BCCM brings members’ voice to national productivity conversation

15 August 2025

The Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM) hosted a National Productivity Roundtable today, bringing together leaders from across the BCCM’s membership with the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury, and Louise Miller-Frost MP, Member for Boothby and Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Co-operatives and Mutuals.

The online forum was convened ahead of the Australian Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable on 19 August, ensuring the voice of member-owned businesses is heard in shaping policy to boost productivity and strengthen competition.

Driving reforms for a more productive, resilient economy

The roundtable highlighted three key proposals from the BCCM submission to Treasury’s Economic Reform Roundtable:

• Better regulation of co-operatives – modernising the Co-operatives National Law and harmonising it nationally to enable growth and scaling.

• Asset lock protection – voluntary legislation ensuring mutual assets are permanently protected to support long-term investment.

• A Treasury-led working group – creating a national forum to coordinate policy and regulation for co-ops and mutuals.

Read the full BCCM submission to the Economic Reform Roundtable.

Government and sector perspectives

“The role of co-ops and mutuals is really important to us from a productivity standpoint because it provides a new model in the economy… the value that different economic models can bring to the vibrancy and dynamism of an economy,” – Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury.

“The co-operative and mutual sector is part of Australia’s productivity solution – in agriculture, care, housing, finance and energy, our members are delivering sustainable growth and resilient services in the interests of their members and communities,” – Melina Morrison, CEO BCCM.

Case studies: Co-operative and mutual impact

CBH Group – Showcased infrastructure and supply chain capacity and, improving agricultural productivity and competitiveness.

Australian Unity – Shared the positive impact on social care investment of new capital access using Mutual Capital Instruments. Australian Unity identified the need to protect legacy assets.

Goulburn Community Energy Co-operative – Presented a model of community capital raising for local energy projects, with social licence and local economic benefits. The Co-op raised challenges around tax treatment and restructuring options for co-ops.

BAL Lawyers – Outlined why groups choose the co-operative structure, from care services to retail, First Nations businesses to renewable energy, and identified regulatory inconsistencies between Commonwealth and states as a barrier to growth.

Strength in collaboration

Louise Miller-Frost MP welcomed the roundtable discussion and reaffirmed the role of the Parliamentary Friends group in supporting the sector’s contribution to the economy, competition and community resilience.

The event reinforced the sector’s ability to deliver productivity gains while maintaining strong member and community outcomes – a unique advantage in a concentrated economy.