The Packaging Council of Australia (PCA) has called an Extraordinary General Meeting next month so members can vote on a plan to join the Printing Industries Association of Australia (PIAA).
PCA CEO David Carter is in favour of the move but says it’s the decision lies in the hands of hundreds of association members.
“It makes sense to consolidate the organisations because there’s a lot of cross over between our work and memberships,” says Carter. “Packaging has consolidated over the years and I’m not sure the association has necessarily kept up with that consolidation. The industry has changed and developed and we need to keep up in order to get the best value for our members.
“Andrew [Macaulay, CEO, PIAA] and I are very keen to make something happen and we thought the best way to approach it would be to put some thoughts down on paper, an understanding of what we’re trying to develop, in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). We’ll ask members to vote on whether or not to sign the MOU. Members attending the meeting will vote, and there will be proxies for those who can’t attend, so we should know the result on the day.
“There’s a lot of stakeholders and a lot of different needs but the feedback I’m getting is that members are eager to develop an association that’s relevant for today and focuses on the issues of the day, as opposed to what we were focused on ten years ago.
“The MOU would have a timeframe and if members agree, it would mean the PCA would join Printing Industries and move into its headquarters in Sydney, probably in the next 6-12 months.”
PIAA CEO Andrew Macaulay says it’s "a terrific opportunity" for both organisations.
“We already share many of the same members and what David and I have been talking about is bringing the PCA into the PIAA as a sector group, with the resources and capacity to focus on its particular mission. PCA members would continue to have a unique voice and would get the benefits of PIAA membership, including our industrial relations service, which is a valuable and comprehensive resource free for all members.”
Macaulay sees closer ties with the PCA as part of a wider Printing Industries strategy to increase co-operation between all sectors of the printing industry.
“We’ve reformed the Major Mail Users Association, we’re talking to some of our key members involved in the labelling sector, and we’re looking forward to giving all these groups a platform to influence association activity. We need to be a dynamic, responsive peak industry organisation and we have the resources to help and support all of the specialty groups in the industry.”
The PCA represents producers and users of all types of packaging and packaged goods, with members covering the entire packaging supply chain - raw material suppliers, education institutions, packaging manufacturers and users, retailers as well as designers, consultants and other companies servicing the industry.
A closer relationship with the PIAA has been on the cards since June this year when the PIAA welcomed Carter into an office at its headquarters in Sydney.
The PCA EGM will be held in Melbourne on 9 November.