The biggest story in the print industry this week was the Print21 report on the backlash to the Daniel Andrews roadmap out of Covid, which has seen Melbourne cop some of the harshest lockdown measures in the world, including a curfew that was not health or police driven.

Industry identity Theo Pettaras has said goodbye to his innovative print business Digitalpress, having completed the six-month handover following the sale of the business to Bridgestone Holdings. Pettaras is now working as a business broker, and will remain secretary of the PVCA.

The print industry and all other industries are in uproar over the roadmap out of lockdown presented by Victoria premier Daniel Andrews in his statement, variously claiming it is a road to nowhere, a document of despair, a kick in the guts, and saying he is destroying the Victorian economy, with what are some the world’s harshest lockdown measures.

The number of Australian businesses going into liquidation or administration is plummeting to way below normal levels, leading to fears over credit lines extended by printers to their customers.

Labelling the Dan Andrews roadmap "a devastating blow", the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell has called on the Victorian government to cover the costs associated with small business closures, including break-lease fees on equipment.

A survey of senior leaders in Sydney demonstrates strong support for the economic and health response to Covid-19 by NSW government, but flags concern about the broader impact of the pandemic.

Major systems developer Bobst says it has the solutions to enable print and packaging operations to ride the booming ecommerce wave, as corrugated becomes the enabler for much of the online shopping world.

One of the biggest publicly listed companies in Australia has thrown its weight behind local printing, by adopting the Proudly Printed in Australia logo for all its print collateral, and is using it on millions of print pieces hitting letterboxes this week.

Residents in 40 Adelaide suburbs will be the first in the country to suffer from national mail monopoly Australia Post axing its letter delivery schedule from daily to five times a fortnight.

Ball & Doggett Group CEO Craig Brown is moving from the merchanting side of the business to join paper manufacturer Sappi as its Australasian managing director, with Luke Wilkinson becoming CEO of Ball & Doggett Australia, and Richard Hislop promoted as the new CEO New Zealand.

Wide format print business Craftech is in voluntary administration, pulling the pin on a scheduled auction of its equipment which was to have taken place through Liquid Asset Management.

IVE Group national sales director web offset and distribution Natalie Taylor is calling time on her 25-year career in print, opting for a lifestyle change to run paddock-to-plate experience venue Milk Haus on the NSW South Coast.

The first show since the onset of Covid at Düsseldorf’s Messe centre – the home of drupa – opens today, with international caravanning expo Caravan Salon taking place over the next ten days.

The most clicked story in the print industry this week was Print21's report on the annual financial results of heatset print giant Ovato, which showed a $130m fall in sales, with the company now on collision course with the union over restructuring costs.

Toowoomba-based commercial printer Greenridge Press has installed a new HP Indigo 7900 Digital Press, supplied by Currie Group, which will replace the HP Indigo 3500 it has been running for the past seven years.

Industry association The Real Media Collective saw membership surge by 191 new businesses to 700 over the last 12 months, the numbers revealed in its newly released annual report.