Dick Adams (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—I am pleased to support the tabling of the report, Printing standards for documents presented to parliament, from the inquiry into printing standards for documents presented to parliament by the Joint Committee on Publications. I would like to thank the chair, Trish Draper, for her work on this report and for having chaired the committee throughout the year. It has been a pleasure to work with her and I wish her well in her future life. I also thank my colleagues on the committee and the committee secretariat. This small committee has done a lot of work during its term.

The standards that we set will ensure that all documents conform to certain requirements, including production quality and value for money, use of colour and illustrations, paper size and type, covers and binding and the number of printed copies required. Developments in technology and the ability to access documents by alternative means were reasons why it was considered appropriate to re-examine the standards. In light of the evolving needs of author bodies it is important to achieve flexibility and at the same time ensure that the government achieves value for money.

This report considered the existing printing standards and, in particular, looked at the necessity of using colour and illustrations, the cost of producing documents and whether value for money is being obtained. It also investigated the feasibility of sanctions against organisations that do not follow printing standards.

The committee in March 2007 resolved to undertake the inquiry and in April 2007 issued a discussion paper. Details of the inquiry were published in both the Australian and the Bulletin. Submissions were received from nine departments and organisations. They are listed in appendix A of the report. On 18 June this year a roundtable discussion was held in Canberra with representatives from 12 groups representing both government and industry. They are listed in appendix B of the report.

The use of colour was the main finding. Considering the evolving purpose of documents, the need for flexibility was considered. While parliament is the primary consideration when designing and publishing documents, a number of agencies use their publications for marketing and to communicate with an audience external to the parliament. This has been a recent development. With this in mind and considering other issues such as evidence indicating significant reductions in the cost of colour printing, the committee has issued revised standards that permit the use of full colour if necessary. However, design elements of documents should not result in the colours bleeding to the edge of the page as this process results in significantly increased costs. Covers for reports may continue to be printed in full colour. For most reports it is considered that black plus one colour is sufficient for the text. Illustrations may be included in reports as long as they add value to the understanding of the text.

Value for money was another main finding. The committee considers that there is still some scope for identifying further cost savings. It is recommended that agencies review their demand for hard copies, particularly at a time when electronic copies can be made available. It is also recommended that agencies review the length of their reports and their submission deadlines. A review of internal processes such as deadlines and approval processes is recommended in order to reduce costs. Unrealistic deadlines and approval processes often result in late changes to proofs and design work or late submission of copy. This can add significantly to the cost of printing jobs. The committee recommends that there is early consultation in developing a document prior to entering into a contract and that advice is received regarding cost prior to finalising design work. These measures, along with ensuring timely electronic access to documents and providing information sessions for the staff in government bodies who are responsible for procuring printing services, should ensure that value for money is achieved in the procurement of printing and publishing services.

In regard to compliance, the committee recommends full compliance with the guidelines in the revised standards contained in appendix D of the report. The report recommends that compliance continues to be the responsibility of government agencies, authorities and companies. Currently there are no sanctions if the standards are not adhered to; however, if compliance is not demonstrated, the reprinting cost of any document will be the responsibility of the author body, if the document is to be included in the Parliamentary Paper Series. The introduction of sanctions for noncompliance was considered once again in this inquiry but the introduction of additional sanctions was not supported by the evidence received by the committee.

It is not considered that exemptions should be a part of the standards as they may result in an administrative burden for the committee and they are not effective in ensuring compliance. The committee favours steps to improve agencies’ awareness of the standards, possibly through additional roundtable discussions. The usefulness of the roundtable discussion is one of the main findings of the committee’s inquiry. Such forums have the potential to become a key tool in improving government bodies’ understanding of, and compliance with, the standards. Improvement in the printing industry with future roundtable discussions will also improve the understanding of the printing process by print procurement officers, which will ensure better value for money is achieved by government bodies.

In conclusion, the committee is confident that compliance with the standards will increase, particularly given that the revised standards will allow agencies more flexibility in meeting their evolving needs.

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