The Australian expands printing to Tasmania

Posted by Simon Day on August 18, 2009 at 11:11 AM

The Australian was printed for the first time in Tasmania on Monday, Pro Print Australia reported Tuesday. The News Limited-owned paper was produced on a local press in the state for the first time, as the company put its new $32 million printing operation in Hobart's Technopark into action.

Since the newspaper's launch in 1964, the island state has been served by air-freight from Melbourne. The cost savings through local printing will allow News Limited to drop the cover prince from $1.90 to $1.50 and making home delivery much more accessible, The Australian reported Monday.

The Weekend Australian will be produced in Hobart beginning Sept. 5.

"We think this is a great move for readers and should increase circulation," Editor Paul Whittaker said, according to The Australian. "No longer will our readers be subject to the vagaries of the weather, and in particular fog, which often delays the arrival of papers from Melbourne into Launceston and Hobart for many hours.