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South Australian Co-operatives
The co-operative sector in South Australia consisted of 102 co-operatives (excluding financial mutuals) in 2009. 1

The first known co-operative in South Australia was the Adelaide Co-operative Society, a retail co-operative formed in 1863. Agricultural co-operatives followed from the late 1880's, and Australia's first known co-operative hotel was opened in Renmark in 1897. 2

In the early 1980's, South Australian co-operatives were brought under the administration of the Co-operatives Act 1983. In 1991, the South Australian Government enacted the Co-operative and Community Housing Act to administer the emerging housing co-operative sector in the state.

In 1996, the state signed up to the national Co-operatives Laws Agreement, and in 1997 replaced its 1983 act with the Co-operatives Act 1997. Housing co-operatives remained under the community housing act. Under the Australian Uniform Co-operative Laws Agreement, co-operatives in South Australia are now regulated under the Co-operatives National Law (South Australia) Act 2013.

Today, co-operatives in South Australia are involved in a range of economic and social activities. There are around 50 distributing co-operatives in the agricultural, fishing, retail, transport and wholesale trade industries, and a similar number of non distributing co-operatives in the health care, housing and social services industries.

The following are links to South Australian co-operatives with websites. Some co-operatives are listed more than once due to their activities covering more than one industry.

LINKS INDEX

  Accommodation and Food Services   Real Estate Services
  Agriculture and Fishing   Retail Trade
  Electricity, Water and Waste Services   Transport
  Manufacturing   Wholesale Trade
  Professional and Technical Services   Other Services

ACCOMMODATION and FOOD SERVICES

Restaurants and Cafés

Marino Rocks Community Co-operative Ltd

AGRICULTURE and FISHING

Agriculture Support Services

Kersbrooke Co-operative Society Ltd
Lenswood Cold Stores Co-operative Society Ltd

Commodity Marketing

  Agriculture Products and Seafood Wholesaling

Fishing Support Services

South Australian Prawn Co-operative Ltd

ELECTRICITY, WATER and WASTE SERVICES

Energy Related Services

Solar Harvest Community Energy Co-operative Ltd

MANUFACTURING

Meat and Meat Product Manufacturing

Fleurieu Community Co-operative Ltd

PROFESSIONAL and TECHNICAL SERVICES

Management Advice and Related Consultancy Services

Hen House Co-op Ltd

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Residential Property Operators (Housing co-operatives)

Merz Housing Co-operative Inc.
Phoenix Community Housing Co-operative Inc.

Non-Residential Property Operators

Lativan Co-operative Ltd

RETAIL TRADE

Food Retailing (except Supermarket and Grocery Stores)

East Arnhem Co-operative Ltd [NT]

Hardware, Building and Rural Supplies

Ashton Co-operative Society Ltd

Supermarket and Grocery Stores

The Community Co-operative Store (Nuriootpa) Ltd

TRANSPORT

Road Passenger Transport

Co-operative Taxi Cabs Society Ltd

WHOLESALE TRADE

Agriculture Product Wholesaling

CCW Co-operative Ltd
Master Butchers Co-operative Ltd
Tamara Co-operative Ltd [NT]

General Line Grocery Wholesaling

Shop Friendly Group Co-operative Ltd

Seafood Wholesaling

Limestone Coast Fishermen's Co-operative Ltd
South Australian Prawn Co-operative Ltd

Other Goods Wholesaling

Hairdressers Co-operative Ltd
The Associated Newsagents Co-operative (SA) Ltd

OTHER SERVICES

Dom Polski Society Co-operative Ltd


1. National Co-operatives Law Regulatory Impact Statement, 2010.
2. Gary Lewis, The Democracy Principle: Farmer Co-operatives in Twentieth Century Australia, 2006.
Top 20 Australian
Co-operatives

CO-OPS by INDUSTRY
Accommodation & Food Services
Administrative & Support Services
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Arts and Recreation Services
Education and Training
Electricity, Water & Waste Services
Financial Services
Health Care & Social Assistance
Information and Media
Manufacturing
Professional & Technical Services
Real Estate Services
Retail Trade
Transport and Postal Services
Wholesale Trade
Other Services
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