Mt Murrindal co-op
Mt Murrindal Co-op Ltd
2105 Gelantipy Rd, W Tree, Vic 3885
Updated Jan 2009
HISTORY
The land was originally bought in 1980 by Athol Park and Fred Gordon who had both been involved in the Findhorn Community in Scotland. Their vision was to set up a self sufficient community where people could learn to grow emotionally, physically and spiritually. Over the next two years many people visited the property; in August 1982 the first formal meeting took place; in March 1983 the Co-operative was formed and registered with the relevant authorities in Victorian and the shareholders purchased the land from Athol and Fred. The succeeding years have seen the original vision tempered by the realities of country living, the physical work of being even partly self sufficient and the need to earn an income. However we remain committed to personal growth and community evolvement.
LEGAL ASPECTS
Mt Murrindal Co-op is a non-trading community development co-operative, duly registered with the Victorian Office of Business Affairs and Fair Trading, and owns 40.6 hectares of land fronting Gelantipy Rd and backing onto the Murrindal River at W tree, approx 22km north of Buchan. Co-operatives are guided by the Model Rules set up under an Act of Parliament in 1996. While the rules are basically laid down by the Act, and provide a net for us by allowing decisions on a majority basis, we adopted a local rule that we would try to work on a consensus basis. We have also added two other local rules: that there is no growing or storage of illegal substances on the property, and that the keeping of pet dogs and cats be strictly controlled.
LOCALITY
The co-op is 22km north of Buchan, and a small tourist town 75 km north east of Bairnsdale, the regions main town and shopping centre. Buchan boasts it's famous ]Limestone Caves, a hotel, general store, roadhouse, garage, primary school, Neighborhood House/TAFE Outreach Centre, kindergarten and Buchan Bush Nursing Centre. The East Gippsland region attracts many tourists, and our area has many limestone features, wet and dry sclerophyll forests, remnant cool rainforests with interspersed grazing country ensuring abundant wildlife. Our own property boasts kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, emus, goannas, and many smaller bird species are plentiful. We are within an hour's drive of the Snowy River and Alpine National Parks, and Lakes Entrance is approximately an hour's drive.
THE CO-OP LAND
We have 40.6 hectares (120 acres) of well treed, undulating land with steep slopes leading to the Murrindal River. Main elevation is approximately 450metres, and the property has 6 dams, 2 of which gravity feed water to all the houses, community area and gardens.
THE CO-OP PEOPLE
We have 5 houses on the property, 4 of which are privately owned, and a community house which is used for co-op meetings and social gatherings, and provides accommodation for visiting members and friends. It is also rented out on a short term basis subject to an agreement between the co-op members and renters.
Dwellings and associated outbuildings have been built in a hamlet format to minimize environmental impact and to maximize common access areas. There are currently 10 people living on the co-op, 7 resident members and 2 renting the Community House, ranging in age from 6 months to early 50's. Some of us run businesses from home, others work off the property. Weather and other issues permitting, we have spontaneous working bees to work in the community vegetable garden. There are also 4 non-resident members, some of whom visit periodically. We have a General Meeting monthly to deal with business and general matters, and an Annual General Meeting yearly in November, when 4 members are elected as Directors of the Co-op for the following year.
GENERAL
The commitment of a Co-op member is seen as being to support the Co-op and its aims of providing a personalized lifestyle opportunity with a reasonable degree of self sufficiency among like-minded people. What this calls for in practice is the sharing of the work of maintenance and stewardship of the land, repair and maintenance of the buildings, fences and driveway, and care and maintenance of the garden and orchard areas. Sometimes this involves shared working bees, sometimes commitment to do a job on one's own, and gives everyone the chance to do the work they are happy and able to do, whilst recognizing limits imposed by outside jobs, family, ability and health. All members are required to pay a monthly levy of $33-00 to cover property liability insurance, property rates, and basic maintenance to the property (from which all members benefit). In addition, all residents (members and renters) pay an extra $12-00 per month to cover running costs of a short-term nature such as chicken food and annual garden expenses. Resident members are responsible for paying council rates and home and content insurance for their own dwellings.