Australian Financial Review mulls print return in WA as press monopoly broken

The Australian Financial Review is considering restarting the distribution of its print edition in Western Australia using a new printing press owned by popular Perth weekly newspaper the Post.

Post editor Bret Christian unveiled the new printing press on Friday in an attempt to tackle Seven West Media’s monopoly on newspaper printing in the state following the shutdown of the IVE printing press in Mandurah in 2023.

Post Newspapers’ new printing press.Credit: Bret Christian

The AFR – which, along with this masthead, falls under the Nine Publishing umbrella – ended its print edition in WA in May last year after Seven West Media’s Colourpress doubled the cost of its contract.

This masthead can reveal the AFR is considering bringing the printed edition back to the state via the Post press, while another Perth independent newspaper group, Examiner Newspapers, confirmed it would jump ship from Colourpress.

A Nine source not authorised to speak publicly confirmed the Post had reached out to the company’s publishing arm, alerting it of its printing operation.

The source said distributing the print edition of the AFR in WA was “definitely something [the company] wanted to do” and it would run the numbers to see if they stacked up.

The Post’s printing press has also piqued the interests of other independent suburban newspapers, including the Examiner in the south-eastern suburbs, the Echo in Perth’s east, and the Fremantle Herald/Perth Voice.

Examiner Newspapers general manager and editor Tim Mayne confirmed he had alerted Seven West Media on Monday that the Canning, Gosnells, Armadale and Serpentine Examiner editions would be printed at the Post facility from July 1.

Mayne said printing costs jumped 30 per cent after the IVE facility closed and he was forced to print the papers at the Seven West Media operation.

He said the company would make a moderate saving by moving to the Post facility, which would allow them to print more papers.

“This will give us some breathing room to be able to distribute more papers and also offer our clientele and our readership more options,” he said.

“I think increased competition in the market is a good thing for the industry as a whole.”

Echo general manager and editor Peter Lewis said his paper had not made any decisions yet, but also welcomed the increased competition.

Lewis said the Post’s move could result in more collaboration between the city’s independent newspapers.

“I think this move might spark a bit more collaboration because he’s making us talk to each other,” he said.

The Post sourced the printing press from a second-hand supplier in the USA.

Christian said work began on the plan after the IVE facility closed, and ramped up when the AFR ceased printing.

It will take about half a day to print the Post’s 50,000 copies, leaving the rest of the week clear to print other papers.

Christian said printing costs jumped 60 per cent after IVE shut down, and the paper considered all options, including shutting down completely or going digital only.

But purchasing its own press was a financially viable option that would also help address the state’s printing monopoly.

“It really does fit in with the need for not just community voices but independent voices of all kinds,” Christian said.

“So it is part of the philosophy of what we do. A big part is to be independent and to have alternatives to the established papers.”

Christian said he had been bombarded with people asking whether they would print the AFR.

“I guess my answer has to be: ‘Well, we’re certainly open to an approach’.

“They know about us. They’ve let us know, and they may or may not, I don’t know.”

Christian expected the press to be operational and printing editions by July 1.

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