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We are launched!

Dr Andrew Crane, CEO CBH Group, Chairman BCCM

Directors of the new council (L-R) : Tony Stuart, Group CEO NRMA, Greg Wall, Group CEO Capricorn, Damien Walsh, CEO bankmecu, John McInerney, MD Common Equity Housing Ltd, Andrew Crane, CEO CBH Group, Peter Knock, CEO The Co-op, Melina Morrison, CEO BCCM

After nearly three years of industry consultation, the major legacy goal of the 2012 International Year of Co-operatives, the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, is a reality with the official launch of the new body. The Council brings together the entire, diverse range of member and customer owned businesses to champion a campaign and policy agenda to raise awareness of the significance of co-operative and mutual businesses in the national economy.

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“Our businesses have shown remarkable resilience in the aftermath of the global financial crisis and we’ve been able to sustain strong outcomes for our members and the local economies in which we operate – together through this Council we have an enormous contribution to make to national conversations about a sustainable economy,” Dr Andrew Crane, Chairman BCCM

Makeover time

Hazel Bishop’s 1950′s Stay-on Lipsticks

To celebrate the birth of the new business council, the IYC 2012 newsletter has had a make-over. Our regular co-operative sector communications will continue under this new masthead. Thank you for your readership over the past two years, we look forward to informing you about the wonderful world of co-operatives and mutuals under the auspices of the BCCM.

Website news… The IYC 2012 website remains active and we are building a new site for the BCCM.

Brave new world - co-ops and public services

What can co-ops and mutuals bring to the table to help society to solve its “wicked problems”? Research by the Tomorrow’s Agenda Research Institute commissioned by The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals in association with bankmecu will investigate the added value these models bring in terms of end-user accountability, stakeholder engagement that delivers real choice and control, proven commercial success in a democratic framework, and open and transparent governance structures. Read more

MOU – Joint working party to investigate employee and shared ownership in public service delivery

The growing interest in alternative delivery models for public services extends to the potential role that employee ownership can play. The BCCM and Employee Ownership Australia and New Zealand (EOA) have entered an agreement to co-operate on research, and in promoting and implementing initiatives aimed at exploring employee owned and share ownership business models in the public sector. The BCCM and EOA will form a joint working group to develop a discussion paper that outlines the benefits of the approach and potential models that can be used.

BCCM welcomes Chinese delegation

Mr Ruiki Guan, Counsel and Researcher of the General Station on Rural Cooperative Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Peoples Republic of China and Mr Rod Stowe, NSW Fair Trading Commissioner

Mr Ruiki Guan, Counsel and Researcher of the General Station on Rural Cooperative Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Peoples Republic of China and Mr Rod Stowe, NSW Fair Trading Commissioner

Australian agricultural co-operatives recently hosted a Chinese trade and research delegation under the Australia-China Agricultural Cooperation Agreement (ACACA) aimed at strengthening bilateral co-operation and opening up trade and research links between the two countries. Read more

The Co-op Milestone

Latest national account figures might suggest that the national retail sector is depressed, but that's not the mood at The Co-op, Australia's biggest customer owned retailer and a founding member of the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals. On Tuesday 6 August The Co-op welcomed its 100,000th new member this year and surpassed YTD $100 million sales revenue. 
Read more on their blog 

Teachers helping teachers

BCCM member, Teachers Mutual Bank is a key funder of a teachers’ project aimed at helping build a sustainable future for Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. The program uses interest from community loans to pay teachers’ salaries, and is both improving children’s education, and helping local businesses flourish in poverty-stricken Myanmar. The Credit Union Foundation Australia (CUFA) partnership offers a sustainable funding model designed to help break the poverty cycle in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. Read more

Budding co-operators

The School for Social Entrepreneurs Australia's Incubator Program 2013 wants to connect with social entrepreneurs and change makers that are looking to develop an idea or project they are passionate about. SSE Australia's 9-month Incubator Program offers personal and professional support for entrepreneurial individuals with an idea for a start-up social or environmental venture. Applications close on Friday, 30 August. Get more information about the Program

Top 500 list shows growth for mutual insurers

A new report shows nearly a fifth of the world’s top mutual and co-operative insurers experienced double-digit premium growth in 2011, with 33 companies growing by over 20 per cent. Read more

European leaders back co-ops for economic growth

Leaders across the European Union have expressed their support for co-operative enterprises as a means to achieve sustainable development. Read more

Hepburn Community Fund benefits 14 local groups

Round 3 of the Heburn Wind Community Fund has allocated $40,000 to fourteen community projects. Read more in Hepburn's newsletter

Blueprint outlines goals raising capital

In a special series of articles, ICA eDigest is examining the Blueprint for a Co-operative Decade to see how each theme is currently being supported by co-operatives. Read more

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