Government urged to give go ahead on closing Goprint

Another government printing office faces closure following a report prepared by the Queensland Service Delivery and Performance Commission.

 

The report reveals that between 20 June 2000 and 30 June 2007 Goprint suffered loses of more than $37 million. The report cites that the failure of Goprint was due to the competitive nature of the industry; its rapidly changing technology and the difficulty a public sector service provider has keeping up with these changes; an inability to attract staff and insufficient work flow to achieve cost effective utilisation of equipment.

For Printing Industries in Queensland, which has campaigned over several years for its closure as a taxpayer subsidised competitor in the Queensland print market, the report is proof of the association's opposition to Goprint.

 "We hope to speak with the Premier to encourage adoption of the recommendations and to offer whatever resources and support we can to help the transition of any Goprint employee who wishes to leave to work in the private sector," said Neal McLary, general manager of Printing Industries, Queensland.

"We will be reminding the government that the industry is suffering a major skills shortage across most of our trade and semi skilled areas."

McLary said the report recommends that the Government move to establish a parliamentary printing service (digital facility) for the production of Hansard and confidential parliamentary documents. This facility would be under the control of the Queensland Parliamentary Service.

A Print Management Unit would be established as a 'whole of government' resource facility to manage the State Government's print requirements which are conservatively estimated to be in the $80 to $100 million range. The Unit would provide a co-ordinated interface between Government and private sector suppliers and be based in the Department of Public Works.

"In past discussions with Government representatives, we have always held to a position that the Queensland printing industry at large should be the prime source of all the Queensland Government's print requirements. We believe that regional printers should not be disadvantaged by any changes, and that any existing arrangements private sector printers have with Government Departments should not be unilaterally dismantled by the Government as a result of any changes flowing from any 'whole of government' changes to print purchasing," Mr McLary said.

"We will hold to this position in our future discussions. While the Government will certainly be looking for a more cost effective purchasing model and one within the bounds of 'good government' in any changes implemented, we believe the Government broadly shares our view on these points."

Goprint currently employs around 100 people and the proposed new structure requires less than 40 employees.