News Corp Australia has committed to a 10-year term lease on a printing and distribution facility in Victoria, at Logos Property’s Truganina Logistics Estate in western Melbourne.
The site is a purpose built 11,215sqm printing facility which is scheduled to be completed in November this year.
The facility is expected to become the company’s new Melbourne print centre for its Victorian newspapers including the Herald Sun.
“After selling its heritage print facility in Port Melbourne, News Corp is reinvesting into its operational efficiencies with this new development,” property and supply chain firm TM Insight property director Justin Fried said.
“This new purpose-built print centre has been designed according to best practice layout for the highly specialised printing and publishing equipment that will be installed.”
Stage 1 of works have recently been completed, with Logos Property head of A/NZ Darren Searle saying that the business is pleased to be working with News Corp to deliver its new Melbourne printing and distribution facility.
“We are pleased to be commencing development of the Estate with a commitment from News Corp and look forward to working with FDC and our local consultants to deliver this new facility for them,” Searle added.
In May, News Corp Australasia announced major changes to its newspaper publishing, with the bulk of its regional and community newspapers to be produced in a digital only format from June 29 with some smaller community papers to close completely.
It also suspended printing 60 community newspapers in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia from April 9.
In addition, the news follows the announcement in August that The Australian Community Media (ACM), News Corp Australia and Nine Entertainment Group (formerly Fairfax) have entered into an agreement to utilise each other’s printing networks.
Together with the agreement, ACM confirmed the closure of its Canberra, Murray Bridge and Ballarat print sites as ACM moves to print its material and Nine’s at News Corp’s facilities.
In July, Sprinter also published that News Corp Australia was in discussions with print staff at its two south east Queensland print operations, with plans afoot to consolidate the Yandina and Murarrie production sites into one.
At the time of writing, Sprinter had contacted News Corp Australia for comment.
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