European Metals Holdings Limited
ACN 154 618 989
A public company limited by shares
1
Preliminary
Definitions
1.1 In
this constitution the following definitions apply:
ASX means ASX Limited ABN
98 008 624 691 or the Australian Securities Exchange, as operated
by ASX Limited (as the context requires).
ASX Settlement means ASX
Settlement Pty Ltd ACN 008 504 532.
ASX Settlement Operating
Rules means the operating rules of ASX Settlement, and to
the extent that they are applicable, the operating rules of the ASX
and the operating rules of ASX Clear Pty Limited ACN 001 314
503.
Business Day
has the meaning given to that term in the Listing
Rules.
CHESS means the clearing
house electronic sub-register system as defined in the ASX
Settlement Operating Rules.
CHESS Subregister means the
CHESS subregister part of the register for the Company's securities
that is administered by ASX Settlement and records uncertificated
holdings in accordance with the ASX Settlement Operating
Rules.
Company means
European Metals Holdings Limited ACN 154 618
989.
Corporations Act means the
Corporations Act 2001
(Cth).
ESS Interests has the
meaning under section 1100M(1) of the Corporations Act.
Executive Director means a
director appointed under clauses 13.1
or 13.2.
Issuer Sponsored
Subregister means that part of the Company's register for
the Company's shares that is administered by the Company (and not
ASX Settlement) and records uncertificated holdings of
shares.
Listing Rules means the
Listing Rules of the ASX and any other rules of the ASX which are
applicable while the Company is admitted to the official list of
the ASX, each as amended or replaced from time to time, except to
the extent of any express written waiver by the ASX.
Market Transfer means:
(a) a
transfer of shares pursuant to or connected with a transaction
entered into on the ASX and includes a Proper ASTC Transfer;
or
(b)
an issue of shares as a result of the exercise of any rights,
options or convertible notes where such rights, options or notes
are traded on the ASX.
PPSA means the Personal Property Securities Act 2009
(Cth).
Proper ASTC
Transfer has the meaning given to that term in
the Corporations Regulations
2001 (Cth).
Representative means a
person approved as its representative by a shareholder under
section 250D of the Corporations Act.
Seal
means any common seal, duplicate seal, share seal or
certificate seal of the Company.
Share
means a fully paid ordinary share in the capital of the
Company.
Interpretation
1.1 In this
constitution:
(a) a reference
to a partly paid share is a reference to a share on which there is
an amount unpaid;
(b) a reference
to an amount unpaid on a share includes a reference to any amount
of the issue price which is unpaid;
(c) a reference
to a call or an amount called on a share includes a reference to a
sum that, by the terms of issue of a share, becomes payable on
issue or at a fixed date;
(d) a reference
to a shareholder present at a general meeting is a reference to a
shareholder present in person physically or by electronic means, or
by proxy, attorney or Representative or, except in any clause that
specifies a quorum or except in any clause prescribed by the
directors, a shareholder who has duly lodged a valid direct vote in
relation to the general meeting under clause
8.22;
(e) a reference
to a person holding or occupying a particular office or position is
a reference to any person who occupies or performs the duties of
that office or position;
(f) a reference
to a director in relation to clauses applying to meetings of the
directors, includes alternate directors;
(g) a reference
to time is the time in the location of the Company's registered
office;
(h) where a
period of time is specified and dates from a given day or the day
of an act or event, it must be calculated exclusive of that
day;
(i) a
term of this constitution which has the effect of requiring
anything to be done on or by a date which is not a Business Day
must be interpreted as if it required it to be done on or by the
next Business Day;
(j) a
reference to 'dollars' or '$' means Australian dollars and all
amounts payable under this constitution are payable in Australian
dollars unless the directors determine otherwise;
(k) unless the
contrary intention appears:
(i) a
singular word includes the plural, and vice versa;
(ii) words
importing any gender include all other genders;
(iii) words used to
refer to persons generally or to refer to a natural person include
a company, trust, body corporate, body politic, partnership, joint
venture, association, board, group, governmental agency or other
body (whether or not the body is incorporated);
(iv) a reference to a
person includes that person's successors and legal personal
representatives;
(v) 'writing'
and 'written' includes printing, typing and other modes of
reproducing words in a visible form including, without limitation,
any representation of words in a physical document or in an
electronic communication or form or otherwise;
(vi) a reference to
any law, legislation or legislative provision is to be construed as
a reference to that legislation, any subordinate legislation or
regulations issued under it, and that legislation and subordinate
legislation as modified, amended, re-enacted or replaced for the
time being;
(vii) a reference to the
Listing Rules or the ASX Settlement Operating Rules includes any
variation, consolidation or replacement of those rules and is to be
taken to be subject to any applicable waiver or exemption;
and
(viii) where a word or phrase is
given a particular meaning, other parts of speech and grammatical
forms of that word or phrase are given corresponding
meanings;
(l) a
reference to a power is also a reference to authority or
discretion;
(m) a power, an authority
or a discretion given to a director, the directors, the Company in
general meeting or a shareholder may be exercised at any time and
from time to time;
(n) a power or
authority to do something includes a power or authority,
exercisable in the like circumstances to revoke or undo
it;
(o) a reference
to a clause, part, schedule, annexure, or attachment is a reference
to a clause, part, schedule, annexure, or attachment of or to this
constitution;
(p) a reference
in this constitution to any document, instrument or agreement is to
that document, instrument or agreement as amended, novated,
supplemented or replaced;
(q) where a
word or phrase is given a defined meaning, another part of speech
or other grammatical form in respect of that word or phrase has a
corresponding meaning;
(r) the word
'agreement' includes an undertaking or other binding arrangement or
understanding, whether or not in writing;
(s) a reference
to a document being 'signed' or to 'signature' includes that
document being executed under hand or under seal or by any other
method and, in the case of a communication in electronic form,
includes the document being authenticated in accordance with the
Corporations Act or any other method approved by the board of
directors;
(t) the
words 'including', 'include' or 'includes' or similar expressions
are to be construed without limitation; and
(u) headings
are used for convenience only and are not intended to affect the
interpretation of this constitution.
Jurisdiction and enforceability
1.2 Each shareholder
submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Western
Australia, Australia, the Federal Court of Australia and the courts
which may hear appeals from those courts.
1.3 Any provision of,
or the application of any provision of, this constitution which is
prohibited in any place is, in that place, ineffective only to the
extent of that prohibition.
1.4 Any provision of,
or the application of any provision of, this constitution which is
void, illegal or unenforceable in any place does not affect the
validity, legality or enforceability of that provision in any other
place or of the remaining provisions in that or any other
place.
Transitional provisions
1.5 This constitution
must be interpreted in such a way that:
(a) every
director, chief executive officer, managing director and secretary
in office in that capacity immediately before this constitution is
adopted continues in office subject to, and is taken to have been
appointed or elected under, this constitution;
(b) any
register maintained by the Company immediately before this
constitution is adopted is taken to be a register maintained under
this constitution;
(c) any Seal
adopted by the Company as a Seal immediately before this
constitution is adopted is taken to be a Seal which the Company has
under a relevant authority given by this constitution;
(d) for the
purposes of clause 16.10, a cheque issued
under the predecessor of clause 16.10 is
taken to have been issued under clause
16.10;
(e) unless a
contrary intention appears in this constitution, all persons,
things, agreements, and circumstances appointed, approved, or
created by or under the constitution of the Company in force before
this constitution is adopted continue to have the same status,
operation and effect after this constitution is adopted;
and
(f) the
adoption of this constitution does not alter the rights attaching
to any preference shares which exist at the date this constitution
is adopted.
Corporations Act and Listing Rules
1.6 The replaceable
rules in the Corporations Act do not apply to the Company, except
so far as they are repeated in this constitution.
1.7 A word or phrase
used in the Corporations Act has, unless this constitution
specifically states otherwise, the same meaning in this
constitution.
1.8 The provisions of
this constitution are subject to the Corporations Act and any act
that is permitted or prescribed in this constitution may only be
carried out in accordance with and subject to the applicable
requirements of the Corporations Act.
1.9 If the Company is
admitted to the official list of the ASX, the following regulations
apply:
(a)
notwithstanding anything contained in this constitution, if the
Listing Rules prohibit an act being done, the act shall not be
done;
(b) nothing
contained in this constitution prevents an act being done that the
Listing Rules require to be done;
(c) if the
Listing Rules require an act to be done or not to be done,
authority is given for that act to be done or not to be done (as
the case may be);
(d) if the
Listing Rules require this constitution to contain a provision and
it does not contain such a provision, this constitution is deemed
to contain that provision;
(e) if the
Listing Rules require this constitution not to contain a provision
and it contains such a provision, this constitution is deemed not
to contain that provision; and
(f) if any
provision of this constitution is or becomes inconsistent with the
Listing Rules, this constitution is deemed not to contain that
provision to the extent of the inconsistency.
2
Share Capital
Issue of securities
2.1 Subject to the
Corporations Act, the Listing Rules and this constitution, the
directors may allot and issue shares in the Company, or options or
rights to acquire shares in the Company, to any person on such
terms and with such rights as determined by the
directors.
Alteration of share capital
2.2 The Company may
alter its share capital in any manner permitted by the Corporations
Act including:
(a) converting
all or any of its shares into a larger or smaller number of shares;
and
(b) cancelling
shares that, at the date of the passing of the resolution, have not
been taken or agreed to be taken by any person or have been
forfeited.
2.3 Where fractions
of shares are or would otherwise be created by an alteration of
share capital under clause 2.2 the
directors may do anything required to give effect to that
alteration, including:
(a) making cash
payments;
(b) deciding
that fractions of shares are to be disregarded to adjust the rights
of all shareholders;
(c) appointing
a trustee to deal with any fractions of shares on behalf of
shareholders; or
(d) rounding
(or rounding up) each fractional entitlement to the nearest whole
share.
Conversion or reclassification of
shares
2.4 Subject to
clause 2.5, the Company may by resolution
convert or reclassify shares from one class to another.
Variation of class rights
2.5 The rights
attaching to any class of shares may, unless their terms of issue
state otherwise, be varied:
(a) with the
written consent of the holders of at least 75% of the shares issued
in that class; or
(b) by a
special resolution passed at a general meeting of the holders of
that class of shares. The provisions of this constitution relating
to general meetings apply, so far as they can and with such changes
as are necessary, to each separate meeting of the holders of the
issued shares of that class.
2.6 The rights
conferred on the holders of the shares of any class are taken as
not having been varied by the creation or issue of further shares
ranking equally with them unless otherwise expressly provided by
the conditions of issue of the shares of that class.
Registered holders treated as absolute
owners
2.7 The Company may
treat the registered holder of a share as the absolute owner of
that share and need not:
(a) recognise a
person as holding a share on trust, even if the Company has notice
of a trust; or
(b) recognise,
or be bound by, any equitable, contingent, future, or partial claim
to or interest in a share by any other person, except an absolute
right of ownership in the registered holder, even if the Company
has notice of that claim or interest.
Joint holders
2.8 If two or more
persons are registered as the holders of a share they are taken to
hold the share as joint tenants with rights of survivorship and on
the basis that:
(a) they or
their respective legal personal representatives are liable jointly
and severally for all payments due in respect of the
share;
(b) subject to
clause 2.8(a), on the death of any one of
them, the survivor or survivors are the only person or persons whom
the Company may recognise as having any interest in the share. The
directors may require any evidence of death of any registered
holder as they think fit; and
(c) any
registered holder may give an effective receipt for any dividend or
other distribution or payment in respect of the share.
2.9 No more than
three persons are entitled to be registered as the holders of a
share. The Company is not bound to issue more than one certificate
or holding statement in respect of shares jointly held.
Preference shares
2.10 The directors may issue
preference shares, including preference shares which are, or at the
option of the Company or holder are, liable to be redeemed or
convertible into ordinary shares on the basis decided by the
directors under the terms of issue.
2.11 Each preference share
confers on the holder a right to receive a preferential dividend,
in priority to the payment of any dividend on the ordinary shares,
at the rate and on the basis decided by the directors under the
terms of issue.
2.12 In addition to the
preferential dividend and rights on winding up, each preference
share may participate with the ordinary shares in the profits and
assets of the Company, including on a winding up, if and to the
extent the directors decide under the terms of issue.
2.13 The preferential dividend
may be cumulative only if and to the extent the directors decide
under the terms of issue and will otherwise be
non-cumulative.
2.14 Each preference share
confers on the holder the right in a winding up and on redemption
to payment in priority to the ordinary shares of:
(a) the amount
of any dividend accrued but unpaid on the share at the time of
winding up or redemption; and
(b) any other
amount decided by the directors under the terms of
issue.
