Australia co-operatives: the facts

Australia’s co-ops are a vital part of the economy, but their contribution has largely gone unrecognised. For Australia Day (26 January), Co-operative News has looked more in depth at a thriving national sector, and the recent efforts to boost co-operative housing in the country.

Australia co-operatives: the facts

Australia’s largest supplier of textbooks is Australia’s largest member-owned retailer – The Co-op.

40% of Australia’s grain is exported by the CBH Group.

The world’s biggest exporter of rock lobster is Geraldton Fisherman’s Co-op.

HCF is the largest not-for-profit health insurer in Australia, providing cover for over 1.5m people.

Devondale Murray Goulburn, the largest dairy exporter, processes a third of Australia’s milk.

NRMA Motoring & Services is Australia’s largest customer owned organisation Capricorn Society supplies almost a quarter of Australia’s automotive parts.

Customer-owned banks lead the way on customer satisfaction in Australia and are owned by more than 4 million Australians.

The most co-operative of Australia’s states is New South Wales, which has the largest number of co-operative and mutual enterprises headquartered there – 44% of the national total.

Read more: 

Take a look inside Australia’s co-operative sector

Housing co-ops looking to address affordable housing crisis in Australia