Our Mission and Vision
Our mission is to provide opportunities for local people to invest in community real estate assets in order to:
- tackle the economic inequality being generated by outside real estate investment and profit extraction, and
- ensure our valuable community assets continue to support things we value, for example, locally owned services, fair access to housing, and action on the climate crisis.
Our vision is for the community to collectively control its real estate assets.
Our success will mean more money staying in the community, more support for the businesses and organisations we know and love, and greater opportunity for locals to shape our town’s development.
Our Co-operative will focus on investments that generate enough revenue to provide a modest return for investors, while also providing the funds to consider other investments of social value.
Why a Co-op?
Co-operatives are community-centred enterprises owned, controlled and run by their members to benefit members and the community, while also building a better world. They are democratic and ownership is shared equally – one member, one vote.
Co-operatives are driven by values, not just profit. Profits generated by our Co-op will be reinvested in the enterprise or used for the benefit of the community, according to the decisions of the members. Co-operatives follow the Seven Co-operative Principles.
History
- Co-operative members began meeting in April 2023.
- The Co-operative officially formed on 21 February 2024.
- The Co-operative’s first Annual General Meeting was held November 12, 2024
- In April 2025 we launched our first Capital Raising offer, for fundraising in June.
Financial details
The Castlemaine Community Investment Co-operative is “Non-Distributing”, which is a type of Not-For-Profit organisation. This means no surpluses or profits can be distributed by the Co-operative to members.
Resources including donations are instead used to further the Co-operative’s goals, as determined by the members.
The Co-operative provides financial statements to members each year at the Annual General Meeting, or at other times if the membership formally requests it.
Board
The Co-operative currently has a board of seven members. All Board members are unpaid volunteers.
The current board was appointed by members at the Annual General Meeting on 18 November 2025.
- Andrew Barnes
- Angus Gratton (Co-operative Secretary)
- Jodie Hampson
- Cath Jolly
- Jeanette Pope
- David Pugh
- Paul van der Wal
Official Documents
- Co-operative Rules (last updated 10 February 2025)
- Board Charter (last updated 20 June 2026)
- Business Plan (last updated 16 January 2026)
- Board Meeting Minutes
- 2025 Annual Report
- 2024 Annual Report