2.15 To the extent the directors
may decide under the terms of issue, a preference share may confer
a right to a bonus issue or capitalisation of profits in favour of
holders of those shares only.
2.16 A preference share does not
confer on its holder any right to participate in the profits or
assets of the Company except as set out above.
2.17 Unless otherwise decided by
the directors under the terms of issue, the holders of preference
shares may only vote in the following circumstances:
(a) during a
period during which a dividend (or part of a dividend) in respect
of the share is in arrears;
(b) on a
proposal to reduce the Company's share capital;
(c) on a
resolution to approve the terms of a buy-back
agreement;
(d) on a
proposal that affects rights attached to the share;
(e) on a
proposal to wind up the Company;
(f) on a
proposal for the disposal of the whole of the Company's property,
business and undertaking;
(g) during the
winding up of the Company; and
(h) in any
other circumstances in which the Listing Rules require holders of
preference shares to be entitled to vote.
2.18 The holder of a preference
share who is entitled to vote in respect of that share, is, on a
poll, entitled to the greater of one vote per share or such other
number of votes specified in, or determined in accordance with, the
terms of issue for the share.
2.19 In the case of a redeemable
preference share, the Company must, redeem the share, pay the
amount payable on redemption of the share or otherwise deal with
the redemption, in accordance with the terms of issue.
2.20 A holder of a preference
share must not transfer or purport to transfer the share, and the
directors, to the extent permitted by the Listing Rules, must not
register a transfer of the share if the transfer would contravene
any restrictions on the right to transfer the share set out in the
terms of issue for the share.
Restricted securities
2.21 Notwithstanding anything
else in this constitution, the Company shall comply in all respects
with the requirements of the Listing Rules with respect to
restricted securities and the following provisions apply in
relation to securities which are classified as restricted
securities by the Listing Rules or the ASX:
(a)
shareholders must not dispose of, or agree or offer to dispose of,
restricted securities during the escrow period for those securities
except as permitted by the Listing Rules or ASX;
(b) the Company
will refuse to acknowledge a disposal (including registering a
transfer) of restricted securities during the escrow period for
those securities, except as permitted by the Listing Rules or
ASX;
(c) if the
restricted securities are in the same class as quoted securities,
the holder will be taken to have agreed in writing that the
restricted securities are to be kept on the Issuer Sponsored
Subregister and are to have a holding lock applied for the duration
of the escrow period applicable to those securities;
(d) a holder of
restricted securities will not be entitled to participate in any
return of capital on those securities during the escrow period
applicable to those securities except as permitted by the Listing
Rules or ASX; and
(e) if a holder
of restricted securities breaches a restriction deed or a provision
of this constitution restricting a disposal of those securities,
the holder will not be entitled to any dividend or distribution or
to exercise any voting rights, in respect of those restricted
securities for so long as the breach continues.
2.22 The Company may issue a
restriction notice (in the form of Appendix 9C of the Listing Rules
or in such other form as the ASX requires or permits) to a holder
of restricted securities.
Brokerage and commission
2.23 The Company may pay
brokerage or commissions to a person who agrees to subscribe for,
or arranges for others to subscribe for, shares in the Company. It
may be paid in cash, in shares of the Company, or both.
Issue cap for offers involving monetary
consideration under an employee incentive scheme
2.24 For the
purposes of section 1100V(2)(a) of the Corporations Act, the
Company may only make an offer of ESS Interests if, at the time the
offer is made, the Company reasonably believes:
(a)
the total number of Shares that are, or are covered by, the
ESS Interests of the Company that may be issued under the offer;
and
(b)
the total number of Shares that are, or are covered by, the
ESS Interests that have been issued, or could have been issued,
under offers made under the Company's employee share scheme at any
time during the 3 year period ending on the day the offer is
made,
does not exceed 10% of the number of Shares actually on issue
as at the start of the day the offer is made.
3
Calls, Forfeiture and Liens
Power to make calls
3.1 Subject to the
Corporations Act, the Listing Rules, this constitution and the
terms on which the shares are on issue, the directors may make a
call on any shareholder in respect of any amount unpaid on any
share held by that shareholder and may differentiate between
shareholders as to the amount of calls to be paid and the time for
payment.
3.2 The directors
may, to the extent permitted by the Corporations Act and the
Listing Rules, waive or compromise all or part of any payment due
under the terms of any issue of a share or under any
call.
3.3 The terms on
which shares are on issue may differ between shareholders as
to:
(a) the amount
to be paid on any call or instalment; and
(b) the date
(or dates) on which payment is to be made.
3.4 Subject to the
terms on which the shares are on issue, a call is made on the date
the directors resolve to make a call.
3.5 The directors may
require a call to be paid by instalments.
Deemed call
3.6 Any amount unpaid
on a share that, by the terms of issue of that share becomes
payable on issue or at a fixed date:
(a) is treated
for the purposes of this constitution as if that amount were
payable under a call duly made and notified; and
(b) must be
paid on the date on which it is payable under the terms of issue of
the share.
Liability of joint holders
3.7 The owners of a
share that is held jointly are jointly and severally liable to pay
all calls in respect of that share. This means that the Company may
recover the call amount from any one or more of the joint holders
but must not obtain more than the amount of the call from those
joint holders.
Notice of call
3.8 Subject to the
terms on which the shares are on issue, at least 10 Business Days'
notice (or such longer period required by the Listing Rules) must
be given to the shareholder of the date on which the amount of the
call or the instalment of the call must be paid.
3.9 Subject to the
terms on which the shares are on issue and the Listing Rules, the
notice must state:
(a) the amount
of the call or, as the case may be, the amount of each
instalment;
(b) the date
(or dates) for payment;
(c) the time
(or times) for payment;
(d) the place
(or places) for payment;
(e) that
interest may be payable if payment is not made on or before the
date (or dates) for payment; and
(f) that a lien
will arise if the amount of the call or the instalment is not paid
in accordance with the notice.
3.10 A call is not invalid by
reason of any unintentional error or omission in giving notice or
by non-receipt of notice.
Revocation, postponement, or extension of
calls
3.11 Subject to the terms on
which the shares are on issue and the Listing Rules, the directors
may, by notice, revoke, postpone or extend the time for payment of
the call.
Interest on unpaid calls
3.12 A shareholder must pay to
the Company any called amount by the time, in the manner and at the
place specified in the notice of the call.
3.13 If an amount called is not
paid on or before any date specified in the notice for payment, the
holder must pay interest on the amount unpaid, at the rate and in
the manner specified in clause 3.54, from
the date specified in the notice of the call for payment until and
including the date of actual payment.
3.14 The directors may waive the
right to require the payment of interest.
Suspension of privileges
3.15 Until a call (together with
any interest and expenses that are payable) has been paid, the
holder is not entitled to receive any dividend or other
distribution or to be present and vote at any meeting (other than
as proxy for another shareholder) either personally or by attorney,
proxy or by Representative. The shareholder may not be counted in a
quorum or exercise any other privilege as a
shareholder.
Recovery of called amounts
3.16 In any proceeding to recover
a call, or an amount payable due to the failure to pay a call or
late payment of a call, proof that:
(a) the name of
the person against whom proceedings are issued is entered in the
register as a holder of the shares the subject of the unpaid
call;
(b) the
resolution making the call is duly recorded in the minute book of
the Company; and
(c) notice of
the call was given to the holder of the shares the subject of the
unpaid call,
will be conclusive evidence of the obligation
of the shareholder to pay the call and it is not necessary to prove
the appointment of the directors who made the call or any other
matter.
3.17 Any proceeding brought by
the Company in accordance with clause 3.16
will be without prejudice to the right of the Company to
forfeit the share the subject of the unpaid call.
3.18 In clause
3.16, a proceeding to recover a call or an
amount includes a proceeding against a person whom the Company
alleges a set-off or counterclaim.
Payment of calls in advance
3.19 The directors may accept
from a shareholder in advance of any call, the whole or part of any
amount unpaid on any share.
3.20 The directors may authorise
payment by the Company of interest (in an amount determined by the
directors) upon the whole or any part of any sum so accepted under
clause 3.19 from the date of payment
until the date on which the sum paid is payable under a
call.
3.21 Any sum accepted by the
Company in advance of a call is:
(a) to be
treated as a loan to the Company, not as share capital of the
Company, until the date on which the sum is payable under a call or
instalment; and
(b) not to be
taken into account in determining an entitlement to vote or the
amount of any dividend in respect of any share.
3.22 The directors may repay any
sum accepted in advance of a call.
Notice regarding forfeiture
3.23 If any shareholder does not
pay the amount of any call or instalment in respect of any share
when it is due and in the manner and at the place specified for
payment, the directors may give notice to the
shareholder:
(a) requiring
payment of:
(i) the
unpaid call or instalment;
(ii) any costs
and expenses incurred by the Company as a result of the non-payment
of the call or instalment; and
(iii) interest that
has accrued at the rate and in the manner specified in
clause 3.54 on the amount of the
unpaid call or instalment;
(b) demanding
payment of those amounts within 10 Business Days after the date of
the notice;
(c) stating the
manner in which payment is to be made; and
(d) stating
that the share and any dividend in respect of it not yet paid are
liable to be forfeited if payment of the amount demanded is not
made in full within 10 Business Days after the date of the
notice.
Forfeiture
3.24 If payment of the amount
demanded is not made in full in accordance with a notice given
under clause 3.23, the directors may by
resolution forfeit any share the subject of the notice.
3.25 A forfeiture of any share
under clauses 3.24 to
3.35 includes all dividends, interest and other
amounts payable by the Company on the forfeited share and not
actually paid before the forfeiture.
3.26 If any share is forfeited,
notice of forfeiture will be given to the holder of that share and
the date and details of the forfeiture will be recorded in the
register. Failure to do so will not invalidate the
forfeiture.
3.27 If the forfeited shares are
entered on the CHESS Subregister, the Company may take steps to
move the share to a subregister administered by the Company. The
forfeiture is effective at the time the share is entered in that
subregister.
3.28 Any forfeited share is the
property of the Company and, subject to the Listing Rules, the
directors may sell, re-issue or otherwise dispose of any forfeited
share on terms and in such manner as determined by the
directors.
3.29 At any time before any
forfeited share is sold or otherwise disposed of, the directors may
cancel the forfeiture on terms determined by it.
3.30 On forfeiture of any share,
the holder of that share ceases to be a shareholder and ceases to
have any right as a shareholder in respect of that forfeited share
(including in respect of any dividend), but remains liable to pay
the Company:
(a) all amounts
payable by the former shareholder to the Company at the date of
forfeiture;
(b) any and all
costs or expenses incurred by the Company in respect of the
forfeiture; and
(c) interest at
a rate on those amounts at the rate and in the manner specified in
clause 3.54, calculated from the
date of forfeiture until payment of amounts and accrued interest in
full.
3.31 The liability of a former
shareholder continues until:
(a) the former
shareholder pays all those amounts and accrued interest in full;
or
(b) the Company
receives and applies, as the net proceeds from the sale or other
disposal of the forfeited share, an amount which is equal to or
greater than all those amounts and accrued interest.
3.32 The Company may receive the
net proceeds from the sale, reissue or other disposal of any
forfeited share and execute an instrument of transfer in respect of
the forfeited share. The Company must apply the net proceeds of any
sale, reissue, or other disposal of any forfeited share in or
towards satisfaction of:
(a) firstly,
costs and expenses paid or payable in connection with the
enforcement of the forfeiture and the sale, reissue, or other
disposal of that share; and
(b) secondly,
all amounts due but unpaid and accrued interest on all those
amounts.
3.33 The Company must pay the
balance (if any) of the net proceeds of sale, reissue or other
disposal to the person whose forfeited share has been sold,
reissued, or otherwise disposed of.
3.34 A statutory declaration
signed by a director or secretary of the Company stating that the
person making the declaration is a director or secretary of the
Company, and specifying that particular shares in the Company have
been forfeited, or sold, reissued or otherwise disposed of, on a
particular date, is conclusive evidence of the facts in the
statutory declaration as against all persons claiming to be
entitled to the shares and of the right of the Company to forfeit,
sell, reissue or otherwise dispose of the shares.
3.35 The purchaser of any
forfeited share is entitled to assume that the proceeds of the sale
or other disposal have been applied in accordance with this
constitution and is not responsible for the application of the
purchase money by the Company.
Cancellation of forfeited shares
3.36 Subject to the Corporations
Act and the Listing Rules, the Company may cancel any forfeited
share.
3.37 Liability for the amount
called but unpaid in respect of the cancelled share may not be
released or waived without the approval of the holders of ordinary
shares given in accordance with the Listing Rules.
Surrender of shares
3.38 The Company may accept a
surrender of a share by way of compromise of a claim.
