A key group of professionals within the camping, outdoors and accommodation industry got together to work out how to acquire land and establish off grid campgrounds, off road vehicle recreation areas and tiny house parks in suitable localities across Australia. It was decided that the co-operative (coop) model was the most appropriate legal model for this enterprise because it was capable of bringing in investment from fellow enthusiasts and engaging the same community in its activities through active membership.
The Camping, Outdoors and Accommodation Co-operative Ltd (COA Coop) is the result. COA Coop is a distributing cooperative domiciled in Australia and registered with the NSW Government Office of Fair Trading. COA Coop can issue shares in order to finance the acquisition of land and associated infrastructure for camping and outdoor recreation, residential estates and parks, money making businesses and much more. The more people that invest in the COA Coop means the more properties it can buy for members collective use. Imagine being able to plan a trip around Australia and camp at properties where you are a part owner and don't have to pay a single cent to camp at or have somewhere to drive your off road vehicle any time you want or to be part of a community where it is legal to permanently park your tiny house. Learn more about the COA Coop Vision.
The Business Council of Cooperatives and Mutuals discusses everything you need to know about co-operatives, plus the "What is a Co-operative" video provides an easy to understand explanation of co-operatives.
What is the aim of the COA Coop?
COA Coop aims to provide an avenue where Australians can come together, pool resources and affordably own their own share of this great big, beautiful country of ours. The more people that invest in the COA Coop means the more properties it can buy for members collective use. This is the COA Coop vision.
What are the primary activities of COA Coop?
As described in the rules, 'the primary activity of COA Coop, is the acquisition of land for Camping and Outdoor activities, permanent and temporary Accommodation'.
COA Coop does NOT expect members to be a part of any committee, run raffles or do working bees as we understand life is busy enough. The purpose of COA Coop is to provide the land, which is appropriate for you to go camping, or to explore the great outdoors with your off road vehicle, or grow your own food on your tiny house plot and much more. However a stipulation of being an 'active' member as per the rules of COA Coop is that you simply:
- Subscribe to the COA Coop newsletter or electronic copy of communication; and
- Attend at least one General Meeting, member or community event per calendar year; or
- Stay, reside, camp or participate in outdoor activities on a COA Coop property during a calendar year.
Is the COA Coop distributing or non distributing?
COA Coop is distributing, which means the coop has share capital and members must hold at least the minimum shareholding specified in the rules of the coop. As a distributing coop, members may receive a part of the surplus generated in a year by way of:
- a rebate, or
- the issue of bonus shares to members, or
- the issue of a limited dividend.
How many properties is the COA Coop hoping to acquire?
As many as possible! The more people that invest in COA Coop means the more properties it can buy for members collective use.
What types of properties is the COA Coop aiming to acquire?
The intent is to have three types of COA Coop property:
- Camping;
- Outdoors; and
- Accommodation.
Camping properties are to be small undeveloped short stay off grid parcels of land, which are to be located all around Australia. Being a shareholder could mean you could travel around Australia and stop at COA Coop properties, which you would partly own and most likely be free to camp or depending on the property you might be required to pay just a few dollars to contribute to maintenance costs.
Outdoors properties are to be large parcels of land, which are to be located within a few hours of Australia's major regional centres and are to be specifically for off-road recreation use by MVs - Motor Vehicles (automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, etc), RVs - Recreational Vehicles (motor homes, camper trailers, caravans, etc) and ROVs - Recreation Off-highway Vehicles (buggy, side by side vehicle, utility terrain vehicle, etc).
Accommodation properties are to be acreage land in regional areas, which are developed as mixed-use residential estates/ parks. These estates/ parks are to accommodate permanent sites for homes, which are trailerable or transportable and temporary sites for visitors in caravans, motorhomes, etc.
Where do I find a list of properties the COA Coop is hoping to acquire?
To view any subject properties, make sure you are logged in to the site then go to Subject Properties.
Can I sell my property to the COA Coop?
Definitely! This is the most ideal situation if you already own a property that is suitable for camping and outdoor activities or permanent and temporary accommodation as the COA Coop can enter into a lease arrangement with you so members get immediate access to use the property whilst the capital is being raised to purchase your property through the sale of shares.
Who determines if a property is suitable for purchase by the COA Coop?
The members do! Being a part of the COA Coop is about democratic member control. If you have a property that you think would be suitable for Camping and Outdoor activities, or permanent and temporary Accommodation, all you have to do is tell us about it, send photos and or videos and we'll display it in the 'subject properties' section for all members to view. We'll also have a link where members can vote on whether it should become a COA Coop property or not. Simple!
One of the primary activities of COA Coop, is the acquisition of land for permanent and temporary accommodation. What does that mean?
It means we are planning for the future from the very beginning. The COA Coop plans to help ease Australia's land affordability crisis for members. The idea is that members share in the cost of buying land for residential use. Think along the lines of a retirement village or over 50's resort for fixed tiny homes or a caravan park or residential village for mobile tiny homes. The COA Coop would own the land, but you own the dwelling that sits on a plot and you pay a small yearly site fee (land rental) that your house sits upon, which collectively covers the cost of maintenance on the property, rates, etc. Such an arrangement would operate under various state acts. In QLD for example the COA Coop could develop such properties as a caravan park for mobile tiny homes, which would come under the Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 or for fixed tiny homes, the tiny home park would come under the Manufactured Homes (Residential Parks) Act 2003, etc.
Another of the primary activities of COA Coop, is outdoor activities. What does that mean?
There are two meanings when we say Outdoor activities: 1) the social and recreational activities associated with camping, eg. arts and crafts, displays, picnic, camp games, campfire, fishing, swimming, etc. 2) other recreation and sport activities, eg. hiking, mtn biking, 4WD/ SSV driving, motorcycling, hunting, etc.
Is there a Prospectus for the COA Coop?
Distributing Cooperatives must by law must produce a Disclosure Statement, which is a bit like a prospectus. This is the main document to determine what sort of investment you’ll be making if you were to become a member and buy shares. The document includes a section on risk, which you should pay particular attention to (although all parts of the document need your attention, so don’t just read the risk section!). View the COA Coop Disclosure Statement.
Must the COA Coop follow any rules?
Co-operatives have a constitution just like companies do, but they’re called Rules. The Rules set out the ways in which the Co-operative operates, the obligations of members, the purpose of the organisation and the way in which meetings are run and so forth. View the COA Coop Rules.
How do I get involved?
Once you have read, understood and accepted the Rules, Disclosure Statement and any associated documents, you'll first need to become a COA Coop Shareholder Member. Shareholder Membership to COA entitles you to purchase shares in COA Coop properties and use the properties for their intended purposes. Become a COA Coop Shareholder Member today!
Once your membership has been approved, you can then head to the COA Coop Store and purchase COA Coop Investor Shares. The minimum purchase requirement is 10 x $250 shares. You can buy more than the minimum shares and in fact you could own up to 20% of the coop. More shares means you could receive substantial returns when and if a shareholder dividend is paid. Once you have been approved as a COA Coop Shareholder Member and logged into the site, you can Purchase Shares in the COA Coop!
"COA: The community-driven evolution of land, built for owners, not for profit." To keep up to date with all areas of the Property Division, please subscribe to the COA Land social page. COA Coop also services Australia with it's national Insurance Division >>
