The Federation is the peak representative body for co-operatives in New South Wales.

A co-operative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations, through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

Links

Some great places to learn about co-operatives:

	The website of the National peak body - membership consists of the Co-operative Federation of NSW, Co-operative Federation of Qld, Co-operative Federation of SA and Co-operatives Victoria and Co-operatives WA.
	Site of the International Co-operative Alliance, full of fabulous material.
	Australian Centre for Co-operative Research and Development (ACCORD) - a great website though no longer funded or updated.
	This web site contains links to the web sites of hundreds of Australian co-operatives including many NSW co-operatives.
	CCC eNews - University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Community Co-operative Connections eNews - an electronic newsletter covering NSW co-operatives.
	Co-operatives Victoria is the peak body for Victoria's co-operatives. The mission of Co-operatives Victoria is: To develop and promote the co-operative movement as a means of satisfying the economic and social needs of people.
	Co-operatives WA - The representative body for the promotion and development of the co-operative movement in Western Australia.
	Credit Union & Building Society Group - A credit union and building society site worth visiting - learn about these mutuals and discover one near you.
	NSW Registry of Co-operatives and Associations; has a list of NSW co-operatives, together with help on how to incorporate in NSW and other information useful to those running a co-operative.
	The Mercury Centre - a co-operative that specialises in building collaborative enterprises through consultancy, research, information, advice and training.
	The NZ co-operative Association encourages, promotes and advances New Zealand co-operatives, and acts as a representative Association for those engaged as co-operatives.
	The Master of Management - Co-operatives and Credit Unions (MMCCU) is the only business school program of its kind with every module of each of its 12 courses developed specifically with co-operatives in mind. It weaves together contemporary business skills and co-operative purpose, values and principles driven by questions like, "I know how that is done in an investor owned company but how would you do it differently in a co-operative." It is an international distance education program delivered via the Internet.
	Social Business Australia (SBA) was created in 2009 to assist all forms of social business to develop and grow in the competitive environment of the real economy. Social businesses trade or undertake activities for social purpose and apply profit or surpluses to social benefit.