3.39 The directors may accept the
surrender of any share which may be forfeited. If the directors
accept the surrender, that share will be treated as having been
forfeited and may be sold, re-issued, or otherwise disposed of in
the same manner as a forfeited share.
Lien on shares
3.40 The Company has a first and
paramount lien:
(a) on each
partly paid share in respect of any call (including any instalment)
due and payable but unpaid;
(b) on each
share in respect of any payment which the Company is required by
law to pay (and has paid) in respect of the share for which the
Company is indemnified under clause 3.51;
and
(c) on each
share acquired under an employee incentive scheme for any money
payable to the Company in relation to the share, including any loan
under an employee incentive scheme.
3.41 In each case, the lien
extends to all dividends from time to time payable in respect of
the shares, the proceeds of sale, reissue or other disposal of the
shares, and to reasonable interest (at the rate and in the manner
specified in clause 3.54) and reasonable
expenses incurred because the amount is not paid.
3.42 The Company may do all
things necessary or appropriate for it to do to protect any lien or
other right to which it may be entitled under any law or this
constitution.
3.43 By notice, the directors may
discharge or waive, in whole or in part, any lien or declare any
share to be wholly or partly exempt from a lien, but otherwise no
act or omission is to be taken as discharging, waiving, or
otherwise granting an exemption from any lien.
3.44 If any share is subject to a
lien and the Company registers the transfer of any share subject to
a lien without giving notice of the lien to the transferee of the
share, the lien is treated as waived as against the
transferee.
Enforcement of lien
3.45 The directors may sell or
otherwise dispose of any share the subject of a lien,
if:
(a) a sum in
respect of which the lien exists is due and payable but is
unpaid;
(b) the Company
has provided notice to the holder:
(i)
setting out the amount due but unpaid;
(ii) demanding
payment of that amount; and
(iii) stating that
the share is liable to be sold or otherwise disposed of if payment
of that amount is not made within 10 Business Days after the date
of the notice; and
(c) the amount
specified in the notice is not paid in full in accordance with the
notice.
3.46 The terms on which and
manner by which any share may be sold or otherwise disposed of are
to be determined by the directors.
3.47 Interest accrues at the rate
and in the manner specified in clause 3.54
on:
(a) the amount
due but unpaid; and
(b) costs and
expenses paid in connection with the enforcement of the lien and
the sale or other disposal of the shares.
3.48 The Company may receive the
net proceeds of the sale or other disposal of any share and execute
an instrument of transfer in respect of the share. The Company must
apply the net proceeds of the sale or disposal of any share in or
towards satisfaction of:
(a) firstly,
costs and expenses paid or payable in connection with the
enforcement of the lien and the sale or other disposal of that
share; and
(b) secondly,
all amounts due but unpaid and accrued interest on all those
amounts.
3.49 The Company must pay any
balance of the net proceeds of sale or other disposal to the person
whose share has been sold or otherwise disposed of.
3.50 The purchaser of any share
the subject of a lien is entitled to assume that the proceeds of
sale or other disposal have been applied in accordance with this
constitution and is not responsible for the application of the
purchase money by the Company.
Shareholder's indemnity for payment required by
law
3.51 If the law of any
jurisdiction imposes or purports to impose any immediate, future,
or possible liability on the Company, or empowers or purports to
empower any person to require the Company to make any payment, on
account of a shareholder or referable to a share held by that
shareholder (whether alone or jointly) or a dividend or other
amount payable in respect of a share held by that shareholder, the
Company:
(a) is fully
indemnified by that shareholder from that liability;
(b) may recover
as a debt due from the shareholder the amount of that liability
together with interest at the rate and in the manner specified in
clause 3.54, from the date of payment by
the Company to the date of repayment by the shareholder;
and
(c) subject to
clauses 4.10 to
4.11, may refuse to register a transfer of any
share by that shareholder until the debt has been paid to the
Company.
3.52 Nothing in this constitution
in any way prejudices or affects any right or remedy which the
Company has (including any right of set off) and, as between the
Company and the shareholder, any such right or remedy is
enforceable by the Company.
Continuing liability
3.53 If the net
proceeds from the sale or other disposal of a share under this
clause 3 are less than the sum
of:
(a) the amount
due but unpaid in respect of that share;
(b) the costs
and expenses paid or payable in connection with the enforcement of
the lien and the sale, reissue, or other disposal; and
(c) interest on
those amounts,
(together the Shortfall) the person whose share has
been sold, reissued or otherwise disposed of continues to be liable
and must pay to the Company an amount equal to the Shortfall
together with interest at the rate and in the manner specified in
clause 3.54.
Interest payable
3.54 For the purposes of this
clause 3:
(a) the rate of
interest payable to the Company is:
(i) if
the directors have fixed a rate, that rate; or
(ii) in any
other case, 10% per annum; and
(b) such
interest accrues daily and may be capitalised monthly or at such
other intervals as the directors think fit.
4
Transfer of Shares
Participation in computerised or electronic
systems
4.1 The directors may
do anything they consider necessary or desirable and that is
permitted under the Corporations Act and the Listing Rules to
facilitate the Company's participation in any computerised or
electronic system established or recognised by the Corporations Act
or the Listing Rules for the purposes of facilitating dealings in
shares.
Form of transfer
4.2 Subject to this
constitution and to any restrictions attached to the share, a
shareholder may transfer all or any of the shareholder's shares
by:
(a) a Proper
ASTC Transfer; or
(b) an
instrument of transfer in any usual or common form or in any other
form that the directors approve.
4.3 If an instrument
of transfer under clause 4.2(b) is used
to transfer a share and the transferor or transferee is a clearing
house or its nominee(s), the instrument of transfer may be executed
by hand or by machine imprinted signature or by such other manner
of execution as the directors may approve from time to
time.
4.4 A transfer
referred to in clause 4.2(b)
must:
(a) be executed
by or on behalf of both the transferor and the transferee (the
directors may resolve, either generally or in any particular case,
to accept for registration an instrument of transfer that has been
executed using a machine imprinted signature);
(b) if required
by law to be stamped, be duly stamped; and
(c) be
delivered to the registered address of the Company or the share
registry of the Company for registration (or such other place the
directors decide) together with the certificate (if any) for the
shares to be transferred and, subject to the Listing Rules, any
other evidence the directors (or the Company's securities registry)
may require to prove the title of the transferor to the shares and
the transferor's right to transfer the shares.
4.5 Except as
provided by any applicable ASX Settlement Operating Rules, the
transferor remains the holder of the shares until a Proper ASTC
Transfer has been effected or the name of the transferee is entered
in the register as the holder of those shares.
4.6 In the case of a
Market Transfer, the Company must comply with the obligations
imposed on it by the Listing Rules and the ASX Settlement Operating
Rules and any applicable legislation in connection with any
transfer of shares.
Registration procedure
4.7 Subject to
clause 4.4 and clauses
4.10 to 4.12, upon
receipt of a transfer of shares that complies with clauses
4.2 to 4.6, the
Company must register the nominated transferee as the holder of the
relevant shares.
4.8 The Company must
not charge a fee for registering a transfer of shares unless the
fee is permitted by the Listing Rules.
4.9 On registration
of a transfer of shares, the Company must cancel the old
certificate (if any) and any duplicate certificate.
Refusal to register
4.10 The directors may, in their
absolute discretion, refuse to register any transfer of shares or
request ASX Settlement to apply a holding lock to prevent a
transfer of all or any of them:
(a) where the
transfer is not in registrable form;
(b) where
registration of the transfer may breach a law of Australia,
including where a law relating to stamp duty prohibits the Company
from registering it;
(c) where the
Company has a lien on the securities the subject of the
transfer;
(d) the
transfer is paper-based and registration of the transfer will
result in the creation of less than a marketable
parcel;
(e) if the
transfer is not permitted under this constitution;
(f) if the
transfer is not permitted under the terms of an employee share
plan;
(g) if the
Company is served with a court order that restricts the holder's
capacity to transfer the shares; or
(h) in any
circumstances permitted or required by the Listing Rules or terms
of issue of the shares.
4.11 If the directors request the
application of a holding lock to prevent a transfer of shares or
refuse to register a transfer of a share, the directors must give
written notice to the holder of the share and the broker lodging
the transfer, if any, of the refusal to transfer in accordance with
the Listing Rules. Failure to give such notice will not invalidate
any act or decision of the directors not to register the
transfer.
Closure of register
4.12 Subject to the Corporations
Act, the Listing Rules and the ASX Settlement Operating Rules, the
register may be closed during any time, and for any periods, the
directors think fit.
Instruments of transfer retained
4.13 All instruments of transfer
that are registered will be retained by the Company for such period
as the directors may determine.
4.14 Any instrument of transfer
which the directors decline to register will, except in the case of
fraud, or alleged fraud, upon demand in writing be returned to the
party who delivered it.
No transfer to an infant
4.15 A transfer of any shares may
not knowingly be made to an infant or to a person of unsound mind
or under other legal disability.
Correction of share register
4.16 If a person is registered as
the holder of any share contrary to the provisions of this
constitution the directors may remove the person's name as the
holder of the shares and other information relating to the person
and reinstate the name of the previous holder of the shares and the
information relating to that previous holder.
5
Transmission of Shares
Transmission of shares on death
5.1 On the death of a
shareholder, the Company will recognise only:
(a) where the
shareholder was a sole holder, the personal representative of the
deceased holder; and
(b) where the
shareholder was a joint holder, the surviving joint holders, as
being entitled to the deceased's interest in shares of the deceased
holder.
5.2 A person who
becomes entitled to a share upon the death of a shareholder may,
having provided the directors with such evidence as they require to
prove that person's entitlement to the shares of the deceased
shareholder:
(a) by giving a
signed notice to the Company, elect to be registered as the holder
of any share owned by the deceased; or
(b) subject to
the provisions of this constitution as to transfers, transfer any
share owned by the deceased to another person.
5.3 A trustee,
executor or administrator of the estate of a deceased shareholder
may be registered as the holder of any share owned by the deceased
as trustee, executor or administrator of that estate.
5.4 The death of a
shareholder will not release the estate of that shareholder from
any liability in respect of any shares.
Transmission of shares on
bankruptcy
5.5 A person who
becomes entitled to a share on the bankruptcy of a holder may,
having provided the directors with such evidence as it requires to
prove that person's entitlement to the shares of the bankrupt
holder:
(a) by giving a
signed notice to the Company, elect to be registered as the holder
of any share owned by the bankrupt holder; or
(b) subject to
the provisions of this Constitution as to transfers, transfer any
share owned by the bankrupt holder to another person.
5.6 A trustee or
administrator of a person who is bankrupt may be registered as the
holder of any share owned by that person as trustee or
administrator of that person's affairs.
5.7 Clauses
5.5 and 5.6 are
subject to the Bankruptcy Act
1966 (Cth).
Transmission of shares on mental
incapacity
5.8 A person who
becomes entitled to a share because a holder is subject to
assessment or treatment under any mental health law may, having
provided the directors with such evidence as it requires to prove
that person's entitlement to the shares of that holder:
(a) by giving a
signed notice to the Company, elect to be registered as the holder
of any share owned by the holder; or
(b) subject to
the provisions of this constitution as to transfers, by giving a
proper instrument of transfer to the Company, transfer any shares
owned by the holder to another person.
5.9 A trustee or
administrator of a person who is mentally or physically incapable
of managing their affairs, may be registered as the holder of any
share owned by that person as trustee or administrator of that
person's affairs.
Transmission subject to ASX Settlement
Operating Rules
5.10 The provisions of
clauses 5.1 to 5.9
are subject to any provisions of the ASX Settlement Operating
Rules which deal with transmission on death or by operation of
law.
6
Sale of Non Marketable Parcels
6.1 The Company may
sell shares that constitute less than a marketable parcel by
following the procedures in this clause
6.
6.2 If the directors
determine that a shareholder holds less than a marketable parcel of
shares in a class of shares of the Company, on a date decided by
the directors, the Company may give the shareholder a notice
which:
(a) explains
the effect of the notice under this clause
6;
(b) advises the
shareholder that they may choose to be exempt from the provision of
this clause 6 by completing the form of
election for that purpose which must be sent with the
notice.
6.3 If, before 5:00pm
Sydney time on a date specified in the notice which is no earlier
than 6 weeks after the notice is sent:
(a) the Company
has not received a completed form of election from the shareholder
exempting them from this clause 6;
and
(b) the
shareholder has not increased their shareholding to a marketable
parcel,
the shareholder is taken to have irrevocably
appointed the Company as their agent to do anything in
clause 6.5.
