New Zealand’s member-owned businesses contribute significantly to the country’s GDP and are important to ensuring a strong, local economy.
We engage with political decision-makers and Government officials to make sure the collective voice of members is heard when legislative and regulative change is being considered.
What we are doing:
- Raising collective awareness of the impact of regulation and legislation on members:
- Partnering with organisations on lobbying and advocacy work including levy-funded agencies, the Institute of Directors, Business Chambers and the EMA
- Ministers
- Government agencies
- Iwi
- Regional councils
- Advocating for change that helps members to compete domestically and internationally
- Tapping into international networks to leverage co-operative expertise through the International Co-operative Alliance
- Promoting co-operative awareness through:
- Speaking engagements
- Delegations
- Facilitating panel discussions
- Media relations
We are also working to encourage the establishment of an inquiry to examine the contribution member-owned businesses make to the New Zealand economy and what can be done to help the sector to grow. This has been kickstarted with the release of The New Zealand Co-operative Economy Report (released September 2021). A similar inquiry held in Australia in 2014 highlighted the importance of the sector and made recommendations aimed at helping co-operatives grow and reach their potential.