Australia Post has opened a new stamp print production facility in Melbourne, the only one of its kind in the country.
An Australia Post spokesperson tells Australian Printer that the facility is producing and distributing stamps, coins and Express Post envelopes, rolling out around 1.2 million gummed stamps (printed on sheets) and 2.5 million self-adhesive stamps on rolls each day. The new Rowville centre replaces three separate buildings at Knoxfield, it contains extra warehouse and dispatch floor space, houses 93 staff and operates between 7am and 5pm. Australia Post doesn’t reveal details of the presses it uses. Each sheet of gummed stamps typically contains 200 stamps, with pallets of stamp sheets reaching 800,000 individual stamps. Each stamp is planned well before production, with concepts developed and published in a stamp issue schedule 12-18 months in advance. “Stamps are generally developed to a 14 month, 11 month or 5 month cycle. The longer cycles allow us to balance printing and production workloads close to the issue date. They also enable us to produce instant stamp issues, stamp packs and collectables for special events or occasions – such as the Olympics, Black Caviar’s retirement or the birth of the Royal baby – without impacting issue dates for pre-planned issues,” says the spokesperson. Australia Post says the centre will reduce its energy consumption and carbon emissions and help improve efficiencies.
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