6.4 In addition to
initiating a sale by sending a notice under clause
6.2, the directors may also initiate a sale if a
shareholder holds less than a marketable parcel and that holding
was created by a transfer of a parcel of shares effected on or
after 1 September 1999 that was less than a marketable parcel at
the time that the transfer document was initiated or, in the case
of a paper-based transfer document, was lodged with the Company. In
that case:
(a) the
shareholder is taken to have irrevocably appointed the Company as
their agent to do anything in clause 6.5;
and
(b) if the
holding was created after the adoption of this clause
6, the directors may remove or change the
shareholder's rights to vote or receive dividends in respect of
those shares. Any dividends withheld must be sent to the former
shareholder after the sale when the former shareholder delivers to
the Company such proof of title as the directors
accept.
6.5 The Company
may:
(a) sell the
shares constituting less than a marketable parcel as soon as
practicable;
(b) deal with
the proceeds of sale under clause 6.7;
and
(c) receive any
disclosure document, including a financial services guide, as agent
for the shareholder.
6.6 The costs and
expenses of the sale of shares arising from a notice under
clause 6.2 (including brokerage and stamp
duty) are payable by the purchaser or the Company.
6.7 Subject to
clause 6.6, where:
(a) shares
constituting less than a marketable parcel are sold by the Company
on behalf of the shareholder under clause
6.5; and
(b) the
certificate for the shares constituting less than a marketable
parcel (unless the Company is satisfied that the certificate has
been lost or destroyed or the shares are uncertificated securities
on the Issuer Sponsored Subregister) has been received by the
Company,
the Company must, within 60 days of the
completion of the sale, pay the proceeds of sale to the shareholder
entitled to those proceeds, less any unpaid calls and
interest.
6.8 Payment of any
money under this clause 6 is at the risk
of the shareholder to whom it is sent.
6.9 If it is a
requirement of the Listing Rules, the Company must not give a
notice under clause 6.2 more than
once in any 12 month period (except as contemplated by
clause 6.10).
6.10 If a takeover bid is
announced after a notice is given but before an agreement is
entered into for the sale of shares, this clause ceases to operate
for those shares. However, despite
clause 6.9, a new notice under
clause 6.2 may be given after the offer
period of the takeover bid closes.
6.11 The directors may, before a
sale is effected under this clause 6,
revoke a notice given or suspend or terminate the operation of this
clause 6 either generally or in specific
cases.
6.12 If a shareholder is
registered in respect or more than one parcel of shares, the
directors may treat the shareholder as a separate shareholder in
respect of each of those parcels so that this clause
6 will operate as if each parcel was held by
different persons.
7
General Meetings
Annual general meeting
7.1 Annual general
meetings must be held in accordance with the Corporations
Act.
Power to convene
7.2 A general meeting
may only be called by:
(a) a
directors' resolution; or
(b) as
otherwise provided in the Corporations Act.
Notice of general meeting
7.3 Notice of a
general meeting must be given to the shareholders, directors, and
auditor in accordance with the Corporations Act and Listing
Rules.
7.4 The content of a
notice of general meeting called by the directors is to be decided
by the directors, but it must state the general nature of the
business to be transacted at the meeting and any other matters
required by the Corporations Act and Listing Rules.
7.5 A notice of
general meeting must be accompanied by a form of proxy which
satisfies the requirements of the Corporations Act and the Listing
Rules and must be given in accordance with
clause 19.2.
7.6 Unless the
Corporations Act provides otherwise:
(a) no business
may be transacted at a general meeting unless the general nature of
the business is stated in the notice calling the meeting;
and
(b) except with
the approval of the directors or the chairperson of the general
meeting, no person may move any amendment to a proposed resolution
or to a document that relates to such a resolution.
Use of technology at general
meetings
7.7 Subject to law,
the directors may determine to hold a general meeting at 2 or more
locations or using one or more technologies or electronic
participation facilities that give all persons entitled to attend a
reasonable opportunity to participate without being physically
present at the same place (including that each person entitled to
vote is provided the opportunity to participate in the vote on a
show of hands or on a poll), in which case:
(a) all persons
so participating in the meeting are taken for the purposes (for
example, quorum requirement) to be present at the meeting while so
participating;
(b) all the
provisions in this constitution relating to meetings of members
apply, so far as they can and with such changes as are necessary,
to meetings of the members using that technology; and
(c) the meeting
is to be taken to be held at the place determined by the
chairperson of the general meeting as long as at least one of the
members involved was at that place for the duration of the general
meeting.
7.8 If a general
meeting is to be held in accordance with clause
7.7 and subject to law:
(a) the
directors may prescribe the regulations, rules, and procedures in
relation to the manner in which the meeting is to be conducted;
and
(b) the
directors may communicate such regulations, rules, and procedures
(or instructions on how they can be accessed) to members by
notification to the ASX.
7.9 If the technology
used in accordance with clause 7.7
encounters a technical difficulty, whether before or during
the meeting, which results in a shareholder not being able to
participate in the meeting, the chairperson may, subject to the
Corporations Act and this constitution, allow the meeting to
continue or may adjourn the meeting either for such reasonable
period as may be required to fix the technology or to such other
time and location as the chairperson deems appropriate. For the
avoidance of doubt, where the chairperson has allowed the meeting
to continue, any resolution passed at that meeting is
valid.
Power to cancel or postpone
7.10 Subject to the Corporations
Act, the Listing Rules and this constitution, if the directors have
convened a general meeting, the directors may by notice change the
place (or places) of or postpone or cancel that general
meeting.
7.11 If a director has convened a
general meeting, only the director who convened the general meeting
may by notice change the place (or places) of the general meeting
or postpone or cancel the general meeting.
7.12 If a general meeting is
convened pursuant to a request by shareholders or otherwise not
convened by the directors, the directors may not postpone or cancel
the general meeting without the consent of the persons who called
or requested the meeting.
Notice of change, postponement, or
cancellation
7.13 A notice of cancellation or
postponement or change of place of a general meeting must state the
reason for cancellation or postponement and be:
(a) published
in a daily newspaper circulating in Australia; or
(b) given to
the ASX; or
(c) subject to
the Corporations Act and the Listing Rules, given in any other
manner determined by the directors.
Business at postponed meeting
7.14 The only business that may
be transacted at a general meeting resumed after postponement, is
the business specified in the original notice convening the
meeting.
Proxy, attorney, or Representative at postponed
meeting
7.15 Where by the terms of an
instrument appointing a proxy, attorney or a
Representative:
(a) the
appointed person is authorised to attend and vote at a general
meeting or general meetings to be held on or before a specified
date; and
(b) the date
for holding the meeting is rescheduled, adjourned, or postponed to
a date later than the date specified in the instrument of proxy,
power of attorney or appointment of Representative,
then, by force of this clause
7.15, that later date is substituted for and
applies to the exclusion of the date specified in the instrument of
proxy, power of attorney or appointment of Representative unless
the shareholder appointing the proxy, attorney or Representative
gives to the Company at its registered office notice in writing to
the contrary not less than 48 hours before the time to which the
holding of the meeting has been rescheduled, adjourned or
postponed.
Omissions
7.16 The accidental omission to
give any notice to, or the non-receipt of any notice by, any person
entitled to receive the notice shall not invalidate any resolution
passed or any proceedings at that meeting or at a postponed meeting
or the cancellation or postponement of a meeting.
8
Proceedings at General Meetings
Quorum
8.1 Business may not
be transacted at any general meeting unless a quorum of
shareholders is present at the time when the meeting proceeds to
business. Two shareholders entitled to vote on a resolution at the
meeting constitute a quorum in all cases. In determining whether a
quorum is present, each individual attending as a proxy, attorney
or Representative is to be counted, except that where a shareholder
has appointed more than one proxy, attorney or Representative, only
one is to be counted.
8.2 If a quorum is
present at the time the first item of business is transacted, it is
taken to be present when the meeting proceeds to consider each
subsequent item of business unless the chairperson of the meeting
(on the chairperson's own motion or at the request of a shareholder
who is present) declares otherwise.
Effect of no quorum
8.3 If a quorum is
not present within 30 minutes from the notified starting time for
the meeting:
(a) where the
meeting was convened on the requisition of shareholders, the
meeting is cancelled; and
(b) in any
other case, the meeting is postponed to the same place on the same
day and at the same time the following week, or to any other time
and place chosen by the directors. If a quorum is not present
within 30 minutes after the starting time of the postponed meeting,
it is cancelled.
Chairperson of the board of
directors
8.4 The chairperson
elected as chairperson of the board of directors meetings, or in
that person's absence, the deputy chairperson of the board of
directors (if any), shall preside as chairperson at every general
meeting.
Vacancy in chairperson
8.5 Where a general
meeting is held and:
(a) no person
has been elected as a chairperson of the board of directors;
or
(b) neither the
chairperson nor the deputy chairperson of the board of directors is
present within 15 minutes after the time appointed for the holding
of the meeting or is unwilling to act,
the following may preside as chairperson of the
meeting (in order of precedence):
(c) a director
chosen by a majority of the directors present;
(d) the only
director present; or
(e) a
shareholder elected by one of their number present at the
meeting.
Conduct of general meetings
8.6 The chairperson
of a general meeting:
(a) has charge
of the general conduct of the meeting and of the procedures to be
adopted at the meeting;
(b) may require
the adoption of any procedure which is in the chairperson's opinion
necessary or desirable for proper and orderly debate or discussion
(including limiting the time that a person may speak on a motion or
other item of business) and the proper and orderly casting or
recording of votes at the general meeting; and
(c) may, having
regard where necessary to the Corporations Act, terminate
discussion or debate on any matter whenever the chairperson
considers it necessary or desirable for the proper and orderly
conduct of the meeting,
and a decision by the chairperson under this
clause 8.6 is final.
Adjournment
8.7 The chairperson
may at any time during the course of a meeting:
(a) adjourn the
meeting or any business, motion, question, or resolution being or
to be considered by the meeting to a later time at the same meeting
or to another date, time, and place (or places); and
(b) for the
purpose of allowing any poll to be taken or determined, suspend the
proceedings of the meeting for such period or periods as the
chairperson determines.
8.8 Subject to the
Corporations Act and this constitution, the chairperson's rights
under clause 8.7 are exclusive and,
unless the chairperson requires otherwise, no vote may be taken or
demanded by the shareholders about any postponement, adjournment,
or suspension of proceedings.
8.9 The only business
that can be transacted at an adjourned meeting is the unfinished
business from the original meeting.
Form of notice for adjourned meeting
8.10 Except as provided by
clause 8.11, it is not necessary to
give any notice of an adjournment or of the business to be
transacted at an adjourned meeting.
Notice where a meeting is adjourned for 30
days
8.11 When a meeting is adjourned
for 30 days or more, notice of the adjourned meeting must be given
in the same manner as the original meeting.
Right to discuss the management of the
Company
8.12 The chairperson of a general
meeting must allow a reasonable opportunity for shareholders at the
meeting to question, discuss or comment on the management of the
Company.
Voting on show of hands or Poll
8.13 Subject to clause
8.14, each matter submitted to a general meeting
is to be decided on a show of hands of all shareholders present and
entitled to vote in the first instance.
8.14 A matter will be decided on
a poll without first being submitted to the general meeting to be
decided on a show of hands where:
(a) the
resolution calls for a vote by poll as set out in the notice of
meeting provided to members in accordance with clause
7.3; or
(b) any other
circumstance where the chairperson of the general meeting
determines it appropriate.
8.15 A poll may be demanded by
shareholders in accordance with the Corporations Act (and not
otherwise) or by the chairperson.
8.16 A demand for a poll does not
prevent the continuance of the meeting for the transaction of any
business other than the resolution on which the poll has been
demanded.
8.17 Unless a poll is duly
demanded, a declaration by the chairperson that a resolution has on
a show of hands been carried or carried unanimously, or carried by
a particular majority, or lost, and an entry to that effect in the
book containing the minutes of the proceedings of the company is
conclusive evidence of the fact without proof of the number or
proportion of the votes recorded for or against the
resolution.
8.18 A poll at a general meeting
must be taken in a way and at the time the chairperson directs. The
results of the poll as declared by the chairperson is the
resolution of the general meeting at which the poll was
demanded.
8.19 A poll cannot be demanded at
a general meeting on the election of a chairperson.
8.20 The demand for a poll may be
withdrawn with the chairperson's consent.
Chairperson's vote
8.21 If the votes are equal,
whether on a show of hands or on a poll, the chairperson of the
meeting at which the show of hands takes place or at which the poll
is demanded is entitled to a second or casting vote.
Direct voting
8.22 The directors may determine
that at any meeting of shareholders or class meeting, a shareholder
who is entitled to attend and vote on a resolution at that meeting
is entitled to a direct vote in respect of that resolution. A
'direct vote' includes a vote delivered to the Company by post, fax
or other electronic means approved by the directors. The directors
may prescribe regulations, rules, and procedures in relation to
direct voting, including specifying the form, method, and timing of
giving a direct vote at a meeting in order for the vote to be
valid.
