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11/09/2024
Sue and Steve Marshall
There’s nothing more important for wellbeing than feeling connected, and Steve and Sue Marshall are two generous volunteers who go above and beyond to ensure their local Coalstoun Lakes region enjoys a sense of community.
Cattle and peanut producers, and tireless contributors to Queensland’s North Burnett community, in recent years the Marshalls have worked with the Rabo Client Council to help drive further connectivity and vibrancy.
They are thrilled to have discovered the platform that so closely aligns with their own values.
“We’ve been Rabobank clients for many years, however we didn’t know anything about the Rabo Client Council,” Sue explained. “Right before Covid we were asked to host a women’s financial wellness workshop with Zoe Lamont, on behalf of the Southern Queensland Rabo Client Council.”
“It felt like a perfect fit, and I was happy to host and cater for 27 women from as far away as Rolleston and Rockhampton,” she said.
The success of the initiative inspired Sue to join the Southern Queensland Rabo Client Council, which is one of seven volunteer councils across Australia, aimed at advising the bank on where support is most valuable in regional and rural Australia.
“Until I joined the Rabo Client Council I had no idea of the extent Rabobank supports our communities – regardless of whether you’re a client or not, which I think is amazing.”
With Steve already heavily committed on a number of local committees, and as an Ag Force Grains Director, Sue suspected he would decline the invitation to also join the Rabo Client Council, yet he swiftly proved her wrong.
“We both get a lot out of contributing to the community, and this is another way we can help direct the bank on where resources will make a meaningful impact.”
Supporting farm succession planning a personal passion
After the initial disruption of Covid, Sue and Steve enjoy meeting with their fellow client volunteers four times a year to brainstorm ideas and allocate resources.
It allows them to meet new friends of all ages from across Queensland, and highlight the causes close to their heart that affect the community.
Acknowledging that their own family farming succession failed, it’s an issue they’re passionate about.
“We want to give families the tools to start their succession planning conversation, and we’re proud to have launched a Business Transition and Succession Planning pilot project through the Rabo Client Council to get people talking, and help them take the first step,” Sue explained.
The Marshall family
With the pilot project, held in Dalby, a resounding success, these Business Transition and Succession Planning Workshops are now being rolled out across Australia.
“While some young ones may think it’s too early to start the conversation, we should have started five, even 15, years earlier, and this is the message that these workshops will help reinforce.”
A good, old-fashioned get-together focused on connection
In a region marred by tragedy, Sue and Steve also instigated their own 'Beer and Bangers' evenings, proactively providing the community with an opportunity to get together and connect.
“Sadly we’ve lost community members to suicide, so we self-fund monthly barbeques to bring people together to talk – whether it’s light-hearted banter, or talking about floods or the loss of a dear friend, we felt it was important to keep conversations flowing,” she said.
Gathering in the familiar and rustic surrounds of the local Rural Fire Service shed, Sue said the relaxed sausage sizzle format, from 6pm to 9pm on a Thursday evening, proved extremely popular.
“We realised there was something in this format, so we spoke to Rabobank, which kindly funded our sausages and bread, and now we’re looking at adopting this concept across other regions which is so heartening.”
A new community aligned in values and friendship
Forming genuine friendships with other members of the Southern Queensland Rabo Client Council has been equally rewarding.
“There’s a great cross-section of ages and experience, and there’s a lot of compassion within the group.”
Within the region the Rabo Client Council has supported Financial Skills Workshops to help upskill our farming community, provided George the Farmer books to local schools to help educate children on agriculture, and helped fund Royal Flying Doctor Service airstrip lanterns to further strengthen its service.
“This group does so many good things for the community, and it’s a pleasure to be involved,” Sue smiled.
“Plus we’ve made some great new friends, Millmerran’s Stuart and Maxine Armitage have visited us on farm, armed with their freshly grown mangoes, and have invited us to visit their cotton property, and we’re gaining a fresh perspective on the beef industry thanks to Angus and Sally McGilvray.”
The Marshalls are proud to be part of the Southern Queensland Client Council, and believe it further demonstrates Rabobank’s genuine commitment to rural Australia.
“We can’t speak highly enough about the Rabo Client Council, it’s been great for us and great for the community, and Rabobank doesn’t take its responsibility to the community lightly.”
“Personally, Rabobank has supported us so well over the years, it’s a bank passionate about farmers.
“We gain so much in knowledge, networks and community from Rabobank – it’s invaluable,” Sue said.