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Statement of Corporate Governance Practices
Click
here to download a copy of D'Aguilar Gold's Statement of Corporate
Governance Practices
INTRODUCTION
D'Aguilar Gold Limited ACN 052 354 837 ("Company")
has adopted comprehensive systems of control and accountability
as the basis for the administration of corporate governance.
These policies and procedures are summarised below. The Board
of the Company is committed to administering the policies
and procedures with openness and integrity, pursuing the true
spirit of corporate governance commensurate with the Company's
needs.
The Board and management are committed to corporate governance
and, to the extent they are applicable to the Company, have
adopted the Ten Essential Corporate Governance Principles
and each of the Best Practice Recommendations [1] as published
by ASX Corporate Governance Council ("ASX Principles
and Recommendations").
The following information is set out in this website (in the
order corresponding with the ASX Principles and Recommendations):
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Corporate
governance disclosures and explanations - these can
be found on the Company's website ( www.daguilar.com.au
) and Annual Financial Report; |
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Statement
of Board and Management Functions; |
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Remuneration
& Nomination Committee; |
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Policy
and procedure for selection and appointment of new directors;
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Summary
of code of conduct for directors and key executives;
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Summary
of policy on securities trading; |
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Audit
& Risk Management Committee Charter; |
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Policy
and procedure for selection of external auditor and
rotation of audit engagement partners; |
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Summary
of policy and procedure for compliance with continuous
disclosure requirements; |
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Summary
of arrangements regarding communication with and participation
of shareholders; |
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Summary
of Company's risk management policy and internal compliance
and control system; |
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Process
for performance evaluation of the Board, Board committees,
individual directors and key executives; and |
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Corporate
Code of Conduct. |
[1]
A copy of the Ten Essential Corporate Governance Principles
and the Best Practice Recommendations can be found on the
ASX's website at www.asx.com.au.
STATEMENT
OF BOARD AND MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
1.
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Role
of the Board
The
Board's key objectives are to:
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(a)
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increase
shareholder value whilst maintaining the rights and
interests of the Company's shareholders; and |
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(b)
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to
ensure the Company is properly governed. |
2.
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Responsibility
of the Board
The
Board is collectively responsible for promoting the
success of the Company by:
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(a)
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supervising
the Company's framework of control and accountability
systems to enable risk to be assessed and managed which
includes but is not limited to (a) to (i); |
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(b)
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ensuring
the Company is properly managed for example by:
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(i)
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appointing
and removing the managing director and exploration manager
of the Company; |
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(ii)
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ratifying
the appointment and, where appropriate, the removal
of the chief financial officer and the Company secretary;
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(iii)
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input
into and final approval of management's development
of corporate strategy, exploration direction and goals
and performance objectives; |
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(iv)
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reviewing
and ratifying systems of risk management and internal
compliance and control, codes of conduct, and legal
compliance; |
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(v)
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monitoring
senior management's performance and implementation of
strategy, and ensuring appropriate resources are available;
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(c)
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approving
and monitoring the progress of major capital expenditure,
capital management, acquisitions and disposals (including
farm-in, farm-out and joint venture agreements); |
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(d)
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approval
of the annual budget; |
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(e)
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monitoring
the financial performance of the Company; |
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(f)
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approving
and monitoring financial and other reporting; |
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(g)
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overall
corporate governance of the Company, including conducting
regular reviews of the balance of responsibilities within
the Company to ensure division of functions remain appropriate
to the needs of the Company; |
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(h)
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liaising
with the Company's external auditors and the Audit &
Risk Management Committee; |
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(i)
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adopting
a formal code of conduct to be followed by the all directors,
employees and contractors. The key aspects of this code
are:
to
act with honesty, integrity and fairness;
to
act in accordance with the law; and
the
use Company resources and property appropriately; and
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(j)
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monitoring,
and ensuring compliance with, all of the Company's legal
obligations, in particular those obligations relating
to the environment, native title, cultural heritage
and occupational health and safety. |
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The
Board must convene regular meetings with such frequency
as is sufficient to appropriately discharge its responsibilities.