Votes of joint holders
8.23 If shares are held jointly,
only one of the joint holders may vote. If more than one of the
joint holders tenders a vote, the vote of the holder whose name in
respect of those shares appears first in the register of
shareholders is to be treated as the only vote in relation to those
shares.
Incapacity
8.24 If a shareholder is a person
whose person or estate is subject to assessment or treatment under
any mental health law, the shareholder's committee or trustee or
such other person as properly has the management of the
shareholder's estate may exercise any rights of the shareholder in
relation to a general meeting as if the committee, trustee or other
person were the shareholder.
Disentitlement to vote
8.25 A shareholder is not
entitled to vote at a general meeting in respect of a share held by
the shareholder unless all calls and other sums presently payable
by the shareholder in respect of the share have been
paid.
8.26 Where a breach of the
Listing Rules relating to restricted securities continues or while
a breach subsists of a restriction deed entered into by the Company
under the Listing Rules in relation to shares which are restricted
securities, the restricted securities do not confer on the holder
any dividend, distribution or voting rights. However, those
restricted securities shall not be treated or taken to be a
separate class of share for any purpose.
Objection to voter
8.27 An objection may be raised
to the validity of a vote tendered at a general meeting only at the
meeting or adjourned meeting at which the vote objected to is
cast.
8.28 Any objection is to be
referred to the chairperson of the meeting, whose decision is final
and a vote not disallowed by the chairperson is valid for all
purposes.
Voting rights
8.29 Subject to any rights or
restrictions for the time being attached to any class or classes of
shares:
(a) at meetings
of shareholders or classes of shareholders each shareholder
entitled to vote may vote in person or by not more than 2 proxies,
not more than 2 attorneys or by a Representative;
(b) on a show
of hands every shareholder present at a general meeting has one
vote in respect of the total number of shares carrying the right to
vote held by that shareholder (even if a proxy, attorney, or
Representative represents more than one shareholder);
(c) on a poll
every shareholder present at a general meeting has one vote for
each share carrying the right to vote held by that shareholder;
and
(d) where a
shareholder appoints 2 proxies or attorneys:
(i) the
appointment may specify the proportion or number of votes that the
proxy or attorney may exercise. If both appointments are silent,
each proxy or attorney appointed may only exercise half the
shareholder's votes;
(ii) on a show
of hands, neither proxy or attorney may vote if more than one proxy
or attorney attends; and
(iii) on a poll, each
proxy or attorney may only exercise votes in respect of those
shares or voting rights the proxy or attorney
represents.
Decisions
8.30 A decision of a general
meeting may not be impeached or invalidated on the ground that a
person voting at the meeting was not entitled to do so.
Admission to general meetings
8.31 The chairperson of a general
meeting may take any action he or she considers appropriate for the
safety of persons attending the meeting and the orderly conduct of
the meeting and may refuse admission to a person or require a
person to leave and not return to a meeting if the
person:
(a) refuses to
permit examination of any article in the person's possession;
or
(b) is in
possession of an electronic recording device, placard, or banner;
or
(c) is in
possession of an article which the chairperson considers to be
dangerous, offensive, or liable to cause disruption;
(d) who refused
to comply with a request to turn off a mobile telephone, personal
communication device or similar device;
(e) who behaves
or threatens to behave or who the chairperson has reasonable ground
to believe may behave in a dangerous, offensive or disruptive way;
or
(f) who is not
entitled to receive the notice of meeting.
Auditor's right to be heard
8.32 The auditor of the Company
from time to time is entitled to:
(a) attend any
general meeting of the Company;
(b) be heard at
any general meeting of the Company on any part of the business of
the meeting that concerns the auditor in their capacity as auditor,
even if:
(i) the
auditor retires at the general meeting; or
(ii)
shareholders pass a resolution to remove the auditor from office;
and
(c) authorise a
person in writing to attend and speak at any general meeting as the
auditor's representative.
9
Proxies, Attorneys and Representatives
Appointment of proxy or attorney
9.1 Subject to this
constitution, a shareholder who is entitled to attend and to vote
at a general meeting of the Company may appoint not more than 2
proxies to attend, speak and vote for that shareholder. The
instrument appointing a proxy may restrict the exercise of any
power.
9.2 A proxy or
attorney need not be a shareholder of the Company.
9.3 A proxy or
attorney is not entitled to vote if the shareholder who has
appointed the proxy or attorney is present in person at the
meeting.
9.4 Subject to this
constitution, a shareholder may appoint not more than 2 attorneys
to act at a meeting of members. If the appointor is an individual,
the power of attorney must be signed in the presence of at least
one witness.
9.5 Subject to the
Corporations Act and the Listing Rules, an appointment of a proxy
or an attorney must be in writing and be signed by the shareholder
appointing the proxy or attorney, and state:
(a) the
shareholder's name and address;
(b) the
Company's name;
(c) the proxy
or attorney's name or the name of the office held by the proxy or
attorney; and
(d) the general
meeting at which the proxy or attorney may be used, or if the
appointment is a standing one, a clear statement to that
effect.
9.6 Where an
instrument appointing a proxy is signed pursuant to a power of
attorney, a copy of the power of attorney (certified as a true copy
of the original) must be attached to the proxy sent to the
Company.
9.7 Instruments
appointing a proxy or attorney may specify the manner in which the
proxy or attorney is to vote in respect of a particular resolution
and in that event the proxy or attorney is not entitled to vote on
the resolution except as specified in the instrument. If an
instrument does not specify the manner in which the proxy or
attorney is to vote, the proxy or attorney is entitled to vote on
the proposed resolution as the proxy or attorney considers
appropriate.
9.8 An instrument
appointing a proxy or attorney is taken to confer authority to
demand or join in demanding a poll.
9.9 A proxy or
attorney appointment received at an electronic address specific in
the notice of general meeting for the receipt of proxy or attorney
appointments or otherwise received by the company in accordance
with the Corporations Act is taken to have been signed or executed
if the appointment:
(a) includes or
is accompanied by a personal identification code allocated by the
company to the shareholder making the appointment;
(b) has been
authorised by the shareholder in another manner approved by the
directors and specified in or with the notice of meeting;
or
(c) is
otherwise authenticated in accordance with the Corporations
Act.
Appointment of Representative
9.10 Subject to this
constitution, if a shareholder is a body corporate, it may appoint
a natural person as its Representative to exercise on its behalf
any or all of the powers it may exercise:
(a) at meetings
of the shareholders;
(b) at meetings
of creditors or debenture holders; or
(c) relating to
resolution to be passed without meetings.
9.11 The appointment of a
Representative may be a standing one.
9.12 An appointment of a
Representative must be in writing and signed by the body corporate
appointing the Representative and state:
(a) the
shareholder's name and address;
(b) the
Company's name;
(c) the
Representative's name or the name of the office held by the
Representative; and
(d) the general
meeting at which the Representative may act, or if the appointment
is a standing one, a clear statement to that effect.
9.13 The instrument appointing
the Representative may restrict the exercise of any
power.
9.14 A member may revoke the
appointment of a Representative appointed by it by notice to the
Company stating that the appointment of the Representative is
revoked or by appointing a new Representative.
Lodgement of proxy, attorney, or Representative
appointment
9.15 An instrument appointing a
proxy (and any power of attorney under which it is signed, or a
certified copy of that power), attorney or a Representative (and
any power of attorney under which it is signed or a certified copy
of that power) must be received by the Company at least 48 hours
before the time of the meeting or adjourned or postponed meeting.
If the document is not received on time, the proxy, attorney, or
Representative cannot vote at the meeting.
9.16 A document appointing a
proxy, attorney or Representative is taken to be received when it
is received at any of the following:
(a) the
Company's registered office;
(b) a fax
number at the Company's registered office; or
(c) a place,
fax number or electronic address specified for the purpose in the
notice of meeting.
9.17 For the purposes of this
clause 9, a proxy, attorney or
Representative appointment received at an electronic address
specified in the notice of meeting for the receipt of proxy,
attorney or Representative appointments or otherwise received by
the Company in accordance with the Corporations Act is taken to
have been signed or executed if the appointment:
(a) includes or
is accompanied by a personal identification code allocated by the
Company to the shareholder making the appointment;
(b) has been
authorised by the shareholder in another manner approved by the
directors and specified in or with the notice of meeting;
or
(c) is
otherwise authenticated in accordance with the Corporations
Act.
9.18 The Company is entitled to
clarify with a shareholder any instruction on an instrument
appointing a proxy, attorney or Representative which is received by
the Company by written or verbal communication. The Company, at its
discretion, is entitled to amend the contents of any instrument
appointing a proxy, attorney or Representative to reflect any
clarification in instruction and the shareholder at that time is
taken to have appointed the Company as its attorney for this
purpose.
Validity of votes of proxy or
attorney
9.19 A vote cast by a proxy,
attorney or Representative will be valid unless not less than 48
hours before the start of a general meeting (or, in the case of an
adjourned or postponed general meeting, any lesser time that the
directors or the chairperson of the meeting decide) at which a
proxy, attorney or Representative votes, the Company receives
notice of:
(a) the
shareholder who appointed the proxy, attorney or Representative
ceasing to be a shareholder;
(b) the
revocation of the instrument appointing the proxy, attorney or
Representative;
(c) the
appointment of a new proxy, attorney or Representative;
or
(d) the
revocation of any power of attorney under which the proxy, attorney
or Representative was appointed.
No liability
9.20 The Company is not
responsible for ensuring:
(a) any
direction provided in the instrument appointing the proxy or
attorney or the way in which a proxy or attorney is to vote on a
particular resolution are complied with; and
(b) that the
terms of appointment of a Representative are complied
with,
and accordingly, is not liable if those
directions or terms are not complied with.
10 Appointment,
Removal and Remuneration of Directors
Minimum and maximum number of
directors
10.1 The minimum number of
directors (not including alternate directors) is three and the
maximum number of directors is ten.
Change to numbers of directors
10.2 Subject to the Corporations
Act, the Company may by resolution increase or decrease the minimum
and maximum number of directors but the minimum must never be less
than three.
Period of office
10.3 Each of the directors will
hold office until the director vacates the office or is removed
under this constitution.
Election and retirement by rotation
10.4 A director (excluding the
managing director) must not hold office (without re-election) past
the third annual general meeting following the director's
appointment or three years, whichever is later.
10.5 In the event
that the Company is required to hold an election of directors under
the Corporations Act or Listing Rules and no director is required
to submit for election or re-election under clauses
10.4 or 10.13, then
the director who has been in office longest since their last
election or appointment (excluding the managing director) must
retire.
10.6 For the purposes of
clause 10.5, if there are two or more
directors who were last elected or appointed on the
same day, and an agreement cannot be reached between those
directors as to who will retire, the director who will retire will
be determined by lot.
10.7 A retiring director is
eligible for re-appointment.
10.8 If there is more than one
managing director, only one of them (as nominated by the other
directors) will not be subject to clause 10.4
or 10.5.
10.9 The Company may by
resolution at an annual general meeting fill an office vacated by a
director under clause 10.4 or
clause 10.13 by electing or re-electing
an eligible person to that office.
10.10 The retirement of a director from
office and the re-election of a director or the election of any new
director will not become effective until the end of the meeting at
which the retirement and re-election or election occur.
10.11 A director is not required to retire
and is not relieved from retiring because of a change in the number
or identity of the directors after the date of the notice calling
the relevant meeting but before the meeting closes.
10.12 A person is eligible for election to
the office of a director at a general meeting only if:
(a) the person
is in office as a director immediately before that meeting and the
directors have recommended the person's election to
shareholders;
(b) the person
has been nominated by the directors for election at that meeting;
or
(c) in any
other case, not less than the number of shareholders specified in
the Corporations Act as being required to give notice of a
resolution at a general meeting of the Company have:
(i) at
least 45 Business Days; or
(ii) in the
case of a general meeting which the directors have been duly
requested by shareholders under the Act to call, at least 30
Business Days;
(iii) but, in each
case, no more than 90 Business Days, before the meeting given the
Company;
(iv) a notice signed
by the relevant shareholders stating their intention to nominate
the person for election; and
(v) a notice
signed by the person nominated stating their consent to the
nomination.
Casual vacancy
10.13 The directors have power at any time to
appoint any person to be a director either to fill a casual vacancy
or as an addition to the existing directors. The directors must not
make an appointment so that the total number of directors at any
time exceeds the maximum number fixed in accordance with this
constitution. If a person is appointed as a director by the
directors, unless the person appointed is the managing director,
the Company must confirm the appointment at the next annual general
meeting. If the appointment is not confirmed, the person ceases to
be a director at the conclusion of the annual general
meeting.
