Contents in this issue

• Co-operative Profile
• Gold Award to Co-op Chairman

• The Co-operative Difference
• Co-operativehousing - an analysis of the real situation in Australia
• International Colloquium on the Contribution of the Co-operative Sector to Housing Development - Australian delegate's report

• The Social Economy - new forms of social purpose
• Report on ACCORD's CDFI Seminar
• Co-operative Governance
• NSW Co-operative Federation annual conference 2002

• What's On
• In Australia
• Events Overseas

• And finally...
• Let It Grow: The Australian Community Gardens Network

• Short Bytes
• New telecommunications services benefit rural and regional Australia
• Bye-bye, Monopoly. Games teach kids co-operation, not cut-throat tactics

Co-operative Profile

Gold Award to Co-op Chairman

Rod Madden, Chairman of United Farmers Cooperative Company Ltd, who won the 2002 Sir John Monash Gold Medal Award for Agribusiness Cooperative Directors, is an outstanding and inspirational leader.

Mr Madden's successful stewardship is well demonstrated by taking a fledgling organisation with an initial capital base of only $5000 in 1992 and building it into a major force in the industry with an annual turnover of $100 million in only ten years.

United Farmers Cooperative is now recognised as amongst the fastest growing and most profitable co-operatives in Australia and is being used as the benchmark of success within the co-operative movement in Australia and overseas.

A profile of the United Farmers Cooperative Company Ltd can be found on our website.

The Co-operative Difference

Co-operativehousing - an analysis of the real situation in Australia

By Karine Shellshear, Executive Officer, ARCH

Karine Shellshear, Executive Officer of the New South Wales Association to Resource Co-operative Housing (ARCH) comments on a recent report by Professor Ian Skelton of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - Manitoba The report highlights the capacity of housing co-operatives to be part of the solution and cites co-operative housing as part of the new direction in social housing provision in Australia.

In her analysis of the report, Karine Shellshear explains that while it is part of the direction, it isn't the predominant part and it remains a struggle for co-operative housing in Australia to be seriously considered as a key player in addressing Australia's housing crisis.

International Colloquium on the Contribution of the Co-operative Sector to Housing Development - Australian delegate's report

In July last year, Margi O'Connell Hood, representing a loose network of housing cooperatives and their support organisations across the country, attended an international colloquium on the contribution of the co-operative sector to housing development. Margi delivered the paper below as a response to issues raised at the colloquium regarding the social contribution that co-operatives deliver over and above the benefits of affordable housing.

For Margi's report on the two-day event and her analysis of implications for Australia see the Queensland Community Housing Coalition website or a refer to a copy on the ACCORD site.

For the full set of colloquium papers and an insight into the impressive contribution of housing co-operatives in the redevelopment of Eastern Europe visit the United Nations Habitat website.

The Social Economy - new forms of social purpose

Report on ACCORD's CDFI Seminar

Recently, ACCORD held a seminar on funding community enterprise that brought together, at UTS, some of Australia's most experienced social policy makers, social entrepreneurs, social venture specialists, ethical investors, researchers and community enterprise developers. Dr Anne Sarzin reports on this enlightening and timely event.

Co-operative Governance

Recent high profile company failures have once again focused media attention on the issue of corporate governance. Peter Gates, CEO of the Mercury Centre examines the issue of effective corporate governance for co-operatives. Peter notes that there is no single model that can encompass everything that exists under the heading of effective governance. However, he identifies four key elements. To read more about this article please consult our full length article.

NSW Co-operative Federation annual conference 2002

A Report by Helen McCall, Executive Director, NSW Co-operative Federation

The Co-operative Federation of NSW Ltd ran a very successful conference on the theme of "Making Your Co-operative Status Work for You" in November. The Keynote Address, given by Ian Reid, Executive Director of the New Zealand Co-operatives Association, tackled practical approaches to member communications, one of the least successfully achieved aims of all co-operatives. As Ian said "'Effective communications' is the glue that binds a successful co-operative." The theme that continued to be heard throughout the two days centred on the fact that the power of co-operatives is at the same time their greatest challenge - our members are also our customers, so to allow an owner to lose interest may result in the loss of not only an owner but probably a customer as well.

Particularly well received by those present were the sessions on governance issues. Terry Kilmister of BoardWorks gave an excellent talk on how to go about selecting and training good board members. A later 'role play' featured many of the good and bad practices we have all seen displayed in board meetings. The following workshop examined these and other habits that impact upon the quality and success of our board room deliberations.