The
Board (and each individual director) is entitled to
seek independent professional advice at the Company’s
expense, subject to the reasonableness of the costs
and Board consent) in the conduct of their duties for
the Company.
The
Board may from time to time, delegate some of its responsibilities
listed above to its senior management team (except for
paragraphs (a), (b), (f) and (g) and where any matter
exceeds the Materiality Threshold as defined below).
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3.
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Materiality
Threshold
The
Board has agreed on the following guidelines for assessing
the materiality of matters:
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(a)
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Materiality
- Quantitative
Balance
sheet items
Balance sheet items are material if they have a value
of more than 10% of pro-forma net asset.
Profit and loss items
Profit and loss items are material if they will have
an impact on the current year operating result of 10%
or more.
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(b)
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Materiality
- Qualitative
Items
are also material if:
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(i)
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they
impact on the reputation of the Company; |
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(ii)
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they
involve a breach of legislation; |
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(iii)
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they
are outside the ordinary course of business; |
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(iv)
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they
could affect the Company's rights to its assets; |
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(v)
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if
accumulated they would trigger the quantitative tests;
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(vi)
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they
involve a contingent liability that would have a probable
effect of 10% or more on balance sheet or profit and
loss items; or |
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(vii)
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they
will have an effect on operations which is likely to
result in an increase or decrease in net income or dividend
distribution of more that 10%.
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(c)
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Material
Contracts
Contracts
will be considered material if:
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(i)
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they
are outside the ordinary course of business; |
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(ii)
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they
contain exceptionally onerous provisions in the opinion
of the Board; |
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(iii)
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they
impact on income or distribution in excess of the quantitative
tests |
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(iv)
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there
is a likelihood that either party will default and the
default may trigger any of the quantitative tests; |
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(v)
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they
are essential to the activities of the Company and cannot
be replaced or cannot be replaced without an increase
in cost of such a quantum as trigger any of the quantitative
tests; |
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(vi)
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they
contain or trigger change of control provisions; |
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(vii)
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they
are between or for the benefit of related parties; or
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(viii)
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they
otherwise trigger the quantitative tests.
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Any
matter which falls within the above guidelines is a
matter which triggers the materiality threshold ("Materiality
Threshold").
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4.
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Composition
of the Board
The
Board is currently comprised of 6 directors of whom
5 (including the Chairman) hold their positions in a
non executive capacity.
The
composition of the Board is subject to review in the
following ways:
The
Company's constitution provides that at every Annual
General Meeting, one third of the Directors (excluding
the Managing Director) are to retire from office.
Each retiring Director under the Constitution is eligible
for re-election.
The
full Board considers its composition on a regular
basis to ensure that it has available an appropriate
mix of skills and experience to ensure the interest
of shareholders are served. The performance of the
Board as a whole and that of individual Directors
is subject to continuous assessment by the Chairman.
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5.
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The
Chairperson
The
chairperson is responsible for leadership of the Board,
for the efficient organisation and conduct of the Board's
function and for the briefing of all directors in relation
to issues arising at Board meetings. The chairperson
is also responsible for shareholder communication and
arranging Board performance evaluation.
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6.
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Independence
The
Chairperson, Dr Chris Rawlings, is considered to be
independent using the ASX's definition of independence.
The
majority of the Board are considered to be independent
using the ASX's definition of independence.
The independent directors, along with all directors,
are responsible for reviewing and challenging executive
performance. They are also responsible for
contributing to the development of strategy.
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7.
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The
Managing Director
The
managing director is responsible for running the affairs
of the Company under delegated authority from the Board
and to implement the policies and strategy set by the
Board. In carrying out his/her responsibilities
the managing director must report to the Board in a
timely manner and ensure all reports to the Board present
a true and fair view of the Company's financial condition
and operational results.
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8.
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Role
and Responsibility of Management
The
role of management is to support the managing director
and implement the running of the general operations
and financial business of the Company, in accordance
with the delegated authority of the Board.
