State and Territory Co-operative Registries
In Australia, Co-operatives need to be registered through their own State governance body. These bodies provide information about how to start, run and close a co-operative along with providing the specific forms and documents for co-operative registration. It is important that you keep up-to-date with the information relevant to your State/Territory as sometimes there can be changes to the way co-operatives are registered and legislated based on their location. However, currently Co-operatives in Australia are registered by the states and territories under legislation that is nationally consistent.
Each of the states and territories are outlined below:
- Australian Capital Territory: Access Canberra
- New South Wales: Fair Trading
- Northern Territory: NT Gov
- Queensland: Queensland Government
- South Australia: SA Gov
- Tasmania: Consumer, Building and Occupational Services
- Victoria: Business Victoria
- Western Australia: Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety
There are also a number of other organisations that can assist you in your journey to becoming a co-operative. These sites have a wealth of resources that may provide you with information you need. These are:
- The Co-op Federation: The Co-op Federation is a peak representative body for co-operative enterprise. If your organisation is a co-operative or its activities are consistent with the International Co-operative Principles, please consider joining so that we can support, represent and promote you and the co-operative sector.
- Australian Co-operatives Links: Australian Co-operative Links contains links to websites that are external to Co-operative Development Services Ltd (CDS).
- Co-operatives Western Australia: The purpose of Co-operatives Western Australia is to represent the interest of members at state and national level, to promote co-operative identity by advancing the core values and principles of the co-operative business model and to promote the co-operative sector’s significant contribution to the economy and the community.
- International Co-operative Alliance: The International Cooperative Alliance unites, represents and serves cooperatives worldwide. The International Cooperative Alliance works with global and regional governments and organisations to create the legislative environments that allow cooperatives to form and grow.
- Co-operatives UK: Co-operatives UK is a network of thousands of co-operatives. We are owned and controlled by our members, who are member-owned organisations. Alongside our members, we work consistently and proactively to grow the co-operative economy by promoting, developing and uniting co-operatives.