Worker-Owned Co-op Conference & Retreat

24-26th July 2026 | The Bend, Bega, NSW

Australia’s first Worker-Owned Co-op Conference & Retreat brought together 19 people from seven worker co-operatives across three states for a weekend of sharing, learning, problem-solving and, importantly, getting to know one another.

The gathering was hosted by Candelo Bulk Wholefoods Co-op, following their nomination to host, with support from The Co-op Federation.

The theme for the weekend was simple:

To learn and share from each other. To strengthen and grow the movement.

Participants at Australia’s first Worker-Owned Co-op Conference & Retreat at The Bend, Bega.

Starting with a meal

We began on Friday night at The Commercial Hotel in Bega, sharing a pub meal and a drink and getting to know each other ‘in person’ before the more structured deep-dive began.

Getting to know each other over dinner at The Commercial Hotel, Bega.

Creating open space together

Saturday began with an Acknowledgement of Country and introductions. Each person shared what their co-op does, why they had come and a personal fact.

Rather than arriving with a fixed conference program, we agreed on how we wanted to work together. We developed a collective agreement that included not talking over each other, encouraging quieter voices without putting anyone under pressure, being “for each other”, saying “yes AND” rather than “yes but”, and being conscious of how much airtime we were taking.

Because we needed a way to make decisions together. Mark from the Horticulture Co-op introduced the group to “temperature checks”, using ‘twinkle fingers’ to show how people were feeling about a question or decision.   The group developed its own ways of making decisions and sharing the space.

What did people want to talk about?

The agenda was generated collectively. We wrote down questions and topics we wanted to explore and then used gold stars to indicate the conversations people were most interested in.

The result was an open-space program shaped by the people in the room, with smaller breakout groups forming around the questions that mattered most to them.

The group generated and prioritised the topics for discussion together.

Morning: the nuts and bolts of co-operation

The morning conversations ranged from decision-making structures and governance documents to the everyday realities of running a co-op.

How do we make decisions well?

Different co-ops use different approaches to decision-making, and what works best can change as a co-op grows.

The conversation explored the importance of distinguishing between strategic and operational decisions and keeping them separate, while maintaining strong communication between both contexts (strategic and operational). We talked about the important role of trust and shared understanding, and the need for members to understand their responsibilities as co-owners when they first join an employee-owned co-op.

There was also a very practical question underneath all of this: is the ‘labour’ of making good democratic decisions actually being properly resourced in our co-ops?

The Big Doc Swap

One of the most practical ideas was simply to share more of what we’ve already figured out.

Co-ops brought different experiences of developing policies, financial documents and governance frameworks to the table. Some of the co-ops present had created a comprehensive suite of documents early on, but more commonly, policies developed as particular needs arose.

Everyone was impressed at the level of transparency co-ops were comfortable with, and there was strong interest in continuing to share policies, strategic plans, financial frameworks and other resources so that co-ops don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.

It was clear that each co-operative model had developed its own bespoke approach to the documents tabled, but there was also plenty of useful knowledge already sitting within the movement as a starting point or reference for others.

The day-to-day of being a co-op

The conversation also covered the less glamorous parts of co-operative life: accountability, behaviour, difficult conversations and what happens when being “too nice” gets in the way, especially when we all want to stay friends.

One useful reminder was that having a policy doesn’t necessarily make a difficult conversation easier.

Different co-ops in this group, again also shared their different approaches to decision-making, including consensus at Candelo Bulk Wholefoods and majority decision-making at Hotline.

Celebrating the importance of a shared meal with a Korean feast at lunch!

Afternoon: Power, Membership and People

After lunch, the conversations moved into some bigger questions about what it means to be a worker-owner.

Reclaiming collective power

How do worker co-ops avoid reproducing the same power dynamics they were created to change?

The group explored avoiding ‘cliques’ or power hoarding, promoting active listening to understand, how to do good collaborative leadership and the qualities of good co-operative leadership: being collaborative, resilient, adaptable and supporting the group to try new things, but not trying everything!

We also returned to the importance of consensus building, not simply as an option for decision-making, but as a vital skill that needs to be learned and practised more generally in our interpersonal relationships, and as a wider society.

What does ‘membership’ actually mean?

The group explored the difference between having active and inactive members

How can active members benefit from the co-op? What does the co-op ask of its active members? Is it okay to have inactive members, and how many and in what roles? How do we make the value of membership clear and tangible?

Ideas ranged from very practical benefits such as access to co-op equipment, financial support and services, through to less tangible benefits like flexibility, kindness, care and community.

There was also a useful recognition that people’s capacity changes over the course of their lives. Inactive membership can provide a pressure release when someone is going through a period where they can’t participate fully without forcing them out of the co-op.

Finding and welcoming new worker-owners

Every co-op has its own approach to recruitment, probation and induction.

This conversation explored how we introduce people to the expectations and responsibilities of worker ownership, how we encourage future board members and how different approaches can support people to become active participants in the co-op.

And yes, Hotline’s induction policy “Glute burn” got a mention.