Management is responsible for reporting all matters
which fall within the Materiality Threshold at first
instance to the managing director or if the matter concerns
the managing director then directly to the chairperson
or the lead independent director, as appropriate.
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REMUNERATION
& NOMINATION COMMITTEE
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1.
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Composition
The
non-executive Directors of the Board shall form the
Remuneration & Nomination Committee.
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2.
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Role
The
role of the Remuneration and Nomination Committee is
to:
Discharge
the Board's responsibilities in relation to remuneration
of the Company's executives; and
Determine
the state of director nominees for election to the
Board, to identify and recommend candidates to fill
casual vacancies.
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3.
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Operations
The
Committee shall consider remuneration and nomination
issues annually and otherwise as required in conjunction
with the regular meetings of the Board.
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4.
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Responsibilities
Remuneration
Matters: |
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(i)
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Review
the competitiveness of the Company'’s executive compensation
programs to ensure:
the
attraction and retention of corporate officers;
the
motivation of corporate officers to achieve the Company's
business objectives; and
the
alignment of the interests of key leadership with
the long-term interests of the Company's shareholders;
and
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(ii)
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Review
trends in management compensation, oversee the development
of new compensation plans and, when necessary, approve
the revision of existing plans; |
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(iii)
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Review
the performance of executive management; |
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(iv)
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Evaluate
Chairperson and managing director performance and set
Chairperson and managing director compensation levels
consistent with company philosophy; |
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(v)
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Review
and approve the compensation packages for all senior
executives; |
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(vi)
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Review
and make recommendations concerning long-term incentive
compensation plans, including the use of share options
and other equity-based plan; |
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(vii)
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Review
periodic reports from management on matters relating
to the Company's personnel appointments and practices;
and |
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(viii)
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No
member of the committee will act to fix his or her own
compensation except for uniform compensation to directors
for their services.
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Nomination
Matters: |
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(i)
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To
implement processes to assess the necessary and desirable
competencies of Board members including, experience,
expertise, skills and performance of the Board and its
committees; |
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(ii)
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To
provide new directors with an induction to the Company;
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(iii)
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To
provide all directors with access to ongoing education
relevant to their position in the Company; |
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(iv)
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Review
time required for non-executive directors to perform
their duties; |
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(v)
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Annually
evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Board
to facilitate the directors fulfilling their responsibilities
in a manner that serves the interests of shareholders;
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(vi)
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Before
recommending an incumbent, replacement or additional
director, review his or her qualifications, including
capability, availability to serve, conflicts of interest,
and other relevant factors; |
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(vii)
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Assist
in identifying, interviewing and recruiting candidates
for the Board; |
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(viii)
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Annually
review the composition of each committee and present
recommendations for committee memberships to the Board
as needed; |
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(ix)
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Periodically
review the compensation paid to non-employee directors
for annual retainers (including Board and committee
chairs) and meeting fees, if any, and make recommendations
to the Board for any adjustments. No member of
the Committee will act to fix his or her own compensation
except for uniform compensation to directors for their
services.
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POLICY
AND PROCEDURE FOR SELECTION AND APPOINTMENT OF NEW DIRECTORS
Candidates for the Board are considered and selected
by reference to a number of factors which include, but
are not limited to, their relevant experience and achievements,
compatibility with other Board members, credibility
within the Company's scope of activities, and intellectual
and physical ability to undertake Board duties and responsibilities.
Directors are initially appointed by the full Board,
subject to election by shareholders at the next general
meeting.
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CODE
OF CONDUCT FOR DIRECTORS AND KEY EXECUTIVES
A code of conduct has been adopted by all directors
and employees. It requires all business affairs
to be conducted legally, ethically and with integrity.
The code provides for reporting of breach of the code
by others.
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POLICY
ON SECURITIES TRADING
The Board has adopted a policy and procedure on dealing
in the Company's securities by directors, officers and
employees which only permit (without discretion) dealing
in the Company's securities if (a) those persons do
not possess inside information; and (b) during certain
pre-determined trading 'windows'. It also requires
the chairperson of the Company to be notified when Directors
engage in trading of securities in the Company.
