The Deloraine Country Housing Co-operative associates strongly with the long established universal values of co-operatives. These are expressed by the International Co-operative principles:
Statement on the Co-operative Identity
Definition
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.
Values
Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
Principles
The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice.
1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership
Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control
Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.
3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence
Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter to agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.
5th Principle: Education, Training and Information
Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.
6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives
Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7th Principle: Concern for Community
Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.
What do we stand for?
How Deloraine Country puts these principles into practice:
1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership
Deloraine Country has limited resources, which limitss its ability to offer the benefits of membership to, literally, all persons who would be eligible. But not only does the co-operative strive to expand, by deliberately operating at a surplus which is available for expansion and actively seeking out externals sources of funding for expansion, but it also has non-discriminatory selection criteria for new tenants.
Our Rules.pdf also explicitly prevent new tenants from being discriminated against by delaying or barring access to access to full membership for any reason.
2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control
The Deloraine Country Housing Co-operative is a fully mutual co-operative. All tenants of the co-operative are required, as a condition of their tenancy agreement, to be members. And only tenants are eligible for membership.
Each member has an equal vote. Strengthening this, the Deloraine co-operative’s rules also provide that all members are automatically entitled to a seat on the governing body of the organisation, the Board of Directors. (Subject of course to corporate law in Tasmania, which does bar some individuals from holding office as company directors.)
3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation
Shareholders of Deloraine Country are not entitled to any dividend or share of profits, in fact the co-operative is a registered charity. This means that it aims not merely to benefit existing members, but is dedicated to benefit future members, to the extent possible within its means.
4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence
Although it has received government funding, this has been on terms consistent with the principles of autonomy. The co-operative’s autonomy is strengthened by the fact that it is not dependent on any outside funding for its ongoing operations. Existing operations are funded entirely through rental income, in fact rental income generates a small surplus.
5th Principle: Education, Training and Information
Deloraine Co-operative’s members all participate fully in decision-making and the rules of the co-operative mandate detailed financial reports to all members. Within its capacity, the co-operative also attempts to inform the general public of the activities and principles of the co-operative. (For instance this website.)
6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives
Although appropriate no peak body ixists in Tasmania, the co-operative has always actively participated in any relevant peak that has existed and demonstrated its commitment to the principles of co-operation by trying to work with other co-operatives.
7th Principle: Concern for Community
As part of rural community, the co-operative values its links within the community and seeks to support that community wherever possible, for instance by purchasing goods and services local businesses to the extent possible.
