Media Release 1999: Presses Roll for Referendum Pamphlet

20 September 1999

Presses are now rolling on what is believed to be Australia's largest printing job for the historic November referendum.

Production of more than 12 million referendum 'Yes/No' case pamphlets will take more than 1500 tonnes of Australian made paper, nine high-speed web presses in Sydney, Melbourne and Dubbo and up to ten days of round-the-clock, non-stop production.

In short, it is a major logistic challenge to ensure that nearly every adult Australian can receive their own individually addressed copy of the pamphlet at least a fortnight before polling day.

Assistant Director Information at the AEC, Anthea Wilson, said that the Referendum Act requires the AEC to publish and post a pamphlet to every person registered on the Commonwealth electoral roll.

Each person will receive a 72-page pamphlet containing the arguments for and against the two questions and a complete copy of the Constitution showing the proposed changes.

"The text of the pamphlet has been written by the members of Parliament who voted for or against the proposed laws to change the Constitution," Ms Wilson said.

The AEC completed the formatting and proofing of the text and now the printers are producing the copies of the pamphlet within a very tight timeframe.

Ms Wilson said that the printing of the pamphlet is only the first stage of a complex production schedule which will involve personalising 12 million individually addressed mail sheets, plastic-wrapping each book, and then delivering the pamphlets to Australia Post for delivery.

"We have scheduled this task so that material for electors in remote areas will be sent out first, probably from around 27 September and all deliveries are expected to be posted by 22 October."

Ms Wilson said that this would give electors a fortnight in which to consider the various arguments before voting on Saturday 6 November.

Contact details

AEC: Anthea Wilson 0413 452 539

Brien Hallett 02 6271 4415