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Public Language Reference Sheet
Bottom Pub Co-op — Steering Committee & Volunteers
Internal reference | Binding on all steering committee members from adoption | v1.0
This sheet is the vocabulary standard for every public conversation, email, social media post, meeting handout, and media comment made on behalf of this project.
If you are not sure whether something is OK to say, do not say it. Refer to the convenor.
Say this / Not that
Project stage and intent
| Say this | Not that | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ”We are exploring whether community ownership of the Commercial Hotel is worth pursuing." | "We are acquiring the pub.” / “We are buying the pub.” | We have no legal capacity to buy anything yet. We have not verified the property is available. |
| ”We are at Stage 1 — gauging community interest and testing feasibility." | "The project is underway.” / “We’ve started the process." | "Underway” implies commitment we have not made. |
| ”We’ve formed a steering committee to research the options." | "We’ve formed a buying group.” / “We’re moving forward with the purchase.” | We are researching options. No purchase has been decided. |
| ”We’re testing whether this is financially and legally feasible." | "We know it can work.” / “The numbers stack up.” | Feasibility has not been established. Unverified numbers exist but have not been modelled or reviewed. |
| ”We’ll make a decision about whether to proceed once we have the information we need." | "We’ve decided to do this.” / “We’re committed to saving the pub.” | No go/no-go decision has been made. |
Property status
| Say this | Not that | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ”The property is currently in a receivership process." | "The pub is for sale.” / “The pub is on the market.” | [ASSUMPTION — the receivership is confirmed internally, but has not been publicly verified from an official record. Do not state the property is for sale until it is publicly listed or we have confirmed the process with the receiver.] |
| ”We are exploring whether the community can participate in whatever process is underway." | "We’ve been told the price is $X.” / “We expect to pay around $X.” | Price figures are meeting-reported and unverified. Do not repeat them publicly. |
| ”We do not know yet whether the property would be available to a community group on terms that work." | "The receiver wants to sell to us.” / “We have first right of refusal.” | There is no indication the receiver has any preference for a community buyer. Do not imply otherwise. |
Community interest and membership
| Say this | Not that | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ”Over 68 people have registered their interest in being kept informed." | "68 people have pledged support.” / “68 investors are ready.” | EOI responses are expressions of interest in receiving information — not commitments of money or support. |
| ”We’re inviting people to stay informed about the project as it develops." | "We’re inviting people to invest.” / “We’re taking pledges.” | We are not currently raising capital. We have no legal vehicle to receive investment. |
| ”If the project reaches a stage where membership or capital options are proposed, they will be presented legally and transparently." | "Membership will cost $X.” / “Shares will be $X.” | No membership terms have been designed or approved. |
| ”This is a community exploration, not a commercial offer." | "This is an investment opportunity." | "Investment opportunity” has legal implications and is not accurate at this stage. |
Money, returns, and finances
| Say this | Not that | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ”We are modelling the financial feasibility — no conclusions have been reached." | "The pub will be profitable.” / “Members will receive returns.” | Feasibility has not been established. No returns of any kind have been modelled or approved. |
| ”Any financial structure would be subject to legal advice, feasibility analysis, and community approval." | "We’re planning to pay a 5% return.” / “You’ll get your money back in X years.” | Return promises are not ours to make and may be legally regulated. |
| ”We’re exploring what capital instruments might be available under co-operative law, subject to legal advice." | "You can buy a share for $X.” / “Debentures will pay X%.” | No capital instruments have been designed or legally reviewed. |
| ”The figures we’re working with are unverified estimates from early community discussions." | "The renovation will cost $900K.” / “The purchase price will be around $1.3M.” | [ASSUMPTION — these figures are meeting-reported and not independently verified. Do not quote them publicly as facts.] |
Timelines
| Say this | Not that | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ”We don’t have a timeline to share yet — it depends on information we’re still gathering." | "We expect to open by [date].” / “We’ll make a decision by [month].” | We have no control over the property process timeline and cannot predict our own. |
| ”The property process has its own timeline that we are not in control of." | "We have time to get organised.” / “There’s no urgency.” | There may be considerable urgency — the receiver’s process may move faster than we can. |
| ”We’re working as quickly as we responsibly can." | "This could take years.” | We don’t know. Unnecessary discouragement is as misleading as false confidence. |
Community ownership model
| Say this | Not that | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ”A community co-operative model — where members share governance, not just investment." | "A co-op is like a syndicate.” / “It’s like crowdfunding the pub.” | Syndicate and crowdfunding imply financial structures we have not designed. |
| ”Members of a co-op have a say in how it is run — democratic governance is central to the model." | "Members will own a share of the property.” | Membership rights depend on the legal structure, which has not been chosen. |
| ”Subject to legal advice, co-operative law may allow members to contribute capital — but the terms are unknown at this stage." | "You can own a piece of the pub for $500.” | This is not decided, not approved, and not yet legally designed. |
Quick-reference word swaps
| Avoid | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Pledge | Expression of interest |
| Investment / investor | Membership / member (once legally defined) |
| Dividend / return | Not yet applicable — do not use |
| Guaranteed | Not yet applicable — do not use |
| Acquisition / acquire | Exploring / feasibility |
| Buying group | Steering committee / community group |
| We will | We are exploring whether |
| It will work | Feasibility is being assessed |
| The price is | Figures we’ve heard, unverified, are |
If a journalist asks
Refer to the convenor. Do not speculate. The one thing every member may say:
“The Cygnet community is exploring whether cooperative ownership of the Commercial Hotel is worth pursuing. We’ve formed a steering committee to look at the options, and we’ll be keeping the community informed as we learn more.”
That is the whole story at Stage 1. Nothing more.