News Limited has announced it will now print The Australian locally in Tasmania, reducing the price of the daily paper from $1.90 to $1.50, and making it available earlier in the morning.

The company has said that its investment in a $32 million printing plant in Hobart also gives the paper increased flexibility in terms of localising content for Tasmania, where The Australian has been distributed since its inception in 1964.

The local edition will be branded as ‘Tasmania’s National Newspaper’.

Editor of The Australian Paul Whittaker said, “The move to local printing of The Australian for Tasmanian readers is proof of our commitment to deliver breaking news fast and with a truly national voice in all Australian markets.”

“The Australian has almost conquered the tyranny of distance that publishing a national daily newspaper in Australia presents, with the paper now produced at seven separate prints sites across Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Townsville, and now Hobart,” explained Whittaker.

News Limited indicated that local printing will allow delivery to newsstands earlier in the day, and would reduce airfreight costs previously required to transport copies from the Melbourne print plant.

The company said that it expects to pass on the reduced costs to Tasmanian readers via a lower cover price of $1.50, which is same price as other mainland state capitals.