Co-operatives in New South Wales: organisations at the limit of the Third Sector.

Abstract

This article presents both an empirical analysis of co-operatives in New South Wales and a critical appraisal of their status as third sector organisations. Changes in their financial and human resources over the 1990s are outlined, highlighting varying performance among different types of co-operative. These empirical data are applied to debates on whether co-operatives, and especially 'trading' co-operatives, fall within scope of the third sector: The authors argue that they do and that adopting a broad definition of the third sector enables a finer analysis of its diverse organisational forms, and of the sector's importance for local economies and communities.