Page 56 - Print 21 Magazine Sep-Oct 2020

Association News
News updates from the printing industry
Covid continuing to create challenges
Print & Visual Communication Association CEO Andrew Macaulay outlines the latest initiatives being taken on behalf of printers, as the industry deals with the fall-out from Covid.
Covid-19 continues to impact all participants in our industry, which has the double impact of both significantly increasing demand for PVCA services, and simultaneously placing pressure on our members' ability to remain in operation.
The extension of the lockdown in Victoria represents an alarming assault by that state government and its institutions, on both our economy and our cherished civil liberties. Printers have always been at the forefront
of the dissemination of ideas, and we are seeing some
great examples of printers speaking up in defence of freedom in Victoria.
Industrial relations remain at the forefront of PVCA services. We have seen significant
uptake of assistance across industry, primarily about JobKeeper and restructuring. PVCA has run well–attended industry webinars to enable members to access the latest information, and to remove confusion about changing federal and state regulations and support packages.
Related to IR services, PVCA established a mental health hotline for our industry at
the beginning of the Covid disruption. The statistics
from our 1800 mental
health number suggest that confusion and stress are increasing within our industry. If you know someone under pressure, please encourage them to seek support.
PVCA has held multiple discussions with the senior federal government ministers,
Andrew Macaulay: CEO, PVCA
“PVCA has held multiple discussions with the senior federal government ministers, to ensure that print and packaging is at the forefront of policy and relief thinking.”
to ensure that print and packaging is at the forefront
of policy and relief thinking. We want to ensure that our industry is not forgotten,
but also that any assistance
is industry–wide. It was
a relief that the Victorian Government allowed print to continue during their extended shutdown provisions, yet the negative flow-on effects from other sector shutdowns remain.
We have recruited a new and enthusiastic champion for the Sustainable Green Print programme (SGP). Keiran May is an ex-president of PVCA, an ex-printer, and an enthusiastic supporter of PVCA and our
industry’s sustainability credentials. Kieran’s appointment has aligned
with completion of successful negotiations with Kwik Kopy Australia to re-launch SGP as a broader and holistic industry accreditation, simultaneously with the successful launch of the PVCA Proudly Printed in Australia artwork.
Dominos Pizza and IPG Marketing will be both using SGP and the Proudly Printed in Australia artwork on all pizza cartons in Australia. There
is increasing interest from consumers in differentiating Australian product, including print and packaging.
The National Print Awards virtual presentations were delivered successfully, with three-figure participation nationally. P2P! (Print to Parliament), which showcases all the Gold winners to the nation’s politicians in Canberra, will be held in a virtual format this year, because of Covid,
and information on this will be distributed to industry directly.
The 2021 National Print Awards will be open for entry by time of this publication, and we encourage all industry to submit your best production
to this important industry showcase. Let’s together celebrate print, packaging and visual design.
Super has been hit heavily
by Covid 19. Early withdrawal allowance has extended the effect of devalued assets and diminished contributions to
all industry super funds. At
the same time, industry Super funds, despite market leading performance, are under attack. This vital part of lifetime saving planning is supported by PVCA, and we have recently updated our industry representatives on Media Super board, with Peter Clark taking up a directorship.
What has happened to Super funds because of early
withdrawal provisions? New data confirms that early superannuation withdrawal continues to drive a huge spending boom, and that
the programme has not been used as intended by many Australians. The analysis of aggregated information from more than 10,000 Australians who withdrew superannuation early finds that many people may not have needed to access their Super early at all.
Some 38 per cent of people who accessed superannuation saw no drop in their income during the Covid 19, while
21 per cent saw an increase in their income of more than
10 per cent.
With no requirement for documentation to prove income loss prior to allowing access
to early Super, it raises the question of whether they really needed the extra money, and whether this will damage the retirement planning of many.
While the policy for early release was aimed as a lifeline, more than half the people that withdrew the second amount had no change in income. In fact, almost a quarter had increased their income and still continued to withdraw from their retirement savings.
These short-term decisions will have a major impact on
the retirement incomes of those in the print industry who withdrew their Super.
The average Super withdrawal by gender in the second round was $7,240 for women and $7,750 for men.
For many, the real impacts of early Super withdrawal will only be felt years down the road. A double withdrawal
by mum and dad now potentially means that part of their retirement saving has been spent. This is another example where the financial impacts of Covid-19 will be with us for decades. 21
56 Print21 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
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