Media Insider understands Bowker’s acquisition blindsided Stuff but it said in a press release today that his move had nothing to do with its print plant strategy. It said it had been working on a plan for several years.
“Bringing our printing operations under one roof has been a part of our strategic plan since the [management buyout of Stuff for $1] in 2020,” said Boucher.
“We had considered various options over that period, however the Christchurch consolidation clearly stood out as best for the business, as it significantly reduces ongoing costs as well as improving operational efficiencies.”
Stuff owner and chief executive Sinead Boucher. Photo / Michael Craig
The company had also launched its specialist, paywalled websites for The Post and The Press newspapers.
“The Petone site was bought from Australia’s Nine Media by new owners in November,” said Boucher.
“This did not factor into the future of the plant for Stuff, as the Christchurch option was already well advanced. It is a significant boost for the business, allowing us to optimise our print operations alongside the growth of our digital news platforms.
”We have made the decision to announce today, while the lease still has a year to run, in order to give our expert printers and other staff as long a lead time as possible,” Boucher said.
“We will consult with our 30 staff at Petone over the coming weeks and months on the individual impact to their roles and will be looking for opportunities for redeployment within the business, including at our Christchurch site where we will be adding jobs to accommodate the additional work.”
The company said North Island papers, including The Post, The Wairarapa Times-Age, the Manawatu Standard and Taranaki Daily News and lower North Island editions of the Sunday Star-Times, would be printed in Christchurch.
“I want to personally thank all the incredible staff at Petone for the terrific job they have done over the years, including working through earthquakes, Covid lockdowns, roof leaks and tsunami threats to keep that operation running as smoothly as possible,” said Boucher.
“They are some of the most innovative and hard-working people in our business. I hope today’s announcement provides them with certainty for planning for the change.”
Boucher said there was a clear plan underway with what needed to be done to decommission the Petone plant. That alone is expected to be a costly move.
“We are well prepared for what needs to happen at the site and have no issues with next steps. This is a move that makes sound financial and operational sense for our business and for our customers.”
Earlier: Stuff faces print-plant eviction
As Media Insider reported in February, Stuff was facing a costly eviction from the Wellington building that has housed its printing presses for more than 35 years, with building owner and businessman Troy Bowker saying he had better uses for the property.
Caniwi Capital executive chairman Troy Bowker.
Bowker – who was once an outspoken shareholder of NZME, and has robust views on the state of the media – acquired the Petone building from Australia’s Nine Entertainment in 2025.
Bowker is not a big fan of Stuff, and in that respect, his move had been a masterstroke.
It meant Stuff had faced a costly dilemma: either move out in mid-2027 when the building lease expired – a huge cost, in that Bowker earlier said that Stuff was required to remove its printing press equipment and return the building to its original state – or agree to what was likely to be a substantially higher rent.
Before Stuff’s announcement today, Bowker, the executive chairman of Caniwi Capital, said he had made a decision himself.
“We will definitely be giving them a termination notice to vacate as at 30 April, 2027, which is my right under the lease,” Bowker told Media Insider yesterday.
“The property has a better use for development.
“This will require them to remove their massive two-storey-high printing press by that date.
“In practice, this means they will need to decommission it much earlier, as they are required to deliver back the building with a complete make good [they need to take walls off and part of the roof and rebuild].
“I wish them luck finding a new premise and relocating their significant printing assets.”
A source said the eviction could cost Stuff millions, especially if it seeks to rebuild or relocate the printing equipment elsewhere.
In response to a series of questions at the time about Bowker’s comments and Stuff’s own options, Stuff owner Sinead Boucher told Media Insider: “While I am highly amused to see Mr Bowker continue to conduct his commercial negotiations through NZME, I don’t anticipate any change to our publishing plans.”
Editor-at-Large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand’s most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME including Managing Editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday Editor and has a small shareholding in NZME.