Co-operatives feature in ABS Year Book Australia

The 2012 edition of the Australian Bureau of Statistics' Year Book Australia reflects on the National Year of Reading, the Australian Year of the Farmer and the International Year of Co-operatives. This is an important moment for Australian co-operatives to take centre stage as a business model of scale deserving of statisical mapping. It augurs well for a greater focus on co-operatives as an important sector of the Australia business landscape in future ABS mapping projects.

The Australian IYC 2012 Secretariat coordinated written contrbutions from more than 25 co-operative, mutual and credit union representatives including Abacus – Australian Mutuals and the NSW Office of Fair Trading.

The Top 100 list of Australian Co-operatives, Mutuals and Credit Unions (2011) , put out by Co-operatives Australia says the aggregate turnover of these businesses in 2011 was almost $15 billion with more than 13 million co-operative memberships – consumer power on a massive scale.

The 2012 Year Book will be launched on Thursday, 24 May 2012 at the National Library of Australia, Canberra.

Since its first edition in 1908, Year Book Australia has presented a range of feature articles of interest to Australian society. The Year Book coverage of co-operatives includes co-operative values and principles, Co-operatives National Law, the history of co-operatives in Australia, the regulation of co-operatives and the diversity of co-operatives.

Hard copies of the 2012 Year Book Australia may be  purchased for $50 each (includes postage and handling). Call 1300 135 070 or visit www.abs.gov.au