10.14 If there is more than one managing
director, only one of them is entitled to not have their
appointment confirmed under clause
10.13.
Directors' remuneration
10.15 The directors are entitled to receive
directors' fees for their services as directors. The Directors as a
whole (other than Executive Directors) may be paid or provided
remuneration for their services the total amount or value of which
must not exceed the maximum amount approved by a resolution of the
holders of ordinary shares in accordance with the Listing Rules.
Unless otherwise directed by the resolution approving the
directors' fees, the sum is to be divided among the directors in
such proportions as the directors may resolve from time to time, or
failing agreement, equally. If a director holds office for less
than the whole of the relevant period in respect of which
directors' fees are paid, that director is only entitled to receive
directors' fees in proportion to the time during the period for
which the director has held office.
10.16 The remuneration of a director must not
include a commission on, or percentage of, operating
revenue.
10.17 The directors shall also be entitled to
be repaid all travelling, hotel and other expenses reasonably
incurred by them respectively in connection with the performance of
their duties as directors, including their expenses of travelling
to and from board meetings, committee meetings or general meetings
or otherwise incurred whilst engaged in the business of the Company
or in the discharge of their duties as directors.
10.18 The directors may grant special
remuneration to any director who performs any special or extra
services for or at the request of the Company. Any special
remuneration may be made payable to a director in addition to or in
substitution for the director's directors' fees.
10.19 A director need not be a shareholder in
the Company.
Removal of directors
10.20 The Company may remove a director by
resolution at a general meeting.
10.21 Subject to the Corporations Act, at
least 2 months' notice must be given to the Company of the
intention to move a resolution to remove a director at a general
meeting.
10.22 If notice of intention to move a
resolution to remove a director at a general meeting is received by
the Company, the director must be given a copy of the notice as
soon as practicable.
10.23 The director must be informed that the
director may:
(a) submit a
written statement to the Company for circulation to the
shareholders before the meeting at which the resolution is put to a
vote; and
(b) speak to
the motion to remove the director at the general meeting at which
the resolution is to be put to a vote.
10.24 In addition to the circumstances in
which the office of a director becomes vacant under the
Corporations Act and this constitution, a director ceases to hold
office immediately upon any of the following happening:
(a) the
director becomes bankrupt;
(b) the
director is subject to assessment or treatment under any mental
health law, or the director or their affairs are made subject to
any law relating to mental health or incompetence;
(c) the
director resigns by giving the Company written notice or if the
notice specifies a time at which the resignation is to be
effective, that time, whichever is later;
(d) the
director becomes disqualified by law from being a
director;
(e) the
director is absent from meetings of directors for a continuous
period of three months and a majority of the other directors have
not, within 14 days of having been given a notice by the secretary
giving details of the absence, resolved that leave of absence be
granted; or
(f) the
director is disqualified from holding office as a director of the
Company on the grounds of not being 'fit and proper' within the
meaning of any Australian legislation or any regulatory requirement
or standard made in accordance with such legislation application to
the Company.
11 Powers and
Duties of Directors
General power of management
11.1 The business of the Company
is managed by the directors who may pay all expenses incurred in
promoting and forming the Company and may exercise all such powers
of the Company as are not required to be exercised by the Company
in general meeting.
Borrowing powers
11.2 Without limiting
clause 11.1, the directors may
exercise all the powers of the Company to borrow or otherwise raise
money, to charge any property or business of the Company or all or
any of its uncalled capital and to issue debentures or give any
other security for a debt, liability or obligation of the Company
or of any other person.
Negotiable instruments
11.3 The directors may decide how
cheques, promissory notes, banker's drafts, bills of exchange or
other negotiable instruments must be signed, drawn, accepted,
endorsed or otherwise executed, as applicable, on behalf of the
Company.
Ancillary Powers
11.4 The directors
may:
(a) appoint or
employ any person to be an officer, agent or attorney of the
Company for the purposes, with the powers, discretions and duties
(including those vested in or exercisable by the directors (other
than powers required by law to be dealt with by the directors
acting as a board)), for any period and on the conditions they
decide;
(b) resolve to
delegate any of their powers to an officer, agent or attorney and
the officer, agent or attorney must
exercise the powers delegated in accordance with any directions of
the directors;
(c) authorise
an officer, agent or attorney to delegate all or any of the powers,
discretions and duties vested in the officer, agent or attorney;
and
(d) subject to
any contract between the Company and the relevant officer, agent or
attorney, remove or dismiss any officer, agent or attorney of the
Company at any time, with or without cause.
11.5 A power of attorney may
contain such provisions for the protection and convenience of the
attorney or persons dealing with the attorney as the directors
think fit.
12 Proceedings
of Directors
Quorum
12.1 The directors may meet
together for the dispatch of business and adjourn and otherwise
regulate their meetings as they think fit.
12.2 No business may be
transacted at a meeting of the directors unless a quorum of
directors is present at the time the business is dealt with. Unless
otherwise determined by the directors, two directors is a
quorum.
12.3 An alternate director shall
be counted for quorum purposes as a separate director unless the
alternate is another director. The alternate may only be counted
once if the person is an alternate for more than one
director.
Convening of meetings
12.4 A director may at any time,
and a secretary must at the request of a director, convene a
meeting of the directors. Notice of meetings must be given to each
director. Notice may be given by telephone, facsimile,
electronically or by any other method agreed by the
directors.
Decisions of the directors
12.5 Questions arising at any
meeting of directors shall be decided by a majority of votes cast
by directors present at the meeting and entitled to vote. A
determination of a majority of directors is for all purposes taken
to be a determination of the directors. If the votes are equal, the
chairperson of the meeting will have a second or casting
vote.
Written resolutions
12.6 If a document containing a
statement that the signatories to it are in favour of an identified
resolution is signed or consented to by at least 75% of the
directors (or the members of a committee) entitled to vote on the
resolution, a resolution in those terms shall be deemed to have
been passed at a meeting of the board (or of the committee) held at
the time at which the last director required to constitute at least
75% of the directors having signed or consented to the resolution
signs or consents to that resolution, provided that the persons
signing or consenting to the statement would constitute a quorum at
such a meeting. For the purposes of this
clause 12.6:
(a) two or more
separate documents containing statements in identical terms each of
which is signed or consented to by one or more directors shall
together be deemed to constitute one document;
(b) a reference
to the directors or committee members does not include a reference
to:
(i) a
director on leave of absence approved by the directors;
(ii) a director
who disqualifies himself or herself from considering the act,
matter or thing in question on the grounds that he or she is not
entitled at law to do so or has a conflict of interest;
(iii) a director who
the directors reasonably believe is not entitled to do the act,
matter or thing or to vote on the resolution in question;
and
(c) a telephone
call, facsimile, e-mail or communication by other electronic means
received by the Company and expressed to have been sent for and on
behalf of a director or alternate director signifying assent to the
resolution and either setting out its terms or otherwise clearly
identifying them shall be deemed to be consent by that director or
alternate director at the time of its receipt by the
Company.
Telephone and electronic meetings
12.7 While the directors may
regulate their meetings as they think fit, a meeting of directors
or committee of directors may be held by the contemporaneous
linking together by telephone or other electronic means of a
sufficient number to constitute a quorum, where:
(a) all persons
participating in the meeting can communicate with each other
instantaneously whether by telephone or other form of
communication;
(b) notice of
the meeting is given to all directors entitled to notice according
to the usual procedures determined by the directors for the giving
of notice and such notice does not specify that directors are
required to be present in person;
(c) if a
failure in communications prevents
clause 12.7(a) from being satisfied
as a result of which one or more directors cease to participate,
the chairperson may adjourn the meeting until the difficulty is
remedied or may, where a quorum of directors remains present,
continue with the meeting. If, as a result of the technical
difficulty, a quorum of directors is not present, then the meeting
is suspended until clause 12.7(a) is
satisfied again. If clause 12.7(a)
is not satisfied within 15 minutes from the time the meeting
was interrupted, the meeting is deemed to have
terminated;
(d) a director
participating in a meeting by technology is to be taken to be
present in person at the meeting and to have consented to the
holding of the meeting by the use of the relevant technology;
and
(e) any meeting
held where any director is not physically present is treated as
held at the place specified in the notice of meeting as long as at
least a director is present there for the duration of the meeting.
If no director is so present, the meeting is treated as held at the
place where the chairperson of the meeting is located,
and all the provisions in this constitution
relating to meetings of the directors apply, so far as they can and
with such changes as are necessary, to meetings of the directors by
technology.
Alternate directors
12.8 A director may, with the
approval of a majority of the other directors, appoint a person to
be the director's alternate director for such period as the
director decides.
12.9 An alternate director may,
but need not, be a member or a director of the company.
12.10 One person may act as alternate
director to more than one director.
12.11 In the absence of the appointor, an
alternate director may exercise any powers (except the power to
appoint an alternate director) that the appointor may
exercise.
12.12 An alternate director is entitled, if
the appointor does not attend a meeting of the Board, to attend and
vote in place of and on behalf of the appointor.
12.13 An alternate director is entitled to a
separate vote for each director the alternate director represents
in addition to any vote the alternate director may have as a
director in their own right.
12.14 An alternate director, when acting as a
director, is responsible to the company for their own acts and
defaults and is not to be taken to be the agent of the director by
whom he or she was appointed.
12.15 The office of an alternate director is
vacated if and when the appointor vacates office as a
director.
12.16 The appointment of an alternate
director may be terminated or suspended at any time by the
appointor or by a majority of the other directors.
12.17 An appointment, or the termination or
suspension of an appointment of an alternate director, must be in
writing and signed and takes effect only when the company has
received notice in writing of the appointment, termination or
suspension.
12.18 An alternate director is not to be
taken into account in determining the minimum or maximum number of
directors allowed or the rotation of directors under this
constitution.
12.19 An alternate director is not entitled
to receive any remuneration as a director from the company
otherwise than out of the remuneration of the director appointing
the alternate director but is entitled to travelling, hotel and
other expenses reasonably incurred for the purpose of attending any
meeting of the Board at which the appointor is not
present.
12.20 An alternate director ceases to hold
office immediately upon any of the following happening:
(a) the
director who appointed the alternate director ceases to be a
director;
(b) the
director who appointed the alternate director ends the appointment
by giving the alternate director and the directors a written notice
signed by the director;
(c) the period
of the appointment ends; or
(d) anything
happens that would result in the alternate director ceasing to be a
director if he or she were a director.
Authority to act where vacancy
12.21 If there is a vacancy in the office of
a director, the remaining directors may act. If the number of
remaining directors is less than the number required to constitute
a quorum at a meeting of directors, the directors may, except in
the case of an emergency, act only for the purpose of increasing
the number of directors to a number sufficient to constitute a
quorum or to convene a general meeting of the Company.
Chairperson
12.22 The directors must elect one of their
number as chairperson of the board of directors and determine the
period of office of the chairperson.
12.23 Where a meeting of the directors is
held and:
(a) a
chairperson of the board of directors has not been elected as
provided; or
(b) the
chairperson of the board of directors is not present within 10
minutes after the time appointed for the holding of the meeting or
is unwilling to act;
the directors present may elect one of their
number to be chairperson of the meeting.
Committee of directors
12.24 The directors may delegate any of their
powers, other than powers required by law to be dealt with by the
directors acting as a board, to a committee or committees of
directors consisting of at least one director, or any person or
persons.
12.25 A committee or person must exercise the
powers delegated to it according to any directions of the directors
and any power so exercised is deemed to have been exercised by the
directors.
12.26 The members of such a committee may
elect one of their number as chairperson of their
meetings.
12.27 Where a meeting of a committee is held
and:
(a) a
chairperson has not been elected as provided by
clause 12.26; or
(b) the elected
chairperson is not present within 10 minutes after the time
appointed for the holding of the meeting or is unwilling to
act;
the members present must elect one of their
number to be chairperson of the meeting.
12.28 Membership of a committee may, if the
directors so resolve, be treated as an extra service or special
exertion performed by the directors for the purposes of
clause 10.18.
12.29 A committee of the directors may meet
and adjourn as it thinks fit.
12.30 A question arising at a meeting of a
committee must be determined by a majority of votes of the members
present and voting.
No casting vote
12.31 If the votes are equal, the chairperson
of a committee shall not have a second or casting vote.
Defects in appointments
12.32 All acts done by any meeting of the
directors or of a committee of directors or by any person acting as
a director are deemed to be valid as if all persons had been duly
appointed and were qualified to be a director or a member of the
committee.
12.33 Clause 12.32
operates even if it is afterwards discovered there was some
defect in the appointment of a person to be a director or a member
of the committee, or to act as a director, or that person so
appointed was disqualified or not being entitled to
vote.
