Print AND Media Australasia

Print AND Media Australasia
Name	Print AND Media Australasia
Type	Trade association
Founded	19xx
Headquarters	Sydney, Australia
Region served	Australia and New Zealand
Membership	Printers, publishers, media companies

Print AND Media Australasia is an Australian trade association representing the interests of print, paper, publishing and related media industries across Australia and New Zealand. It acts as an industry peak body engaging with stakeholders including unions, regulators, publishers and manufacturers. The organisation organises conferences, produces technical guidance, and administers awards for excellence in printing, publishing and media services.

History

The organisation traces its antecedents to early 20th‑century craft and trade groups such as the Amalgamated Printing Trades Union of Victoria, the Australian Journalists Association, the Federated Engine Drivers and Firemen's Association of Australasia, and provincial bodies in Melbourne and Auckland. In the postwar period it interacted with institutions including the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Australian Broadcasting Commission as printing technologies migrated from letterpress to offset and digital presses. During the 1970s and 1980s it negotiated industry responses alongside groups such as the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and state authorities in New South Wales and Queensland. The digital revolution saw engagement with multinational firms such as Adobe Systems, Xerox, Heidelberg Druckmaschinen, and trade standards bodies like ISO and Standards Australia.

Membership and Governance

Members have included family firms, public corporations and unions represented by entities like PBL Media, Fairfax Media, News Limited, Seven Network, and sector suppliers such as Graham Packaging and Cromwell Group. Governance structures mirror models used by peak bodies such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Industry Group with boards, executive directors and advisory committees drawing on expertise from institutions including the University of Sydney, the University of Melbourne, and vocational bodies like TAFE NSW and Otago Polytechnic. It has engaged legal counsel and lobbyists with connections to Parliament of Australia committees, the New Zealand Parliament, and regulatory agencies such as the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Publications and Events

The organisation publishes trade titles and technical guides similar in profile to Australian Financial Review supplements, industry reports akin to those by the Grattan Institute, and training curricula aligned with qualifications from Australian Qualifications Framework authorities. It runs flagship events that parallel gatherings such as the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show in scale for trade, and collaborates with expos like the CeBIT Australia and conferences hosted at venues including Sydney Town Hall and Auckland Town Hall. It has produced journals, newsletters and benchmarking reports referencing suppliers such as Canon Inc., HP Inc., and converters working with papers from Norske Skog and PaperlinX.

Industry Impact and Advocacy

Advocacy has spanned intellectual property interactions with bodies like Australasian Performing Right Association, standards engagement with ISO 12647 working groups, and environmental stewardship initiatives referencing organisations such as Forest Stewardship Council and WWF-Australia. It has lobbied on issues before tribunals and committees including inquiries by the Productivity Commission and the Australian Senate standing committees, and coordinated with export agencies like Austrade on market access. The association influenced adoption of technologies championed by corporations such as Heidelberg, Manroland, and software from Quark, Inc. and Microsoft.

Awards and Recognition

The body administers competitions and honours comparable to the Walkley Awards in prestige for journalism-adjacent work, and mirrors regional prizes such as the Queensland Community Achievement Awards for printing excellence. Recipients have included independent publishers, printers, and designers who later collaborated with institutions like the National Gallery of Victoria, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and retail chains including Woolworths Group (Australia) for packaging projects. Award ceremonies have been staged alongside industry fairs frequented by attendees from New Zealand's publishing sector and representatives of firms such as Penguin Random House and HarperCollins.

Criticism and Controversies

The organisation has faced criticism comparable to disputes involving other trade bodies like Screen Producers Australia and Tourism Australia over lobbying transparency, industrial relations stances during disputes with unions such as the Printing Industries Employees' Union and media conglomerates, and positions on environmental certification that drew scrutiny from advocacy groups including Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace Australia Pacific. Controversies have also involved membership conflicts echoing legal challenges seen in cases before the High Court of Australia and public debates in outlets such as The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian.

Category:Trade associations based in Australia Category:Publishing organizations Category:Printing in Australia