Background

The Victorian Registrar of Co-operatives is responsible for administering Victoria's co-operatives legislation.

Duties performed

• Undertook projects to develop co-operatives by promoting an understanding of the various legislative/accounting procedures and assist co-operatives to develop their capabilities to meet such requirements.
• Conducted investigations into the activities of co-operatives to ensure that statutory and accounting requirements are met.
• Prepared formation documents and statutory approvals.
• Liaised with other agencies on co-operative funding matters.
• Assisted in maintaining statistics and formations systems.
• Conducted research into, and develop policy proposals concerning, the co-operative sector.
• Assessed the efficiency of the sector and promote awareness of the co-operative model.
• Liaised with representatives of the co-operative sector, community groups and Government and non-government agencies.
• Facilitated the formation of co-operatives and co-operative associations.
• Addressed meetings as required on issues of co-operative development.
• Supervised and develop Co-operatives Unit staff.

Achievements

• Assisted in the formation of 30 co-operatives.
• Assisted in preparing the Attorney-General's Green Paper on Co-operative Legislation, 1988.
• Secretary, Ministerial Advisory Committee on Co-operation (MACC), 1988.
• Produced the General Guide for Co-operatives and the Post Registration Guide for Co-operatives.
• Assisted in establishing the Co-operatives Unit within the office of the Registrar of Co-operatives.
• Updated the model rules for co-operatives to comply with the Co-operation Act 1981.
• Assisted in researching the report, Co-operative Way, Victoria's Third Sector, by MACC, 1986.
• Represented the Registrar of Co-operatives on the Rental Housing Co-operative Funding Committee.
• Replaced the term 'society' for 'co-operative' in correspondence and reports generated by the Registrar's office to promote the co-operative identity.