Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts, visited Note Printing Australia (NPA)’s Design and Passports departments this month, meeting staff and walking through the passports design and manufacturing process with our management team.
Hosted by NPA’s CEO Malcolm McDowell, Assistant Minister Watts began the tour in the design studio, and toured the Passports Print Room and the Passports Book Binding Hall, finishing his tour in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Bulk Print facility. Along the way, the Assistant Minister was keen to engage with staff and learn about our passports production process and its intricacies.
"It is great to see everyone so engaged with their job in what appears to be a very positive workplace,” said Assistant Minister Watts. "Thank you for the hours you've put in to meet our recent surge in demand. It's a beautiful book – culturally rich and a great example of where design meets technology, and it’s supported by a very impressive production capability.”
In the Design department, our Design and Operational Capability Manager Robert Cook took the Assistant Minister through a showcase of passport design development and product materials. The team showed the Assistant Minister how the design elements of Yumari (1981) by Uta Uta Tjangala had been adapted and applied to several passport series, including the current R series book, in which it appears as a watermark on the visa pages. The Assistant Minister noted how impressed he was with the level of technical detail and the representation of Indigenous Australian culture throughout the book.
In the Passports department, NPA’s Passports Production Manager, Mark Kisielewski, stepped the Assistant Minister through the production process, which included the printing of the spectacular UV design that is integrated throughout the passport.
"When I'm in Canberra and I have a delegation visiting from overseas, I will often show them the UV design in the book,” said the Assistant Minister.
NPA was delighted to provide the Assistant Minister with first-hand insight into the R series passport development and production process, with our Account Manager – Passports, Vananda Arena, noting that the visit was valuable recognition and acknowledgement of NPA’s people and their achievement in designing and delivering the R series.
“These visits really strengthen our relationship with the Australian Government and build an appreciation of the expertise and effort that goes into manufacturing a high-quality, world-class passport in large volumes,” says Vananda. “At the same time, it’s great for our staff to have someone of the Assistant Minister’s standing to meet with them and show an interest in their work.”
Malcolm was also highly impressed with the efforts of everyone involved.
“My sincere thanks to you all for your contribution to a very successful visit by the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs today. He was a very engaging visitor, who appreciated your efforts and the contribution that each of you and your teams have made to the R series passport booklet to date,” says Malcolm. “My thanks to your teams. It’s another great example of us putting our best foot forward.”
Yumari (1981) and Possum and Wallaby Dreaming (1985) are licensed by Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd © estate of the artist | Aboriginal Artists Agency Ltd.
