Co-operative Farming: October 2022 news

27 October 2022

Season 2: That’s a wrap!

Over the past year, the second season of our Meet the Co-op Farmers podcast has offered a fascinating look into the world of farming, fishing and forestry co-operatives, as well as the co-ops and mutuals that work alongside primary producers. Michael Cavanagh has taken us all over Australia to talk about everything from rock lobster to banking. Thank you to our insightful guests who have shared their co-operative experience with us:

• The birth of a new co-op: Cootamundra District Co-op
• From paddock to plate: The Fleurieu Community Co-operative
• Is this Australia’s most co-operative town? Killarney Co-op
• Meet the bank with a big heart for farmers and farming: Rabobank
• The co-op connecting everyday Australians to the renewable energy revolution: Goulburn Community Energy Co-op
• For the long haul: Eyre Peninsula Co-operative Bulk Handling
• From closed and condemned to thriving co-op: Sea Lake Hotel Co-operative Limited
• Summerland: Banking the Northern Rivers community through thick and thin
• The Casino Food Co-op: Putting people before profits
• The Lockyer Valley: Feeding Australia
• From the west to the world: Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative

Listen now via our website, Spotify or Apple, and read the stories of these unique co-ops and mutuals.

To discover more co-operative stories from abroad, listen to Each For All: The Co-operative Connection, a podcast emerging from the co-operative community in Canada.

What does the Budget mean for co-operatives and mutuals?

The BCCM has welcomed measures in the Federal Budget aimed at building a more resilient and inclusive economy. The BCCM also praised the Budget commitment of up to $200 million on disaster planning and resilience initiatives through the Disaster Ready Fund. “The floods throughout western NSW and Victoria in recent weeks are a stark reminder of the impacts on our regional communities of extreme weather events,” BCCM CEO Melina Morrison said. “Co-operatives and mutuals are often on the front line of these disasters due to their local community knowledge and for this reason, have a vital role to play in future disaster and resilience planning.”

More floods

As floods threaten the East Coast again our thoughts are with communities in the impact zones. This year has seen rural and regional Australia in particular suffer repeated and devastating disasters, and we know that 2022 has tested the resilience of many. The Australian Mutuals Foundation Flood Disaster Relief fund remains open for donations, and has already distributed two rounds of grants to co-ops and community organisations impacted by flooding earlier in 2022.

NSW Parliamentary Friends of Co-operatives and Mutuals

Last week we launched the new NSW Parliamentary Friends of Co-operatives and Mutuals Group. Fifty BCCM members, co-ops and mutuals and parliamentarians flocked to the rooftop terrace at NSW Parliament House for a BBQ featuring co-operative produce. The Parliamentary Friends Group was formally launched by The Hon Victor Dominello, Minister for Small Business and Fair Trading. We launched the Blueprint for an Enterprising NSW 2022 advocating for the more than 750 NSW co-ops and mutuals ahead of the state election. View the launch photo gallery.

Co-op farming sector news

Co-op model spreads with vision of sustainability

Minimising the impact of future disasters – BCCM interview with Andrew Armitstead, CivicRisk Mutual

ICA coop identity survey deadline extended to 31 October

Sweeter times ahead for Norco and Lismore, as ice cream factory rebuild is confirmed

Community-owned Loxton Hotel wins big at AHA/SA Hotel Industry Awards for Excellence

Killarney Co-op celebrates 100 years of serving the community

Aussie asparagopsis pilot facility to come online after MOU

Mutual value and ESG: Leading the way

Melina Morrison on how co-operatives, mutuals and social enterprises create value sustainably

An Introduction to Co-operatives and Mutuals

Our two-hour online induction course helps people working in the sector to understand more about the unique role and contribution of co-operatives and mutuals. Give yourself and your staff a strong understanding of our unique sector by sending them to our last course for 2022 on 8 November. Watch the extract of the interview with Paul Ranson, CEO, Bank of Us from last month’s course. In November Antony McMullen will chat with Simon Stahl, CEO, The Casino Food Co-op. Hurry, this is the final course for 2022.

We’re here to help

If you have questions or would like more information or support to plan, start or run a co-op, please get in touch with the Co-operative Farming team.