Aslan Shand
The board’s management of the Mullumbimby Rural Co-op has been called into question by shareholders, who have called a public meeting for this Wednesday, 28 April, at the Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club at 6pm to seek explanations from the board over the running and management of the Co-op.
Dissatisfaction from shareholders and employees has been building since the change of chair of the board in July 2020 from Maurie Maher to Ross Tucker, which changed the focus of the business according to some shareholders.
Stock not being available, failure to send out or accept payment of invoices, differences between the advertised board prices for fuel and the price on the bowser, accreditation of workers for sale of some products, and low morale are some of the key issues that the board has been asked to address at the meeting.
Regulatory and compliance issues
Madeline Holmes had worked in the office at the Co-op for 15 years but decided to resign after the board brought in a general manager to deal with regulatory and compliance issues.
‘I used to basically run the office by myself. We [with Tony who was the Co-op manager for over 30 years] weren’t informed of the “regulatory and compliance issues”; we were just left in the dark and they brought in a general manager,’ Ms Holmes told The Echo.
‘The issues that have been raised with me are that there is no stock, that management are now inaccessible. There are always going to be some rough patches when they implement something new. But personally, I think they have lost sight of what the Co-op is about and they are on a mission to make it more corporate, like another Bunnings. To me that’s the wrong direction,’ said Ms Holmes.
‘Now they have this top-heavy management, and you can’t talk to the manager unless you have an appointment. It was the sort of place that you went to get advice, but now you have so many casuals you don’t have anyone there who knows about the products.’
Disillusionment with the new direction
This sense of disillusionment with the new direction of the Co-op was reflected in comments by a long-term member of the Co-op, who didn’t want to be named, who told The Echo, ‘I have been a shareholder for some 40 years and watched Tony and Maddie build and expand the Co-op from humble beginnings to the well-organised and reliable retailer it was till recently.’
‘The Co-op is a standalone entity and will never have the buying power and bulk ordering available to Bunnings or even to Norco with its multiple outlets.
‘No-one seems to know why Tucker has led these changes. It has led to a shutdown website, items out of stock, bills not sent out, no friendly helpful advice.’
Co-op board chair Ross Tucker, declined to comment on the issues raised by shareholders but told The Echo that he and the board would be attending the meeting on Wednesday to address the concerns of shareholders transparently, but that ‘There is a fair bit of misinformation running around’.
Organisers of the meeting, not the board, have invited all shareholders and concerned Co-op users to attend.
I’ll tell you what the problem is straight off : Ross Tucker. Back when he was on the Byron Shire Council his ideological views caused no end of trouble. And who voted him in as chairman????
I went to the meeting but wondered why Mr Tucker and the board were seated front of room, with Mr Tucker holding forth for well over 1 1/2 hours before I left in disgust. If this was a shareholders’ meeting, organised by shareholders, why was the board and Mr Tucker seated at front, like some power phalanx? WHY was Mr Tucker allowed to talk for so long?
I believe they all should have sat in the audience with the rest of us and be called to speak to agenda items raised by shareholders (and this agenda should have been available prior to meeting)…with a time limit on responses. This was like an avoidance filibuster.
Very sad indeed to have our local coop seemingly railroaded by a takeover.
And, as was noted by one attendee, if Mr Tucker’s claims there were serious financial issues coming from the auditor…why was there no hint of this in the last annual report?
Ross Tucker has a focus
to run the business dry then onsell the property to fastfood giants including Mcdonalds.