The afternoon conversations moved from governance structures into the human side of worker ownership.

Evening: where do we go from here?

By the evening, the conversation had moved towards the bigger questions of sustainability and movement-building.

We talked about how governance and business models need to evolve as co-ops grow, and about the importance of sharing practical resources around finances, spending and funding.

We also asked what it would take to grow the worker-owned movement in Australia.

Some of the ideas seemed like low-hanging fruit:

We need practical resources for people starting worker co-ops and for people transitioning existing businesses.

We need to learn from worker co-ops already operating around the world, rather than reinventing everything ourselves.

We need more public education about co-operatives, including introducing co-operative models at all levels of education.

We need to tell more stories about dignity, empowerment and care in worker-owned businesses.

Put most simply:

Share the story of our co-ops, more.

We left wanting more chances for worker co-ops to get together in person.

What stayed with us

We ended the Saturday with a closing circle. Everyone shared one major insight and something they were going to do next.

The reflections were varied, but a few themes came through strongly.

People were struck by how different the co-ops in the room were and how many of the underlying challenges were the same.

People appreciated the openness and vulnerability of the conversations, the chance to get into the nuts and bolts, and the opportunity for established co-ops to share what they had learned with newer ones.

There was a renewed appreciation for consensus, for the Seven Co-operative Principles, and for the simple human act of spending time together in person.

And there was hope.

“Talking to people and getting to know new co-ops gave me hope.”

“It was a good reminder that almost anything can be a co-op.”

“Seeing co-operation between co-ops on display was really moving.”

“People left with more hope about the viability of worker co-ops.”

“Being in a co-op requires you to be a better human being. It asks you to reflect, question yourself and see things from another person’s perspective.”

And then there was the bonfire

After a full day of talking, thinking and working together, we rested and then reconvened for pizza, a bonfire, marshmallows and more conversations into the evening.

The pizza was delivered by Dan on Claudio’s courier bike, and hence, Dan is now a qualified delivery driver, having completed Hotline’s “glute burn” induction.

Pizza, a bonfire, marshmallows and conversations into the night

Broadcast from the Bunker

On Sunday morning, we gathered again at The Bend for Broadcast from the Bunker, connecting with worker co-ops and people interested in the worker-owned movement who couldn’t make it to Bega in person.

The recording is available to watch below.

Watch Broadcast from the Bunker

A visit to Candelo Bulk Wholefoods Co-op

The weekend also included a visit to our home-base hosts, Candelo Bulk Wholefoods Co-op.

Getting out of the conference room and into another worker-owned co-op was an important part of the weekend — and participants particularly loved being able to buy things from a fellow co-op.

Visiting Candelo Bulk Wholefoods Co-op and putting our co-operative principles into practice: by buying things from another co-op!

What did we learn about gathering?

A couple of weeks after the event, the working group came back together to reflect on what worked, what we’d do differently and what might come next.

The open agenda worked. Smaller groups produced rich conversations. Rest breaks mattered. The mix of interaction types (the pub, workshop conversations, the co-op tour, and the fireside chats) helped create a relaxed atmosphere and strong connections.

We also learned that gatherings like this take real work to host and facilitate. Next time, we’d like to share facilitation among many, build in more intentional rest breaks and properly resource any co-op tours.

Most importantly, we’d like the gathering to produce something together a tangible outcome that wouldn’t have existed without everyone being in the room.

Let’s do it again

The clearest outcome of the reflection was also the simplest:

Let’s do it again!

This group of worker owners is keen to keep the momentum going.

Australia’s worker-owned co-operative movement may still be tiny, but this weekend showed that it is full of people with experience, ideas, generosity and a willingness to help each other out.

Sometimes, the best way to build a movement is simply to get everyone in the same room.

Thank you

A huge thank you to Candelo Bulk Wholefoods Co-op for nominating to be the home base for the gathering, to BEND, and to the co-op workers who travelled to Bega, shared their experiences and ideas, facilitated conversations, shared resources, listened, laughed and helped make the weekend what it was.

Thanks also to the working group, a self-selected group of worker-owners from around Australia, who helped shape the gathering and brought their experience, ideas and energy to making it happen.

And a big thank you to The Co-op Federation who provided the paid staff time and organisational support needed to bring this gathering together. That support made Australia’s first Worker-Owned Co-op Conference & Retreat possible.

It was a genuinely DIY collective effort, with lots of people contributing in different ways to make the weekend happen.

What’s next?

We’re exploring a series of online sessions sharing the origin stories of worker-owned co-ops: how they started, what they do, and how they run a co-op together.

Interested in hearing these stories? Click ‘Follow’ on our Humanitix event page to be notified when we announce the first sessions.

We’re already thinking about the next gathering. We’re looking for a homebase host a worker-owned co-op willing to welcome us to their local area for the next Worker-Owned Co-op Conference & Retreat.

Could your co-op be our next homebase? Get in touch with Molly at molly@fed.coop if you’d like to explore hosting the next gathering.

To everyone who came: thank you. We hope this is the first of many!