Page 52 - Print21 Nov-Dec 2020

Association News
News updates from the printing industry
Serving in a turbulent year
PVCA CEO Andrew Macaulay reflects on 2020, a year like no other.
The final issue of Print21 for 2020 gives pause for reflection on a turbulent year in Australian print and packaging. As I write, the Victorian economy is still in Covid lock- down, with minimal signs
of easing of restrictions, the Queensland border remains closed, and Western Australia is still in isolation.
Despite all of this, SME printers have found ways
to improvise in operations, overcome restrictions, and adapt to new operating models. This is a testament to the agility of the entrepreneurs who make up our creative industry.
Your association, PVCA,
“the voice of our industry”, has likewise had to rapidly pivot its operations throughout 2020
to ensure that we met rapidly changing member requirements. Consequently, PVCA ran nearly thirty industry webinars to ensure that members were
kept up to date throughout 2020 on the latest federal and state government assistance programmes, and on the industrial relations advice necessary to navigate the disrupted commercial world. Many members have given us feedback that the webinars supported them in a factual and timely way.
In 2020, PVCA also established a mental health counselling number, 1800 847 266, to ensure that our industry had immediate access to the best mental health counselling available. We have received positive feedback from members who have used this referral service, and had staff, family, friends or indeed themselves, benefit from it. The 1800 847 266 number will continue to be maintained, and we encourage you to ask your colleagues, friends and family always; “RUOK?”
Social distancing meant that we had to find a new way to run the National Print
Andrew Macaulay, CEO, PVCA
“The consequence to our industry is that SME printers in urban and regional Australia are absorbing the cost increases and inefficiencies of Australia Post simply to ensure that the service remains viable.”
Awards programme. Feedback from industry was that the event must go on. So, PVCA established a series of virtual awards nights for each state PICA, the National Print Award celebration, and for the Print2Parliament industry forum. Whilst a virtual event will never have the social
value of a face-to-face event,
it was gratifying to see the enthusiasm with which our industry embraced these webcasts. It is noteworthy that there was about ten times the participation from a normal dinner, using the login data as the metric, before we even take into account the number of viewers who were in fact teams of colleagues holding a viewing party (often with a BBQ) at someone’s home.
Print2Parliament was the culmination of this process, with the president of PVCA, Walter Kuhn, and myself
being granted extensive recorded interviews with senior politicians to talk about, with, and to our wonderful industry. The minister of Communications and the
Arts, the opposition treasury spokesman, and leader of One Nation (who holds the balance of power in the Senate) all
are active supporters of our industry. Given the interest from members, we will be running similar webcasts again.
Sustainable Green Print continues to gain traction with Government procurement plans. PVCA has invested in new resources to relaunch SGP with broadened scope. KwikKopy Australia is toad testing this deployment, as we automate some of the accreditation process, and incorporate additional certifications. The successful Proudly Printed in Australia campaign initiative
of PVCA is being incorporated into SGP, as this has resonance across the commercial landscape. WH&S is also being incorporated as part of an employer of choice element within the accreditation, as are training modules, an industry code of conduct element, and participation in the industry innovation and quality of production awards. This
holistic approach to industry certification will help excellent print and packaging businesses differentiate themselves in a competitive landscape.
In recent months, PVCA
has made representation to government and opposition about the continued diminution of Australia Post services. This advocacy from PVCA includes providing support to a number of participants in the senate estimates committee hearings in October. Our position
remains that Australia Post has failed to innovate and adapt to find lower cost, more efficient and faster methods of delivery of letters. The consequence
to our industry is that SME printers in urban and regional Australia are absorbing the cost increases and inefficiencies of Australia Post simply to ensure that the service remains viable. The much talked about industry partnership from Australia
Post is a chimera if only the SME private sector continue
to absorb price increases that are considerably above rates of inflation. Couple these price increases with increasingly extended delivery windows and the consequences to the SME retail economy, the customers of printers, are dire. PVCA will continue to work in this space.
We encourage all members
to call PVCA if you have any
IR questions, or any questions about any of the SME provisions in the new federal budget.
PVCA is always available to assist members. Also, please consider your next entry into the 2021 National Print Awards. Categories for entry have been published, and we will shortly announce entry procedures.
Thank you to all members of PVCA for your ongoing support of your industry voice.
Finally, I say a big thank
you, from both myself and
on behalf of our industry to Walter Kuhn, our president who has now reached his term limit in that role. Walter has worked tirelessly to provide vision and leadership to PVCA, its board, and myself. I have appreciated his wisdom and counsel, admired his zest for our industry, and been inspired by his entrepreneurial drive. Walter epitomises the best qualities of SME Australia. 21
52 Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
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Voice of our Industry