October has been a big month for our community, full of energy, connection, and a real sense of shared purpose.

Our annual Conference was a particular highlight, not simply because of any one presentation or panel, but because of the act of gathering. Over three days, we explored big questions about fairness, hardship, technology, systems, resilience, and the future of our profession. Just as importantly, we stepped away from caseloads, inboxes, and urgent problems to reconnect with colleagues who understand the work, share what is difficult, learn something new, and laugh together.

The Conference was also a celebration of the extraordinary work of financial counsellors, capability workers, and (all the way from New Zealand) financial mentors. Every day, people across our profession sit alongside individuals and families through debt, housing stress, family violence, gambling harm, business failure, and systems that can be confusing or unforgiving. They bring knowledge and persistence, but also compassion, judgement, and humanity. Much of this work is quiet and rarely visible, yet its impact on people and communities is profound.

A thread running through the Conference was the need to keep adapting without losing what matters most. Progress means being curious and thoughtful: changing what needs to change while protecting professional judgement, human connection, and the practice of listening to clients, communities, lived experience, practitioners, and one another. Under this year’s theme, In Pursuit, we renewed our shared commitment to fairness, dignity, and a stronger, more sustainable profession. The challenges are not simple, and the pursuit is not finished, but we leave with new ideas, renewed relationships, and a stronger sense that we do not undertake this work alone.

The launch of FCVic’s Digital Transformation Roadmap brought that theme into sharp focus. It asks us to think seriously about how digital tools, including AI, might reduce administrative burden and strengthen our work, while making clear that technology must support, never replace, professional judgement and human connection. The real test of the Conference will not be whether we remember every session, but whether we carry something forward: a conversation continued, a relationship strengthened, an assumption reconsidered, or an idea brought back into practice. We’ll be taking this work forward together via our Networks and in conversation with agencies and the other financial counselling peaks.

The week after the Conference, the Financial Counselling Australia Representative Council brought colleagues from around Australia together. I came away with a strong sense of positivity and shared endeavour. While our jurisdictions differ, we face many of the same pressures and opportunities. There is real value in aligning our efforts, learning from one another, and acting collectively to support the national voice to make the greatest difference. We also concluded work on the joint sector Memorandum of Understanding, which we’re now working to officially endorse before the end of the year. It provides a refreshed collaborative framework for us all to work better together for members, the sector, and people experiencing financial hardship.

October also included visits to South East Community Links (SECL) Bring Your Bills events, as well as with Anglicare in Werribee. The turnout, and the significant amount of debt addressed at these events, was a clear reminder of both the scale of financial hardship and the extraordinary impact of financial counsellors working alongside community organisations, businesses, and regulators. Thank you to Peter McNamara and the SECL team for bringing communities together, to Minister for Consumer Affairs Tim Richardson for attending and hearing directly from people, and to One Tree Community Services and Anglicare.

Here in Victoria, our engagement with MPs and candidates continues as the state election approaches, including recent conversations with candidates in Pakenham, Boronia, and Coburg alongside local financial counsellors. We have been highlighting the pressures created by mortgage stress and the rising cost of living, and the role financial counsellors play as an essential early-intervention service, helping people understand their options, negotiate with lenders and creditors, stabilise their finances, and, wherever possible, remain safely housed. These meetings put frontline experience directly before decision-makers and reinforce the case for an accessible, sustainable, and properly resourced financial counselling sector. Whatever the outcome after 28 November, we want to ensure that all representatives, all parties, and the whole Parliament appreciate the vital work of financial counsellors in communities across the state.

We are also continuing the national and Victorian work on the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS) and on the working conditions of financial counsellors and capability workers across Australia. I was proud to stand alongside members and colleagues at the Australian Services Union rally at the State Library, calling for fair recognition of the essential work our sector does every day. Fair pay and conditions are vital not only as recognition, but also to retaining skilled workers and ensuring communities can continue to access high-quality support. This is detailed and sometimes difficult work, and we will keep working with colleagues around the country to pursue practical and lasting arrangements for the future of the profession.

As we move into the final weeks before the end-of-year shutdown, our focus is turning to completing the year well and preparing for the one ahead. The coming year will undoubtedly bring twists and turns, not least as we respond to the outcome of the state election, but October has reminded me that we are at our best when we work together with clarity, generosity, and optimism. We will be holding our annual planning day on 1 December, at which I and the team will focus on pulling the threads of this year’s work together into a plan to deal with next year’s opportunities.

Thank you, as always, for the expertise, care, and commitment you bring to this work.

Warm regards,
Zyl

P.S. An Invitation from Zyl: Dreams or Mere Delusions

After seven years in the making, I’m finally launching my debut album, Dreams or Mere Delusions, and I’d love to invite FCVic members, friends, and colleagues to come along. It’s happening on Sunday, 6 December at The Leadbeater Hotel in Richmond, with a full band of friends and family, followed by The Seben Brothers.

A few friends and colleagues from FCVic are already coming, so it could also be a lovely opportunity for an informal end-of-year catch-up over some music and a drink. Doors open at 4:00pm, registration is $10 to help cover the costs, and kids are very welcome and free. I’d be delighted to see you there!

For those who are curious, the music is approximately New Wave.

Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/au/event/1653468?embed