Southern Highlands

Name

Southern Highlands

Legal name

Australian Community Media

Website

https://southernhighlandnews.com.au

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Newspapers

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Regional newspaper
• Local news
• Digital subscriptions
• Classified advertising
• Community journalism

Headquarters

HQ city

Bowral

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Digital Subscriptions: Digital subscription model offering unlimited access to website content and digital versions of the print edition (Today's Paper). Subscribers also receive access to other regional ACM websites in their area.
2. Classifieds and Notices: Revenue from classifieds including tributes, funerals, celebrations, job listings (ViewJobs), and automotive listings (Country Cars).
3. Display Advertising: Traditional display advertising across web and digital platforms, including branded content and partner content sections.
4. Event Coverage and Promotions: Coverage of community events, local markets, and activities that drive community engagement and local advertising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Southern Highland News is a regional digital news platform publishing local news, sport, weather, and community coverage for Bowral and the broader Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Australia. The publication operates as part of the Australian Community Media (ACM) network, offering a website, a digital replica of the print edition (Today's Paper), email newsletters, classifieds, interactive puzzles, and bundled access to other ACM regional mastheads via paid digital subscriptions.

Product overview

Southern Highland News operates as a regional digital news platform with a core offering of local journalism covering news, sport, weather, and community content for Bowral and the Southern Highlands region of NSW. The company is part of the Australian Community Media (ACM) network. The primary product is the news website delivering original reporting, with additional modules including Today's Paper digital replica, multiple branded newsletters (Breaking News alerts, Daily Headlines, The Echidna, Explore Travel, Motoring, Puzzles, The Senior, Voice of Real Australia), Interactive Puzzles (Crossword, Sudoku, Trivia), Classifieds, ViewJobs employment listings, digital subscriptions with multi-site access, Sports coverage, Property listings, and Travel content. The offering is a platform of interconnected editorial and subscription services rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Southern Highland News Website The primary digital news platform serving the Southern Highlands region, delivering local news, sport, weather updates, community events coverage, and classifieds for residents of Bowral, Moss Vale, Mittagong, and surrounding areas.
• Today's Paper (Digital Print Edition) A digital replica of the print newspaper edition provided to digital subscribers, allowing access to the physical paper's content in an online format.
• Digital Subscriptions Paid recurring subscription service providing unlimited access to website content, the Today's Paper digital edition, and bundled access to other ACM regional websites in the local area including Illawarra Mercury.
• Newsletters Email newsletter service with multiple products including Breaking News alerts, Daily Headlines, Today's Paper Alert, The Echidna (national affairs), Explore Travel News, The Informer, Motoring, Your Favourite Puzzles, The Senior, Voice of Real Australia, and Note from the Editor.
• Classifieds Online classified advertising service covering celebrations, tributes and funerals, job listings, real estate, and general community notices.
• ViewJobs Employment classifieds and job listing service integrated across the ACM regional news network, providing access to job opportunities across Australia.
• Interactive Puzzles Online puzzle service featuring Crossword, Sudoku, and Ultimate Trivia available to website visitors.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illawarra MercurycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouthern Highland News is part of the Australian Community Media network. Digital subscribers receive access to Illawarra Mercury content as part of their subscription, providing cross-regional news coverage.
• Australian Associated Press (AAP)coreTechnology or IntegrationPress releases and national news content sourced from AAP for national and international coverage within the local publication.
• ViewJobsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJobs marketplace partnership bringing employment opportunities to the Southern Highlands region through the ACM ViewJobs platform.
• CarsGuideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAutomotive editorial and listings partnership through the Country Cars platform integrated into the ACM network.
• The SeniorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContent and journalist sharing across ACM's The Senior publication for senior-focused lifestyle and community content.
• ProagtiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBranded content partnership for farm succession planning events and agricultural business content in the Southern Highlands region.
• Samsung Electronics AustraliaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBranded content and advertising partnership for Samsung product launches including Galaxy smartwatches and foldable smartphones. Content created by Susannah Hardy, Content Solutions Journalist.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Courier (Ballarat): ACM regional masthead covering Ballarat and western Victoria. One of the closest direct comparables given identical ACM ownership, identical product mix (digital subscription, classifieds, newsletters, puzzles), and similar small-team regional publishing economics.
• The Land: ACM's flagship rural and agricultural publication, also included in the cross-publication subscription bundle. Comparable regional publisher with classifieds, newsletter suite, and digital subscription model.
• The Senior: ACM publication targeting Australian seniors with lifestyle and community content. Operates with shared technology, subscriber base overlap, and cross-publication access within the same network.
• Milton Ulladulla Times: ACM-affiliated regional newspaper serving the South Coast of NSW, bundled into the same digital subscription as Southern Highland News. Operates an identical regional news, classifieds, and newsletter product mix.
• Manning River Times: Another ACM-affiliated regional newspaper serving the Manning Valley in NSW. Operates with the same product suite and subscription bundle structure, making it a near-perfect comparable for unit economics and content operations.
• Illawarra Mercury: Sister regional masthead within the Australian Community Media network covering the Illawarra region of NSW. Directly comparable as a regional digital newspaper with the same subscription bundling, classifieds, and newsletter model under identical ACM ownership.
• South Coast Register: Another ACM regional masthead in the same subscription bundle, covering the Nowra and South Coast region of NSW. Closely comparable business model, technology stack, and audience type.

Broad incumbents

• Newcastle Herald: Major regional Australian newspaper serving the Hunter region, owned by a larger national media group. Comparable as a regional daily with digital subscription, classifieds, and newsletters, but operates at materially larger scale and with broader resources.
• Canberra Times: Established regional/national Australian newspaper with broader geographic reach than Southern Highland News. Comparable digital subscription and newsletter model but with significantly larger team, capital base, and audience.

Others

• Australian Community Media (ACM): The parent media company that owns Southern Highland News and a portfolio of regional mastheads. Relevant as the strategic operator and capital allocator whose decisions determine the masthead's trajectory; ACM's network-level partnerships and technology are enablers for this property.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Sthn_Hland_News
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-highlands

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Highlands