Director's personal interests
12.34 A director may be employed by, or
contract with, the Company and may be employed by any other company
in which the Company owns shares or has an interest. A director may
be an officer of that other company. However, a director cannot be
employed as the Company's or that other company's auditor. A
director is not required to account to the Company for any profit
or benefit arising from their employment by, or contracting with,
the Company or any other such company merely because of the
director holding office as a director of the Company or because of
the fiduciary obligations arising out of that office.
12.35 The directors may exercise the voting
rights conferred by shares in any body corporate held or owned by
the Company in such manner as the directors think fit (including
voting in favour of any resolution appointing a director as a
director or other officer of that body corporate or voting for the
payment of remuneration to the directors or other officers of that
body corporate) and a director may, if permitted by law, vote in
favour of the exercise of those voting rights even though he or she
is or may be about to be appointed, a director or other officer of
that other body corporate and, as such, interested in the exercise
of those voting rights.
12.36 No contract made by a director with the
Company, and no contract or arrangement entered into by or on
behalf of the Company in which any director may be in any way
interested, is avoided or rendered voidable merely because of the
director holding office as a director of the Company or because of
the fiduciary obligations arising out of that office.
12.37 A director who has a material personal
interest in a matter that relates to the affairs of the Company
must give the other directors notice of the interest if required to
do so under the Corporations Act.
12.38 If there are not enough directors to
form a quorum as a result of a director having an interest which
disqualifies them from voting then one or more of the directors
(including those who have the disqualifying interest in the matter)
may call a general meeting of the Company and the general meeting
may pass a resolution to deal with the matter.
12.39 A director's failure to make disclosure
under clause 12.37 does not render void
or voidable a contract or arrangement in which the director has a
direct or indirect interest.
12.40 A director is deemed to be not
interested in any contract or arrangement where the only personal
interest of the director arises because the director is also a
director of a corporation which is taken to be a related body
corporate of the Company.
12.41 A director is not taken to be
interested in any contract or proposed contract relating to any
loan to the Company by reason only that the director has guaranteed
or proposed to guarantee jointly or severally the repayment of the
loan.
12.42 If, because a director is a member of a
partnership, or a director or shareholder of another company, or is
in a position to control another entity, he or she will be
personally interested in any of the Company's contracts or
arrangements with that partnership, company or entity, he or she
may give the other directors a written notice declaring their
relationship to that partnership, company or entity and their
consequent interest in all contracts or arrangements with it. The
notice is a sufficient declaration of interest in relation to any
future contracts or arrangements with that partnership, company or
entity.
12.43 If all other directors are aware that a
director is a member of a partnership, or a director or shareholder
of another company, or is in a position to control another entity,
that fact has the same effect as if the director had given the
other directors written notice under
clause 12.42 at the time all of them
as a group first became aware of it.
12.44 For the purposes of
clause 12.43, entity includes a
trust or other entity whether it is a legal person or not. The
following are examples of a director being in a position to control
an entity:
1.1.1 the director is the
appointor of a trust and has power to remove the
trustee;
1.1.2 the director is the
sole trustee of a trust; or
1.1.3 the trustee or
trustees of a trust are accustomed to act in accordance with the
wishes of the director.
Secretary
12.45 The directors must appoint at least one
secretary and may appoint additional secretaries. A secretary of
the Company holds office on the conditions as to authorities,
duties, powers and remuneration, as the directors
determine.
Minutes of meetings
12.46 The directors must cause minutes to be
made of:
(a) all
appointments of officers made by the directors;
(b) the names
of the directors present at each meeting of the directors and of
committees formed by the board; and
(c) all
resolutions and proceedings at all meetings of the Company, the
directors and any committees.
12.47 The directors must cause all minutes,
except resolutions in writing, to be signed by the chairperson of
the meeting at which the proceedings took place or by the
chairperson of the next succeeding meeting.
12.48 Any minutes shall be conclusive
evidence of proceedings if they purport to be signed by the
chairperson of the meeting at which the proceedings were held or by
the chairperson of the next succeeding meeting. Minutes shall be
kept by the Company secretary at the registered office of the
Company.
12.49 The directors must comply with the
provisions of the Corporations Act in regard to keeping a register
of shareholders and to the production and furnishing of copies of
or extracts from such register.
13 Executive
Directors
Appointment
13.1 The directors may appoint
one or more directors to be managing director on the terms and for
the length of time that they consider appropriate. The directors
may give the managing director any of the powers they can exercise.
They may also impose any limitations on the exercise of those
powers, and may withdraw or alter the powers they have
conferred.
13.2 The directors may also
appoint one or more directors to any other full-time or
substantially full-time executive position in the Company on such
terms as they think fit.
Cessation of appointment
13.3 An Executive Director's
appointment as a director ends immediately if any of the following
happen:
(a) the period
of the appointment ends in accordance with the Executive Director's
contract of employment; or
(b) the
Executive Director ceases to be employed by the Company or a
related body corporate of the Company unless the Executive
Director's contract of employment says otherwise or the directors
determine otherwise.
Remuneration
13.4 An Executive Director,
subject to any agreement entered into in a particular case, may
receive such remuneration as the directors determine.
Powers of managing director
13.5 Any powers of the directors
conferred on the managing director may be concurrent with or to the
exclusion of the powers of the directors.
14
Records
Records
14.1 The directors must determine
whether and on what conditions the accounting records and other
documents of the Company or any of them are open to the inspection
of shareholders other than directors. A person other than a
director does not have the right to inspect any document of the
Company except as provided by the Corporations Act or authorised by
the directors or by the Company in general meeting.
Keeping records
14.2 The directors must ensure
that proper accounting and other records are kept, and all accounts
and other documents are distributed in accordance with the
requirements of the Corporations Act and the Listing
Rules.
15
Auditor
15.1 The Company must appoint and
may only remove an auditor in accordance with the Corporations
Act.
16 Dividends
and Reserves
Determination to pay a dividend
16.1 The directors may pay any
dividends that, in their judgment, the financial position of the
Company justifies.
16.2 The directors may rescind a
decision to pay a dividend, or delay payment of a dividend, if they
decide before the payment date, that the Company's financial
position no longer justifies the payment or that it is otherwise in
the best interests of the company that the dividend decision be
rescinded.
16.3 The directors may pay any
dividend required to be paid under the terms of issue of a
share.
16.4 Payment of a dividend does
not require confirmation at a general meeting.
16.5 Subject to any rights or
restrictions attached to any shares or class of shares:
(a) all
dividends must be paid equally on all shares, except that a partly
paid share confers an entitlement only to the proportion of the
dividend which the amount paid (not credited) on the share is of
the total amounts paid and payable (excluding amounts
credited);
(b) an amount
paid or credited as paid on a share in advance of a call is not
taken to be paid or credited as paid on the share under
clause 16.5(a) until it becomes payable;
and
(c) interest is
not payable by the Company on any dividend.
16.6 To the extent permitted by
law, the directors may resolve to pay a dividend out of any
available source.
16.7 Subject to the ASX
Settlement Operating Rules, the directors may fix a record date for
a dividend.
16.8 Subject to clause
4.12, a transfer of any share that has not been
registered or left with the Company for registration on or before
the date determined under clause 16.7 is
not effective (as against the Company) to pass any right or
entitlement in respect of a dividend payable to holders of shares
as at that date.
Deduction from dividends of money
owing
16.9 The directors may deduct
from any dividend payable to a shareholder any sums of money (if
any) presently payable by the shareholder to the Company and apply
the amount so deducted in or towards satisfaction of the amount
owing.
Payment of dividends and other
amounts
16.10 A dividend (or other amount) payable to
a shareholder may be paid:
(a) by direct
payment to the shareholder's bank account;
(b) by a cheque
or warrant posted to any of the following:
(i) the
shareholder's registered address;
(ii) the
registered address of the joint holder of shares who is named first
on the register of shareholders; or
(iii) an address and
person nominated by the holder or joint holders of the shares;
or
(c) by another
means determined by the directors.
16.11 A cheque payable under
clause 16.10 may be made payable to
bearer or to the order of the shareholder to whom it is sent or
another person that the shareholder directs and is sent at the
shareholder's risk.
16.12 If:
(a) a
shareholder does not have a registered address or the Company
believes that a shareholder is not known at the shareholder's
registered address; or
(b) the
directors determine that dividends will be paid by direct payment
to the shareholder's bank account in accordance with clause
16.10(a) and:
(i) no
account (of a type approved by the directors) is nominated by a
shareholder; or
(ii) the direct
payment into the shareholder's nominated account is rejected or
refunded, the Company may credit the amount payable to an account
of the Company (Company
Account) to be held until the shareholder claims the amount
payable or nominates a valid account into which payment may be
made.
16.13 The Company does not hold any money in
the Company Account as a trustee and no interest will be paid to
the shareholder on monies held in the Company Account unless the
directors determine otherwise.
16.14 An amount credited to the Company
Account is treated as paid to the shareholder at the time it is
credited to the Company Account.
16.15 If:
(a) a cheque
for an amount payable under clause 16.10(b)
is not presented for payment; or
(b) an amount
is held in the Company Account,
for more than 11 calendar months, the
directors may stop the payment. The money may be used for the
benefit of the Company until claimed or disposed of in accordance
with the laws relating to unclaimed monies.
16.16 If the directors exercise their power
to reinvest under clause 16.15 and there
are residual amounts remaining, the residual amounts may be
retained in the Company Account or donated to a charity on behalf
of the shareholder, as the directors decide.
16.17 The Company's liability to pay the
relevant dividend amount in respect of a shareholder to which
clauses 16.10 to
16.19 apply, is discharged when shares are
issued or transferred to that shareholder in accordance with
16.15.
16.18 The directors may do anything necessary
or desirable (including executing any document) on behalf of the
shareholder to effect the reinvestment under clause
16.15 or donation under clause
16.16.
16.19 The directors may determine other rules
to regulate the operation of clauses 16.10
to 16.19 and may delegate their
power under this rule to any person.
Transfer of assets
16.20 The directors may direct payment of the
dividend wholly or partly by distribution of specific assets
(including shares or securities of any body corporate or trust) to
some or all of the members. The directors may determine in respect
of the payment of any dividend to allow members to elect to receive
the amount of the dividend to which that member is entitled in
shares instead of in cash.
16.21 To give effect to any direction, the
directors may do all things that they consider appropriate
including:
(a) fixing the
value for distribution of any specific asset or any part of any
such asset; or
(b) making a
cash payment to any member to adjust the value of distributions
made to members.
Authority to capitalise profits
16.22 Subject to the Corporations Act, this
constitution, the Listing Rules and the terms of issue of shares
(or classes of shares), the directors may resolve to capitalise any
amount:
(a) forming
part of the undivided profits of the Company;
(b)
representing profits arising from an ascertained accretion to
capital or a revaluation of the assets of the Company;
(c) arising
from the realisation of any assets of the Company; or
(d) otherwise
available for distribution as a dividend.
16.23 If the directors exercise their powers
pursuant to clause 16.22, they must not
pay the amount in cash, but must use it to benefit those
shareholders who are entitled to dividends in the proportions that
would apply if the entire amount of the profits to be capitalised
were a dividend. The benefit must be given in one (or partly in one
and partly in the other) of the following ways:
(a) paying up
the amounts unpaid on the shareholder's shares;
(b) paying up
in full unissued shares to be issued to shareholders as fully
paid;
(c) partly
paying up any amount unpaid on any share and paying up in full
unissued shares to be issued as fully paid;
(d) issuing
shares or debentures of the Company to the shareholder;
or
(e) any other
method permitted by law.
16.24 The amount capitalised must be applied
for the benefit of shareholders in the proportions in which the
shareholders would have been entitled to dividends if the amount
capitalised had been distributed as a dividend. If fractions of
shares or debentures are initially allocated, the directors may, in
their discretion:
(a) issue
fractional certificates in the case of unquoted shares;
(b) pay the
shareholder the cash equivalent of the fraction; or
(c) round up or
down the final allocation.
Ancillary powers
16.25 To give effect to any resolution to
reduce the capital of the Company, to satisfy a dividend as set out
in clause 16.20 or to capitalise any
amount under clause 16.22 the
directors may settle as they think expedient any difficulty that
arises in making the distribution or capitalisation and, in
particular:
(a) make cash
payments in cases where shareholders are entitled to fractions of
shares or other securities;
(b) decide that
amounts or fractions of less than a particular value decided by the
directors may be disregarded or rounded up or down to the nearest
whole share to adjust the rights of all parties;
(c) fix the
value for distribution of any specific assets;
(d) pay cash or
issue shares or other securities to any shareholder to adjust the
rights of all parties;
(e) vest any of
those specific assets, cash, shares or other securities in a
trustee on trust for the persons entitled to the distribution or
capitalised amount; and
(f) authorise
any person to make, on behalf of all the shareholders entitled to
any specific assets, cash, shares or other securities as a result
of the distribution or capitalisation, an agreement with the
Company or another person which provides, as appropriate, for the
distribution or issue to them of shares or other securities
credited as fully paid up or for payment by the Company on their
behalf of the amounts or any part of the amounts remaining unpaid
on their existing shares or other securities by applying their
respective proportions of the amount resolved to be distributed or
capitalised.
