News Corp print operations to be consolidated

News Corp Australia will consolidate its south-east Queensland print operations at Yandina from April 2021.

The Murarrie print site - print operations will be consolidated in south east Queensland.

News Corp Australia will consolidate its south-east Queensland print operations at Yandina from April 2021.

The move follows a review of both the Yandina and Murarrie printing sites and a consultation period with employees and representatives which ended today.

Executive general manager production, logistics and property, Marcus Hooke said the transition to digital-only editions of the regional and community news portfolio had created excess printing capacity.

This means print operations at Murarrie will be phased out and transitioned to Yandina, which features newer presses with heat-set printing capability.

Yandina will print five dedicated editions of The Courier-Mail for audiences in Central Queensland, Wide Bay, the Sunshine Coast as well as its Queensland country and Brisbane metropolitan editions.

In addition it will publish the Queensland, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore editions of The Daily Telegraph, as well as The Australian and The Sunday Mail. It will also print independent and commercial contracts.

“I’d like to pay tribute to all the staff at Murarrie and Yandina whose unfailing professionalism and dedication to getting the paper out has never wavered,” Mr Hooke said.

“Unfortunately there will be job losses but the vast bulk of our regional and community portfolio is now digital only and we’ve had to consolidate operations due to the excess production capacity.”

Mr Hooke announced the two-week review into the printing centres on July 1.

“We’ll continue working closely with affected employees and their representatives as we have done at every stage of this process. Our employees’ well being remains our number one priority.”