Chief executive Phillip Andersen told ProPrint the industry needs to be aware of the impact of the proposed changes as they could significantly increase manufacturing costs.

“Once we get further detail of the tax, we will be able to establish just how great the extra cost to printers as well as paper and machinery manufacturers will be,” he said.

“Because the print industry is such a heavy user of power, the tax is most likely going to mean much higher manufacturing costs.”

The new board at Printing Industries has formed a sub-committee to examine the possible impact of the tax using information gathered from the Rudd government’s aborted emissions trading scheme (ETS).

“Under the proposed ETS they were only going to compensate the major emitters, the smaller emitters such as the print industry would not get any compensation,” he said.

“We don’t want that to happen this time.”

Andersen said Printing Industries’ economist is meeting with Bill Shorten, the assistant treasurer, in Canberra next week and further steps will be taken accordingly.

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