Page 77 - Print21 Magazine May-June 2022

Associations
PVCA meeting challenging times
The new president of PVCA Peter Clark says while challenges are many the association is fully focused on driving the industry forward.
Since assuming the role as national president of the Print and Visual Communications Association (PVCA) earlier in the year, the importance of the job in these challenging times has defin tely been highlighted.
I wish to acknowledge the excellent contribution of our outgoing president, Walter Kuhn, and the entire PVCA board, who have forged a clear path and a healthy, focused, and growing association.
The work to refocus and shape the association to make sure
it is relevant to the needs of members in 2022 and beyond, will continue.
We have already seen our flagship HR and IR offering reshaped into arguably the most comprehensive and affordable employee support programme in the Australian marketplace. Changing and ever evolving regulations, with many state- based rules around the Covid era workplace, has seen a substantial increase in our HR and IR inquiries.
Real-time
responses
Contract templates, sample policies, quick learning videos, and mental health well-being resources are backed up by real- time responses to members HR and IR queries. On their own, these free services for members would cost more than the price of membership.
Our Sustainable Green Print (SGP) accreditation is also
an important offering being taken up by our members. SGP is of course built on the principles of ISO 14001, and offers an affordable industry specific, tiered environmental management system.
Refocus the association: Peter Clark, president, PVCA
With sustainability increasingly a big part of buying decisions, suppliers are now required to present environmental credentials when tendering for major work, whether it be government, semi- government or private tenders. SGP fits the bill by being the only printing and printing supply chain focused accreditation available.
To ensure the benefits of membership go well beyond our frontline and visible services, the PVCA is your voice, and is heard in a range of government and wider industry forums.
The PVCA is the registered owner of many of Australia’s leading printing and packaging related exhibitions, as well as
the state-based PICAs, and the National Printing Awards. The PVCA has recently signed a long- term joint venture agreement with Visual Connections, and formed
a new organisation called Visual Events, specifically to plan and organise events such as PacPrint, the state PICAs, and the NPAs.
Disaster events
In the short period of my tenure there have been several major disaster events which
are unprecedented in scale. These events are affecting the Australian print, packaging, and signage sector dramatically.
None more so than the damaging floods in two of our larger states, New South Wales and Queensland. The PVCA has helped many printers navigate their way through the disasters. It is pleasing that several PVCA directors and members have rallied to provide practical support, not only for fellow printers, but also for individuals and families in distress.
That help included alerting authorities to stranded families cut off y the rapidly rising floodwaters, through to clean- up of water damaged premises and homes. PVCA members are also helping their flood affected colleagues get work out, so that they can fulfill t eir obligations and deadlines to their clients.
The ongoing effects of Covid continue to stretch supply chains. Paper and raw materials
continue to be in short supply, resulting in huge price increases. Freight pricing has also gone through the roof.
There are no easy answers for these rising costs and possible shortages. The one positive is
that the local paper agencies are reporting they have adequate lines of supply to sustain our local print industry into the future.
Major concern
The other major concern for Australia is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. When coupled
with the China trade and diplomatic issues, it appears that globalisation is coming to an end.
Australia must now concentrate on bringing manufacturing back onshore. Our priority is for the print, packaging and signage sector to lead the charge.
The PVCA, along with other organisations, has been working constructively and in many
cases, collectively, to lobby the federal government and state governments, as well as publishers and other print buyers, to reverse the trend of sending printing
offs ore, mainly to China.
It has been reported that the
government printing spend
in China alone is estimated at between $150m-$300m per annum. With the federal election looming we have stepped up our lobbying activity.
Unemployment in Australia is now at historic lows plus there are 160,000 job vacancies unfil ed at this time. It’s the perfect storm that is creating
a huge shortage of skilled and unskilled labour. Our sector is one that is hit particularly hard.
Unfortunately, there was
not a lot in the lacklustre pre- election budget to seriously address the apprenticeship and skills training shortage. The other missed opportunity in the budget is the level of skilled and unskilled migrant intake. This eeds to be increased substantially and quickly to address the acute shortfall.
Times are tough. Change is a constant. The PVCA, your voice, is committed to improving our industry. 21
“Australia must
now concentrate
on bringing manufacturing back onshore. Our priority is for the print, packaging and signage sector to lead the charge.”
Print21 MAY/JUNE 2022 77
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