BCCM member RACQ is the first motorist club in the world to launch a mutual bank: RACQ Bank. 

The move to open 13 branches comes following RACQ's merger with QT Mutual Bank in 2016. 

RACQ's 1.6 million members will now be able to access to their own, member-focused banking service. 

BCCM CEO Melina Morrison said the move shows the way forward to greater competition for the banking sector.

CBH Group, Australia's largest co-operative, has announced a record rebate to grower-members of $158 million.

CBH Chief Financial Officer, Ed Kalajzic said “The co-operative business model, our strong financial position and disciplined capital management policy means any surpluses to our required capital can be returned to growers’ bottom lines."

In a recent video, CBH explains how its rebate system benefits members of the co-operative.

A new report from CICOPA, the global peak body for producer and worker co-operatives, suggests that co-operatives account for almost 10% of global employment.

Along with direct employment and member-workers in co-operatives, the report includes (self-employed) producers who are members of a co-operative and relying significantly on co-operative membership for their livelihood. 

A group of Australian motorist mutuals, including BCCM members RACQ, RAA and RAC WA, have co-operated to develop an unprecedented common roadside assistance system.

The new shared system will improve cross-border services for at least 2.5 million members of Australian motorist mutuals.

The system will be rolled out over October and November. 

Birchip Cropping Group, a grower-controlled research organisation in western Victoria, is moving forward with plans for an agricultural data co-operative.

The farm data co-op idea is already a reality in the United States but its beleived Birchip Cropping Group are breaking new ground in Australia.

A series of workshops with BCCM and other experts will be held with growers to establish how pooling data co-operatively could deliver value to individual farm businesses.

C4CE Community Energy webinars, every Tuesday evening from 5 September

2017 BCCM Leaders’ Summit & Industry Dinner, 9-10 November, Brisbane 

For all the latest news from the co-operative and mutual sector, please visit the BCCM website and for information on how to run and set up a co-operative, visit Get Mutual.