It was a very busy couple of days. The Minister for Fair Trading, the Hon John Acquilina, not only provided most of the funds that enabled the conference to be held, but also opened it, acknowledging the growing role and success of co-operatives in NSW. Gary Moore, Project Director, Strengthening Local Communities, NSW Premier's Department, spoke on Community Capacity Building - facts and fiction at the informal barbecue dinner. The Federation noted its appreciation for the financial assistance provided by the Premier's Department.

The conference also featured topics on recent and planned developments in co-operative law, how this interacts with the Corporations Act, how the Privacy Act impacts upon us, ideas for FBT and salary packaging, a very good explanation of the importance of a website from Ojars Greste of the Independent Liquor Group Co-operative, and an introduction to the possible relevance of the Franchising Act.

Ian Langdon, Chairman of Dairy Farmers Group, helped us consider benchmarking for co-operatives. Many co-operatives will currently be gaining from the practical ideas that their representatives learned in this session. Heather Cooper, from Hastings Co-operative, gave a personal and engrossing evaluation of the differences of doing business with members and non-members. And the conference closed with the tale of a very successful co-operative: Bega Co-operative Society. Its Chairman, Barry Irvin, used this example to make us all go away with a clearer view of the benefits of being a co-operative.

The variety of topics available at the conference provided something of interest to all and the comments made by those attending were very positive and demonstrated the usefulness of such an gathering. The Federation is planning to hold a series of targeted regional seminars this year, as soon as sufficient funding can be organised. Another annual conference will also be organised, probably earlier in the year than in 2002. The Federation will endeavour to earn more comments like this one in 2002 - Great conference - I gained much information & am going away with many ideas for contributing to our co-op's continuing success. Thank you.

What's On

In Australia

'Water Reform, Co-operation and the role of Co-operatives'

Date: 21 February 2003 from 9.00 am - 1:00 pm
(Light lunch served at 1pm)

Hosted by the Australian Centre for Co-operative Research and Development (ACCORD) the seminar will focus on co-operation among irrigators, developing water management catchment plans and water co-operation and co-operatives: the international perspective.

Facilitator: Garry Cronan, General Manager and Senior Research Fellow, ACCORD

Associate Professor Eddie Oczkowski, Co-Director, ACCORD will open the seminar. Speakers include: Kathryn Parker, Research Fellow, ACCORD; Joe Jones, Deputy Chairman, Hunter Wine Country, Private Irrigation District; and Dr Gamini Herath, Senior Lecturer, LaTrobe University, Wodonga Campus, who will discuss the international perspective.

For further information please contact Jodie Matheson on (02) 63384385 or e-mail jmatheson@csu.edu.au

For registration please contact Carolyn Smeaton on (02) 9514 5121 or e-mail Carolyn.Smeaton@uts.edu.au (RSVP by 17/02/03)

A two day tour of leading edge social enterprise initiatives in South East Queensland for tomorrow's leaders in government.

Date:Thursday 27th February - Friday 28th February 2003

This tour is for leaders in government who want first-hand exposure to leading edge community initiatives that are re-drawing the relationship between communities, business and governments. For details visit http://www.sen.org.au/news

Events Overseas

21^st February 2003

5^th Meeting of the ICA Regional Assembly for Asia and the Pacific, Cebu (Philippines)

Details: http://www.ica.coop/ica/ica/UN/

28 to 31 May, 2003: Mapping Co-operative Studies in the New Millennium

Hosted by BCICS next spring "Mapping Co-operative Studies in the New Millennium" will be held at the University of Victoria, Canada. The conference is concerned primarily with "mapping" the field of Co-operative Studies. Full Story: http://web.uvic.ca/bcics

28 to 31 May, 2003: Co-op conference targets younger generation

A concurrent seminar will be devoted to people aged 18 to 25 who are interested in the co-operative system, model, and values. The long-term goal of the forum is to attract young people to the co-operative and credit union systems, looking at careers and consumer choices. Full Story: http://web.uvic.ca/bcics

And finally...

Let It Grow: The Australian Community Gardens Network

For anybody community-minded, who can't get enough of home-grown vegetables, digging, planting and seeing things grow, this website is for you. The Australian Community Gardens Network is an informal community-based organisation linking people interested in community gardening across Australia.

Started by Dr Darren Phillips in 1996, the idea was to set up an Australia-wide network of people interested in community gardens, city farms, urban agriculture and community education centres. The network facilitates the formation and management of community gardens and similar social enterprise by making available information and, where possible, advice. It maintains a website as a source of information, http://home.iprimus.com.au/russ000/garden/ and maintains an email distribution list for notification of events.