Speeches
Friday, 24 October 2025
International Year of Cooperatives Breakfast
I warmly welcome you all to Government House, especially our interstate and international guests.
Today we gather to celebrate the opening of the 2025 BCCM Leaders' Summit, Australia’s only cross-sector business summit for co-operative and mutual leaders, and to mark the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives.
I cannot help but notice that this breakfast, a regular feature at your annual summit, is named ‘Breakfast on the Hill’.
I imagine this is a reference to Canberra, where the hill looms over the parliamentary triangle, where this summit was first held and where I lived on an off for 36 years before I came home to South Australia to become Governor.
Here at Government House however, on the Adelaide Plains, we’re about as flat as it gets.
It’s an easy stroll across the road to our friends at Parliament House, I assure you!
South Australia has a proud tradition of co-operative and mutual enterprise, beginning with the Adelaide Co-operative Society established in 1863, and continuing with the opening of Australia's first co-operative hotel in Renmark in 1897 – a fine hotel I’ve had the pleasure of staying in.
Today, the statistics are impressive: 104 co-operatives and mutuals are headquartered in South Australia, collectively generating an annual turnover of $2.9 billion and directly employing nearly 6,000 South Australians.
I note that eight in ten South Australians are members of at least one co-operative or mutual, a statistic that speaks to the deep imprint this sector has made on our state's economic and social fabric.
As Governor, I am privileged to engage with many of South Australia's co-operatives and mutuals.
I have seen firsthand their vital contribution to economic resilience, community wellbeing, and inclusive growth.
I think of National Pharmacies and its support for the Christmas Pageant, whose King and Queen were announced here in the grounds of Government House in August.
I think of the RAA, operating since 1903, providing insurance, motoring, travel and home services to South Australians.
I was pleased to take part in the RAA Electric Vehicle Drive Experience as well as attend one of its Street Smart High events, demonstrating the organisation’s commitment to innovation and youth road safety.
I think of Hutt Street centre which does so much to empower people facing homelessness to rebuild their lives.
I think of the Adelaide Central Market traders, whose various co-operative structures help sustain one of our state's most beloved institutions.
I think of the Barossa Co-operative, South Australia’s largest and longest standing retail co-operative.
The co-op is a focal point of the Barossa community, supporting residents and our winemaking community.
I am also pleased to congratulate AlmondCo Australia, recently named Exporter of the Year for 2025 at The South Australian Premier's Business and Export Awards, demonstrating that co-operatives can be leaders in international trade.
Friends,
I thank co-operatives and mutuals represented here today for their deep commitment to their members, creating enterprises that are agile, responsive, and deeply connected to the communities they serve.
I am heartened by the global theme of this International Year of Cooperatives, "Co-operatives build a better world", reflecting the sector's contribution to sustainable development, democratic participation, and social cohesion.
I trust you will enjoy the topics being discussed at today's summit, which address shared challenges in housing, health, aged care, and regional development through the lens of member-owned enterprise.
I thank the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals for its important work advocating for its members, for the leadership it demonstrates in connecting Australian co-operatives to global networks, and for bringing this summit to Adelaide.
I wish you all well for a productive and enjoyable conference, and I thank you for your continued dedication to delivering for your members and strengthening the Australian economy and community.
As you forge new opportunities and deepen ties within the co-operative movement, may you continue to demonstrate that member-owned businesses truly do build a “better world”.