ONCE again the chill wind of redundancy has blown through the Shoalhaven, this time sending shudders of uncertainty through this newspaper and its sister publications between Wollongong and the Victorian border.
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Driven by the necessity to adapt to a transformed media landscape, changed forever by the digital revolution, it is as necessary as it is unsettling. Like many industries facing fundamental change in these challenging times, adaptation is the only option if the enterprise is to survive and continue to serve the community. That means jobs will go.
That does not lessen the sadness and anxiety felt by staff, many of whom have spent, if not their entire working life, a large part of it bringing you the news and advocating on your behalf. The range of emotions we are now feeling as our industry convulses has been felt by many of our readers over the years as their industries, livelihoods, networks of friends and sense of purpose have been rattled to the core.
As we write this, our thoughts go out to the paper mill workers on the eve of their closure, the auto industry workers from further afield whose jobs will disappear when local manufacturing winds up and the people before them who faced redundancy and the disruption that came with it.
For all their talk of structural change and economic transformation, economists and politicians should never lose sight of the human cost that accompanies this dry, dispassionate terminology. We have always maintained that position at the Register.
As we move forward, we are determined to see this newspaper and all the others in regional Australia that have been focal points for their communities prevail. We know in time we will adjust to the changed circumstances in which we find ourselves. More importantly, we will continue to keep you informed, to tell your stories, celebrate your triumphs and stand by you through your tragedies.