really didn’t expect to be at Namoi Cotton for 15 years, it was a lot longer than I expected, which reflects what a terrific experience it was.”
Ambitious to continue developing professionally, Owen joined Goondiwindi’s Rabobank branch in July, and smiles that it was a move that had been at the back of his mind for perhaps his whole career.
“In a way I always had an inkling towards Rabobank, I liked the philosophy, I liked the sole focus on agriculture and I’d noticed that Rabobank clients always spoke so highly of their managers and the bank.”
“You really can’t ask for anything more than to have banking clients proud to partner with you, and telling their friends ‘hey, come and work with these guys, they’re excellent’ – which is exactly what I was hearing on the ground.”
When the role in Goondiwindi came up, Owen didn’t hesitate in applying.
“Opportunities like this don’t come up very often, and the fact I could remain in a district that I love felt like the stars had well and truly aligned.”
“Since starting with Rabobank I’ve been included and supported, to the point that on my second day I was included in the organisation of the Cotton Collective event in Toowoomba, my colleagues actively sought my insight and opinions and it’s really empowering to feel like part of the team straight away.”
“From onboarding through to being assigned a fellow staff mentor, I can’t fault my experience in Rabobank so far, everyone is always happy for you to reach out to them for help, and Moree Area Manager Felicity Taylor in particular has provided me with an immense amount of help.”
While Owen is looking forward to putting his cotton industry expertise to good use supporting cotton clients, he also feels reenergised by the opportunity to once again work with grazing and broadacre cropping clients.
“That’s the farming background I came from, and despite fluctuating markets it’s refreshing to be back talking livestock prices and cropping systems once again.”
“Supporting ag clients is such a rewarding job, I feel like I’m dealing with the same people I grew up with, people like my mum and dad and their friends, and I’m very much looking forward to helping my clients achieve their business goals and aspirations.”
Encouraging the next gen into the regions
Having enjoyed a rewarding and challenging rural career, Owen is keen to share the message of the enormous professional and lifestyle rewards working in rural and regional Australia affords.
“You can have a vibrant and exciting career in agriculture without being a farmer, and we need to keep sharing the authentic stories of people who have made the leap from the city and loved it.”
“You can’t be what you can’t see, and it’s so important that young people can see these stories for themselves.”
While Owen exemplifies the professional opportunities that agriculture affords, he admits he didn’t follow the traditional tertiary path into the industry.
“I actually studied a law degree at the University of New England, which was assisted by a five year scholarship.”
“It was the first year UNE had offered the scholarship, so it was very exciting and so important to have that assistance, it gave me my start, and it was an enormous help to my parents.”
Education is a basic necessity that he believes all regional and rural youth should have access to.
“I feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity that I did, my mum was a teacher and my father was a farmer who could have gone to university, and not going was one of his biggest regrets,” Owen explains.
“As a result, he strongly encouraged my siblings and me to get a university degree, and he imparted upon me some very wise life advice which had a huge impact.”
“I’m sure he would have loved one of us to return home, but in the end we’ve all pursued careers away from the family farm, and he’s thrilled we’ve been able to carve out our own destiny whilst still remaining in agriculture.”