News Feeds

Co-operative News

  • SouthEast Housing Co-operative Online
    The SouthEast Housing Co-operative, based in Dandenong, Victoria, has gone online. The co-operative is a leading rental housing co-operative with the mission statement of increasing and providing secure, affordable and environmentally sustainable long term community housing managed by and for low income people and deliver excellent services to improve the quality of housing of residents.
  • Social Enterprise in Australia
    Finding  Australia's Social Enterprise Sector - Final Report has been released by the FASES project - a joint initiative of Social Traders and the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Non-Profit Studies, Queensland University of Technology. FASES is Finding Australia's Social Enterprise Sector.  You can download a summary report and for a full report. 
  • ICA's New Director-General
    The International Co-operative Alliance has named Charles Gould as its new Director-General - replacing Iain Macdonald who has served as Director-General for the past eight years. The ICA has 240 member organisations from 91 countries - representing nearly one billion individuals and providing more than 100 million jobs. For more about the ICA's new Director-General visit http://www.ica.coop
  • CBH Demutualisation Push
    A dissident group within the CBH Group is attempting to reduce the influence of growers on the board of the Western Australia co-operative. The board has rejected the group's proposal. Read more in WA Business News.
  • Co-operatives WA's Spotlight on Co-operatives
    Co-operatives WA has announced an important partnership with three of the State's largest co-operatives and the University of Western Australia - with funding from the Federal Government. The research program will study - Sustainable Cooperative Enterprise: An Investigation into the Factors Influencing the Sustainability and Competitiveness of Co-operative Enterprises. For more visit the Co-operatives Australia website.
  • National Community Housing Standards and Co-operatives
    The third edition of the National Community Housing Standards Manual (May 2010) has just been released in Australia - developed by JPX Consulting Pty Ltd and published by Housing NSW. This edition replaces the second edition published in 2003.  The third edition takes account of the seven international principles of co-operation adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance to guide the formation and management of co-operatives. The Manual reproduces the seven principles. The manual can be downloaded from the website of the Community Housing Federation of Australia.
  • Blue Mountains 30th
    The Blue Mountains Food Co-op Ltd in Katoomba, New South Wales,  is celebrating its 3oth birthday in 2010. The co-operative is Australia's largest organic food co-operative. The co-operative's website: www.bluemtnsfood.asn.au  The email address is: bmfoodcoop@exemail.com.au

Publications

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On this page will appear statements issued from time to time by Co-operatives Australia.

The purpose of all statements is to advocate the co-operative option in public policy debate and decisions:

exclusion

Public Policy and Co-operatives
This is the first statement released by Co-operatives Australia in April 2009. Co-operatives Australia has published this paper to demonstrate the economic and social value that can be delivered by vo-operative businesses and the need for public policy to incorporate the co-operative option. (April 2009)

Australia's Top 100 Co-operatives, Credit Unions and Mutuals
Co-operatives Australia has published a top 100 list of co-operatives, credit unions and mutuals by annual turnover. The list demonstrates their economic and social impact. Co-operatives Australia expressly disclaims any warranties or representations, express or implied, of any kind as to the accuracy and completeness of the list and invites any of the entities listed to supply evidence to support any requested corrections. (June 2009)

Co-operative Education
Co-operatives Australia has published this paper to affirm the importance of co-operative education to the co-operative business model e.g. agricultural, child care, commodity, fishing, housing and retail co-operatives. (March 2010)

Valuing Co-operation
Co-operatives Australia has published this paper to affirm the importance of co-operatives recognising that demutualisation is not inevitable; that a subsequent loss of member ownership and control has significant consequences; that there are alternative strategic and structural choices, and that balanced information is the prerequisite to informed choice. (April 2010)