All Directors, managers and employees are expected to act with the utmost integrity and objectivity, striving at all times to enhance the reputation and performance of the company. Every employee has a nominated supervisor to whom they may refer any issues arising from their employment. The Board reviews the Ethical Standards policy regularly and processes are in place to promote and communicate these policies.
Conflict of Interest
Directors must keep the Board advised, on an ongoing basis, of any interest that could potentially conflict with those of the company. The Board has developed procedures to assist Directors to disclose potential conflicts of interest.
Where the Board considers that a significant conflict exists for a Director on a Board matter, the Director concerned does not receive the relevant Board papers and is not present at the meeting whilst the item is considered.
Code of Conduct
The company has advised each Director, manager and employee that they must comply with the Ethical Standards policy. The policy covers the following:
-
aligning the behaviour of the Board and management with the code of conduct by maintaining appropriate core company values and objectives;
-
fulfilling responsibilities to shareholders by delivering shareholder value;
-
usefulness of financial information by maintaining appropriate accounting policies, practices and disclosures;
-
fulfilling responsibilities to clients, customers and consumers by maintaining high standards of product quality, service standards, and commitments to fair value;
-
employment practices such as occupational health and safety, employment opportunity, the community activities, sponsorships and donations;
-
responsibilities to the individual, such as privacy, use of privileged or confidential information, and conflict resolution;
-
compliance with legislation including policies on legal compliance in countries where the legal systems and protocols are significantly lower than Australia's;
-
managing actual or potential conflicts of interest;
-
corporate opportunities such as preventing Directors and key executives from taking improper advantage of property, information or position for personal gain;
-
confidentiality of corporate information;
-
reporting of unlawful or unethical behaviour including protection of those who report violations in good faith; and
-
the processes for monitoring and ensuring the compliance with the code of conduct.
Trading in General Company Securities by Directors and Employees
The key elements of the Trading in General Company Securities by Directors and employees policy set out in the Human Resources Manual are:
-
identification of those personnel restricted from trading – Directors and employees may acquire shares in the company, but are prohibited from dealing in company shares or exercising options:
-
except between three and thirty days after the release of the company’s half year and annual results to the Australian Securities Exchange, the annual general meeting or any major announcement;
-
whilst in possession of price sensitive information not yet released to the market;
-
-
to raise the awareness of legal prohibitions including transactions with colleagues and external advisers;
-
to raise awareness that the company prohibits entering into transactions that limit economic risks related to unvested share-based payments and that the company requires annual declarations of compliance with this particular policy;
-
to raise awareness that the company prohibits those restricted from trading in company shares as described above from entering into transactions such as margin loans that could trigger a trade during a prohibited period;
-
to require details to be provided of intended trading in the company's shares;
-
to require details to be provided of the subsequent confirmation of the trade; and
-
the identification of processes for unusual circumstances where discretion may be exercised in cases such as financial hardship.
Directors and employees must otherwise obtain approval of the Chairman or the Board and notify the Company Secretary before they sell or buy shares in the company and is subject to Board veto. In accordance with the provisions of the Corporations Act 2001 and the Listing Rules of the Australian Securities Exchange, directors must advise the ASX of any transactions conducted by them in shares in the company.