As presented by: Annette Loudon at the 2013 CES/LETS Conference

Vibrant Australian trading groups 2012

Ahead of the 2013 Australian National LETS/CES conference I was dreading another round of unstructured debate about 'what works best' !ather than face another "ear of #eo#$e debating based on gut fee$ings and #ersona$ #references I decided to find out what the %ost acti&e trading grou#s are doing I checked the stats and to# trading grou#s 'based on nu%ber of trades in 2012( were Tab$e$ands) *a$en" and Centra$ Coast +ere's how the"'re being run at the %o%ent, Tableland Local E c!ange Trading Syste" htt#,//$ets c$earwater co% au/ htt#,//co%%unit"e-change net au/offerings as#.-id/tbce0cat/%onth Trades: 3312 Turno#er: 13)133 4A56 e7ui& Value of ti"e:8ree %arket 'no hour$" ca#( $alance li"its: 91000 / :1000 % discouraged but u# to ;0< #er%itted &oining fees:420 to =oin) un$ess it's 's#onsorshi# %onth' when 420 is wai&ed in $ieu of 20> fro% an e-isting %e%ber's account Annual fee:1;> annua$ fee ?o ongoing 4 fees Le#ies: ?o other $e&ies #aid b" 5sers '!at(s )or*ing: @h) a$%ost e&er"thingA ?ot without hiccu#s) but there is so %uch going on that is worth ce$ebrating and encouraging E&ents) news$etter) area contacts) s#onsorshi# and buddies) worksho#s and #artnering with others in co%%unit" Aside fro% being an a%aBing coordinator herse$f) >e$ *oore ga&e awa" her secret su#er coordination ski$$s to a bunch of sub9area coordinators +aleny Local Energy Trading Syste" htt#,//co%%unit"e-change net au/offerings as#.-id/%a$o0cat/%onth Trades: 3202 Turno#er: 121)2;3 4A56 e7ui& Value of ti"e: 8ree %arket $alance li"its: 93000 / :3000 % discouraged but u# to ;0< #er%itted &oining fees: . Annual fee: . Le#ies: . '!at(s )or*ing: 5#front c$ub office 0 week$" dinner for >un"as she has #assed on her

Central Coast LETS htt#,//co%%unit"e-change net au/offerings as#.-id/ccau0cat/%onth Trades: 2;0C Turno#er: 102)C02 4A56 e7ui& Value of ti"e: 8ree %arket 'recent$" abo$ished our ca# of D0/hr to a##ease %e%bers( $alance li"its: 91000 / :1000 % discouraged but u# to ;0< #er%itted for ser&ices on$") %a- 420 reco%%ended &oining fees:41; Annual fee: 4. Le#ies:Ee ha&e a ;< $e&" on the se$$er side and a ;< $e&" on the bu"er side '!at(s )or*ing: @ur %e%bers e%brace the %arket da"s as it is a great chance to catch u# and estab$ish/reestab$ish friendshi#s with other traders +a&ing %an" %e%bers so%eti%es is a down side to the %ore #ersona$ trading idea) but there see% to be c$usters of #eo#$e who trade with each other Ee are a$wa"s ha&ing work sho#s during our %arket da"s) e g #otter") dru%%ing $essons) co$our thera#") %editation) gardening ad&ice) ne#a$ese cooking c$ass) where LETS %e%bers share their ski$$s with the co%%unit"