Mr. John Shine:

Certainly we see the Department having a key role in that. We have had ongoing dialogue with some of the key stakeholders. We will continue that dialogue. As I said earlier, we are keen to ensure the legislation is well understood and that people have sufficient time to make decisions on the best route for themselves. We will engage with the development agencies, representative bodies and directly with the co-op movement, the co-operative industrial and providence societies. We can communicate through the channels the registrar has to get that information out. We see this as ground-breaking legislation and we are keen to ensure it is well understood, people recognise its potential and that they are aware of the timeframes because the status quo is not an option. For those on the register at the moment, keeping their heads down and hoping it goes away is not a tenable solution. They will have to make decisions. We can appreciate that people will be comfortable in the space and change will be a challenge for them.

We would be keen to ensure they are aware that there will be a transition period and that they will have choices to make as whether to register as a co-operative under the new legislation or convert to a company. They may also decide to wind up their operations. If they choose not to do anything, however, after a process, they will be dissolved from the register.