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AUDIT
& RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE CHARTER
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1.
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Composition
of the Audit & Risk Management Committee
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The
Board has established an Audit & Risk Management
Committee. The Audit & Risk Management Committee
consists of: |
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(i)
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non-executive
directors; |
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(ii)
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A
majority of independent directors; |
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(iii)
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an
independent chairperson; and |
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(iv)
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three
members - w here
there is not three or more non-executive directors of
the Company, the Board may appoint executive director/s
to the committee. |
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Each
Member of the Audit & Risk Management Committee
is financially literate and at least one member of the
committee has accounting or related financial management
expertise.
Current
membership of the Audit & Risk Management Committee
is:
Vincent
Mascolo - independent non-executive director (Chairman)
Damien
Reynolds - independent non-executive director
Brian
Moller - non-executive director
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2.
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Role
of the Audit & Risk Management Committee
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Audit
Related |
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(i)
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To
monitor the integrity of the financial statements of
the Company, reviewing significant financial reporting
judgments. This will include, but not be limited to,
the following:
Assess
the appropriateness of accounting policies, practices
and disclosures and whether the quality of financial
reporting is adequate;
To
review the half-year and annual financial statements
before submission to the Board, focusing particularly
on:
(i)
any changes in accounting policies and practices
(ii)
major judgemental areas
(iii)
significant adjustments resulting from the audit
(iv)
the going concern assumption
(v)
compliance with accounting standards
(vi)
compliance with stock exchange and legal requirements
To
review the external auditor's management letter and
management's response;
Review
any related-party transactions; and
To
consider any other topics as defined by the Board.
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(ii)
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To
review the Company's internal financial control system;
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(iii)
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Maintain
open lines of communication between the Board, external
auditors and the Company's compliance officers; |
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(iv)
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To
consider the appointment of the external auditor and
to approve the remuneration and terms of engagement
of the external auditor; |
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(v)
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To
monitor and review the external auditor's independence,
objectivity and effectiveness, taking into consideration
relevant professional and regulatory requirements; and
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(vi)
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To
develop and implement policy on the engagement of the
external auditor to supply non-audit services, taking
into account relevant ethical guidance regarding the
provision of non-audit services by the external audit
firm.
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Risk
Related |
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(i)
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To
ensure the development of an appropriate risk management
policy framework that will provide guidance to management
in implementing appropriate risk management practices
throughout the Company's operations, practices and systems;
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(ii)
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To
define and periodically review risk management as it
applies to the Company and clearly identify all the
stakeholders; |
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(iii)
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To
ensure that the committee clearly communicate the Company's
risk management philosophy, policies and strategies
to directors, senior executives, employees, contractors
and appropriate stakeholders; |
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(iv)
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To
ensure that directors and senior executives establisha
risk aware culture wich reflects the Company's risk
policies and philosophies; |
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(v)
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To
review methods of identifying broad areas of risk and
set parameters or guidelines for business risk reviews;
and |
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(vi)
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To
consider capital raising, treasury and market trading
activities with particular emphasis on risk treatment
strategies, products and levels of authority.
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3.
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Operations
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(i)
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Meetings
shall be held as frequently as required but not less
than twice a year. The external auditors may request
a meeting if they consider that one is necessary .
A quorum shall be two members. |
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(ii)
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A
representative of the external auditors may attend meetings
by invitation. Other Board members shall also have the
right of attendance. |
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(iii)
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Minutes
of all meetings of the committee are to be kept. |
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(iv)
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Committee
meetings will be governed by the same rules, as set
out in the Company constitution as they apply to the
meetings of the Board. |
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(v)
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The
Company Secretary shall be the Secretary of the committee.
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(vi)
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The
committee will undertake an annual review to assess
the adequacy of its Charter. As part of this annual
review the committee will request a written statement
from the external auditor delineating all relationships
and services with the entity and others that might adversely
impact, or be perceived to impact, on the external auditor's
independence.
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