Northern Territory printers are happily picking up $6m-worth of printing work farmed out by the NT government, which has closed its unprofitable print operation. The printers say the government is sharing the mostly offset work among local print shops rather than national outfits, though 31 staff face at the outgoing plant face losing their jobs or being redeployed. The NT print office had found itself seriously in the red; it lost $761,000 in FY2013, and in December had already seen the back of $500,000 for the current financial year.

Local outfit Zip Print says it expects the NT government work will eventually add 20 per cent to its turnover

A tender process will now set up a multi-supplier panel contract to handle most of the yearly $6m worth of printing – in the meantime printers on an existing contract to handle 25 per cent of the government’s print work will bridge the gap. The government says the tender process will aim to support the local industry, and printers are reporting a healthy flow of work resulting from the closure, with more expected to come. However, some are also flagging the beginnings of a price war, saying some outfits are undercutting their prices to win work. The government kit will be up for sale via Picles Auctions in June, with a 2011 Heidelberg Speedmaster SM52-5-P five colour offset press with perfecter, a 1998 Heidelberg Speedmaster SM102-2-P two colour offset press, a 1997 Heidelberg GTO 52, a four-unit 2006 Heidelberg Stahlfolder folding machine, and a 2006 Kodak Magnus 800 CTP up for grabs.

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