SYDNEY, May 17, 2025 — Australia’s Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals [ BCCM ] has welcomed the election of Anthony Albanese’s new Labor Government and expressed its commitment to working with ministers to implement reforms that will strengthen the cooperative and mutual sector.
BCCM CEO Melina Morrison said she looked forward to collaborating with the newly appointed Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Financial Services, Dr Daniel Mulino, to advance competition reforms that could unlock the full potential of co-operatives and mutuals.
She also thanked Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Minister Andrew Leigh for their continued engagement and leadership in supporting policy reform for member-owned businesses.
“There has never been a more timely opportunity to bring mutuals into the heart of economic and social policy,” Morrison stated.
Highlighting the AU$43 billion cooperative sector’s contributions, she noted that cooperatives are already partnering with the government through initiatives such as the Care Together programme, which delivers aged care services in rural and regional areas. In addition, BCCM members like Common Equity Housing Ltd [CEHL] are providing “sustainable and equitable housing to thousands of people who are now able to secure long-term accommodation while paying an agreed and reasonable rent based on their current income”.
Morrison added: “As other countries, such as the UK, move to double the size of their mutual sectors, Australia too has an opportunity to make cooperatives and mutuals central to our inclusive growth agenda.”
The BCCM also welcomed the reappointment of Clare O’Neil as Minister for Housing, as well as the appointment of Sam Rae as Minister for Aged Care and Seniors – two portfolios Morrison described as “crucial to Australians’ living standards and areas in which the cooperative sector can make a fundamental difference”.
She said the BCCM “looks forward to discussions with the Albanese government to bring cooperative housing to the forefront of the affordable housing market”, adding: “Our ambition is for cooperative housing to comprise 10 percent of the market, up from less than 1 percent.”
“For over a century, cooperatives and mutuals have stepped in where need is greatest. As we face new economic and social challenges, the BCCM looks forward to working with the Albanese government to grow the sector and help build a fairer, more resilient economy,” Morrison concluded.
https://thecooperator.news/first-development-fund-launched-for-australian-co-ops/
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