Taking place at the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, the meeting was attended by representatives from Printing Industries, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) and policy advisers for Senator Kim Carr, the federal minster for the department.
The Group was initiated by the Minister earlier this year following discussions with Printing Industries.
“We’re wanting to make sure the government is better informed about the industry so that together we can come up with better ideas,” said Printing Industries chief executive Philip Andersen (pictured) in an interview with ProPrint.
“If the government is not fully informed, it cannot fully understand the industry.”
Andersen said the meeting identified and prioritised a range of issues affecting the printing industry, including the 30-day rule, the emission trading scheme and its impact on the industry, succession planning, the training skills shortage, industry promotion and sustainability, offshore business threats and the future of manufacturing in Australia.
The Group then streamlined these issues into three broad categories which they say will “make their management easier”, namely “sustainability”, “people” and “innovation”.
The “sustainability” category will include sub-sectors concerning environmental and economical issues, whilst the “people” category will encompass training, recruitment and skills shortage issues. “Innovation” will cover “areas of investment, being an industry in transition, moving from ink on paper into new innovation areas and media convergence”.
New chairman Jim Atkinson said that a series of papers would be now prepared by the Group on these issues, with the aim of providing feedback for the government on solutions wanted by the industry.
Whilst a date hasn’t yet been set, Andersen said that the Group would be looking to have another meeting before the end of the year.
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