News Corp will close its Brisbane print centre in Murarrie in favour of maintaining its operations on the Sunshine Coast’s Yandina.
The publisher said the consolidation would take effect from April next year, and would be accompanied by some job losses.
News Corp’s need for print facilities has declined
News Corp announced its review into its print operations in Queensland last month, citing its move to digital-only for its regional and community mastheads.
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“Unfortunately there will be job losses, but the vast bulk of our regional and community portfolio is now digital only, and we’ve had to consolidate operations due to the excess production capacity,” News Corp’s executive general manager of production, logistics and property, Marcus Hooke, said.
News Corp said the Yandina facility had newer presses with heat-set printing capability. It will print The Courier Mail for audiences in central Queensland, Wide Bay, the Sunshine Coast, as well as its Queensland country and Brisbane metropolitan editions. It will also publish the Queensland, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore editions of The Daily Telegraph, as well as The Australian and The Sunday Mail.
Hooke thanked staff from both facilities.
“I’d like to pay tribute to all the staff at Murarrie and Yandina whose unfailing professionalism and dedication to getting the paper out has never wavered,” he said.
“We’ll continue working closely with affected employees and their representatives as we have done at every stage of this process,” he added. “Our employees’ wellbeing remains our number one priority.”