Earthworker is a community-led initiative to provide sustainable, wealth-creating jobs that empower local communities and provide clean energy solutions. Forging unlikely alliances between trade unionists, environmentalists and small manufacturers, the project is a powerful and positive endeavour to revitalise local economies, address climate change, and assist a ‘just transition’ from fossil fuel to clean renewable energy.

Emma Chessell

Earthworker Cooperative is raising funds to start the mutualisation of their first manufacturing cooperative – the Eureka’s Future Solar Hot Water tank factory in Dandenong. A debenture offer is currently open to fund the purchase of the operating plant – currently Everlast Hydro Systems – to allow mutualisation to continue.

Everlast – now Eureka’s Future – has produced high-quality stainless steel and solar-ready tanks at their Dandenong plant since 1999. Earthworker will extend their focus beyond manufacturing to include a sales and distribution strategy. Amongst other things this will allow tanks to be bought through salaries at many workplaces through Enterprise Bargaining Agreements. 

Earthworker is a cooperative that fosters the development of other, worker-owned, cooperative businesses, especially in places that urgently need a pathway out of the fossil economy like the Latrobe Valley and Geelong. Eureka’s Future is the first cooperative in what will be a network of affiliated renewable energy businesses. These enterprises will give workers the chance to work and earn a stake in industries that have future. 

Solar Hot Water systems, that include Eureka’s Future tanks and evacuated-tube collectors from SolarArk, can already be bought through suppliers or direct from the factory at Dandenong. Earthworker also supply heat-pumps from Siddons.

The debenture offers will return 12% on investment – it’s open to Earthworker members, with membership open to everyone. More information can be found on the Earthworker website.