16.26 Any agreement made under an authority
referred to in clause 16.25(f) is
effective and binds all shareholders concerned.
16.27 If a distribution, transfer or issue of
specific assets, shares or securities to a particular shareholder
or shareholders is, in the directors' discretion, considered
impracticable or would give rise to parcels of securities that do
not constitute a marketable parcel, the directors may make a cash
payment to those shareholders or allocate the assets, shares or
securities to a trustee to be sold on behalf of, and for the
benefit of, those shareholders, instead of making the distribution,
transfer or issue to those shareholders. Any proceeds receivable by
shareholders under this clause 16.27 will
be net of expenses incurred by the Company and trustee in selling
the relevant assets, shares or securities.
16.28 If the Company distributes to
shareholders (either generally or to specific shareholders)
securities in the Company or in another body corporate or trust
(whether as a dividend or otherwise and whether or not for value),
each of those shareholders agrees to become a shareholder or
interest holder of that body corporate or trust and appoints the
Company and each director as their agent to do anything needed to
give effect to that distribution.
Reserves
16.29 Before determining that a dividend be
paid, the directors may set aside out of the Company's profit any
amount that they consider appropriate. This amount does not need to
be kept separate from the Company's other assets and may be used in
any way that profits can be used and can be invested or used in the
Company's business in the interim. However, it must not be used to
buy the Company's shares.
16.30 The directors may appropriate to the
profits of the Company any amount previously set aside as a reserve
or provision.
16.31 The directors may carry forward any
part of the profits remaining that they consider should not be
distributed as dividends or capitalised, without transferring those
profits to a reserve or provision.
Dividend reinvestment plans
16.32 The directors may implement a dividend
reinvestment plan on the terms they think fit under which the whole
or any part of a dividend due to shareholders who participate in
the plan on their shares or any class of shares may be applied in
subscribing for securities of the Company or of another body
corporate or trust.
16.33 The directors may amend, suspend or
terminate a dividend reinvestment plan implemented by
them.
Dividend selection plan
16.34 The directors may implement a dividend
selection plan on the terms they think fit under which participants
may elect in respect of all, or part, of their
shareholdings:
(a) to receive
a dividend from the Company paid wholly or partly out of a
particular fund or reserve or out of profits derived from a
particular source; or
(b) to forego a
dividend from the Company in place of another form of distribution
from the Company or another body corporate or trust.
16.35 The directors may amend, suspend or
terminate any dividend selection plan implemented by
them.
Bonus share plan
16.36 The directors may:
(a) implement a
bonus share plan on such terms as they think fit under which
participants may elect to forgo the whole or any part of any
dividend due to them on their shares and, in lieu of that dividend,
be issued bonus shares in the company; and
(b) amend,
suspend or terminate any bonus share plan so
implemented.
17 Winding
Up
Division of property among
shareholders
17.1 If the Company is wound up,
the liquidator may, with the sanction of a special resolution,
divide among the shareholders in kind the whole or any part of the
property of the Company. For this purpose the liquidator may set
such value as the liquidator considers fair on any property to be
so divided and may determine how the division is to be carried out
as between the shareholders or different classes of shareholders. A
division under this clause 17.1 need
not accord with the legal rights of the shareholders and, in
particular, any class may be given preferential or special rights
or may be excluded altogether or in part.
17.2 Where a division under
clause 17.1 does not accord with the
legal rights of the shareholders, a shareholder is entitled to
dissent and to exercise the same rights as if the special
resolution sanctioning that division were a special resolution
passed under section 507 of the Corporations Act.
17.3 If any of the property to be
divided under clause 17.1 includes
shares with a liability to calls, any person entitled under the
division to any of the shares may, within 10 days after the passing
of the special resolution referred to in that clause, by written
notice direct the liquidator to sell the person's proportion of the
shares and to account for the net proceeds. The liquidator must, if
practicable, act accordingly.
17.4 Nothing in
clauses 17.1 to
17.5 takes away from or affects any right to
exercise any statutory or other power which would have existed if
these clauses were omitted.
17.5 Clause
16.25 applies, so far as it can and with
any necessary changes, to a division by a liquidator under
clause 17.1 as if references in
clause 16.25 to the directors and to
a distribution or capitalisation were respectively references to
the liquidator and to the division under
clause 17.1.
Vesting property on trustees
17.6 The liquidator may, with the
sanction of a special resolution, vest the whole or any part of any
property in trustees on such trusts for the benefit of
contributories as the liquidator thinks fit, but so that no
shareholder is compelled to accept any shares or other shares in
respect of which there is any liability.
18 Proportional
Takeover Bid
18.1 Registration of a transfer
giving effect to a contract resulting from the acceptance of an
offer made under a proportional takeover bid is prohibited unless
and until an Approving Resolution approving the proportional
takeover bid is passed or taken to have been passed in accordance
with this clause 18.
18.2 A person (other than the
bidder or an associate of the bidder) who, as at the end of the day
on which the first offer under the proportional takeover bid was
made, held bid class shares is entitled to:
(a) vote on an
Approving Resolution; and
(b) has one
vote for each bid class Share held.
18.3 Where offers have been made
under a proportional takeover bid, the directors must ensure that
an Approving Resolution is voted on at a meeting of the persons
described in clause 18.2 before the
Approving Resolution Deadline.
18.4 An Approving Resolution is
passed if more than 50% of the votes cast on the resolution are
cast in favour of the resolution and otherwise is taken to have
been rejected.
18.5 The provisions of this
constitution that apply to a general meeting of the Company apply,
with such modifications as the circumstances require, to a meeting
that is called under this clause 18
as if the meeting was a general meeting of the
Company.
18.6 If an Approving Resolution
to approve the proportional takeover bid is voted on in accordance
with this clause 18 before the Approving
Resolution Deadline, the Company must, on or before the Approving
Resolution Deadline, give the bidder and ASX a written notice
stating that an Approving Resolution to approve the proportional
takeover bid has been voted on and whether it was passed or
rejected.
18.7 If no resolution has been
voted on in accordance with this clause 18
as at the end of the day before the Approving Resolution
Deadline, a resolution to approve the proportional takeover bid is
taken, for the purposes of this clause
18, to have been passed in accordance with this
clause 18.
18.8 Under the Corporations Act,
this clause 18 will automatically
cease to have effect on the third anniversary of the date of its
adoption or as of its most recent renewal.
18.9 In this
clause 18:
Approving
Resolution means an ordinary resolution passed
by shareholders approving the transfer giving effect to contracts
resulting from the acceptance of an offer made under a proportional
takeover; and
Approving
Resolution Deadline in relation to a
proportional takeover bid means the day that is the 14th day before
the last day of the bid period.
19
Notices
Extended meaning
19.1 In this
clause 19, 'notice' includes
documents and other communication, and in this constitution, a
reference to a written notice includes a notice given by fax or
other electronic means. A signature to a written notice need not be
handwritten.
Method
19.2 Without limiting any other
way in which notice may be given to a shareholder under this
constitution, the Corporations Act or the
Listing Rules, a notice may be given by the Company to any
shareholder either by:
(a) serving it
on the shareholder personally;
(b) leaving it
at the shareholder's current address as recorded in the register or
an alternate address nominated by that holder; or
(c) sending it
by post to the shareholder at their address as shown in the
register of shareholders or an alternate address nominated by that
holder or by facsimile or other electronic means (including
providing a URL link to any document or attachment) to the
facsimile number or electronic address supplied by the shareholder
to the Company for the receipt of notices from the
Company.
Deemed receipt
19.3 Where a notice is sent by
post, service of the notice is deemed to be given at 10:00am on the
day after the date it is posted.
19.4 Notices sent by facsimile or
other electronic means are taken to be given at the time it is
sent, provided in the case of facsimile, the correct facsimile
number appears on the facsimile transmission report produced by the
sender's facsimile machine.
19.5 A notice (including a notice
of meeting given to a shareholder under section 249J(3)(c) of the
Corporations Act (electronic access)) sent to a shareholder by any
other means permitted by the Corporations Act relating to the
giving of notices and electronic means of access to them is taken
to be given on the Business Day after the day on which the
shareholder is notified that the notice is available.
19.6 Where a shareholder does not
have a registered address or where the Company believes that
shareholder is not known at the shareholder's registered address,
all notices are taken to be:
(a) given to
the shareholder if the notice is exhibited in the Company's
registered office for a period of 48 hours; and
(b) served at
the commencement of that period.
Evidence of service
19.7 A certificate in writing
signed by a director or a secretary of the Company stating that a
notice was sent to a shareholder by post, fax or electronic
transmission on a particular date is conclusive evidence that the
notice, document or other communication was sent on that
date.
Notice to joint holders
19.8 A notice may be given by the
Company to the joint holders of a share by giving the notice to the
joint holder first named in the register of shareholders in respect
of the share.
Notice in case of death or
bankruptcy
19.9 A notice may be given by the
Company to a person entitled to a share in consequence of the death
or bankruptcy of a shareholder by serving it on the person
personally or by sending it to the person by post. A notice sent by
post must be addressed by name, or by the title of representative
of the deceased or assignee of the bankrupt, or by any like
description, at the address (if any) supplied for the purpose by
the person or, if such an address has not been supplied, at the
address to which the notice might have been sent if the death or
bankruptcy had not occurred.
Persons entitled to notice
19.10 Notice of every general meeting must be
given in the manner authorised by this constitution to:
(a) every
shareholder;
(b) every
person entitled to a share due to the death or bankruptcy of a
shareholder who, but for the shareholder's death or bankruptcy,
would be entitled to receive notice of the meeting;
(c) the
directors; and
(d) the auditor
of the Company.
19.11 No other person is entitled to receive
a notice of general meeting.
Persons entitled to shares
19.12 A person who by operation of law,
transfer or other means becomes entitled to any share is bound by
every notice given in accordance with this
clause 19 to the person from whom
that person derives title prior to registration of that person in
the register.
20
Indemnity
20.1 To the extent permitted by
law and subject to the restrictions in the Corporations Act, the
Company must indemnify every person who is or has been an officer
of the Company or a subsidiary of the Company (where the Company
requested the officer to accept that appointment) against liability
(including liability for costs and expenses) incurred by that
person as an officer of the Company or subsidiary as the case may
be. However, this does not apply in respect of any of the
following:
(a) a liability
to the Company or a related body corporate;
(b) a liability
to some other person that arises out of conduct involving a lack of
good faith;
(c) a liability
for costs and expenses incurred by the officer in defending civil
or criminal proceedings in which judgment is given against the
officer or in which the officer is not acquitted; or
(d) a liability
for costs and expenses incurred by the officer in connection with
an unsuccessful application for relief under the Corporations Act,
in connection with the proceedings referred to in the preceding
paragraph.
20.2 Without limiting
clause 20.1, to the extent permitted
by law and subject to the restrictions in the Corporations Act, the
Company must indemnify and continually indemnify every person who
is or has been an officer of the Company or a subsidiary of the
Company (where the Company requested the officer to accept that
appointment) against reasonable legal costs incurred in defending
an action for a liability incurred or allegedly incurred by that
person as an officer of the Company or subsidiary as the case may
be.
20.3 The amount of any indemnity
payable under clauses 20.1
and 20.2 will include an additional
amount (GST Amount) equal to any GST payable by the officer being
indemnified (Indemnified Officer) in connection with the indemnity
(less the amount of any input tax credit claimable by the
Indemnified Officer in connection with the indemnity). Payment of
any indemnity which includes a GST Amount is conditional upon the
Indemnified Officer providing the Company with a GST tax invoice
for the GST Amount.
20.4 The directors may agree to
advance to an officer an amount which it might otherwise be liable
to pay to the officer under clause 20.1
on such terms as the directors think fit but which are
consistent with this clause, pending the outcome of any findings of
a relevant court or tribunal which would have a bearing on whether
the Company is in fact liable to indemnify the officer under
clause 20.1. If after the Company
makes the advance, the directors form the view that the Company is
not liable to indemnify the officer, the Company may recover any
advance from the officer as a debt due by the officer to the
Company.
Former officers
20.5 Each of the indemnities in
this clause 20 are continuing indemnities
which apply in respect of all acts done by a person while an
officer of the Company or one of its subsidiaries even though the
person is not an officer at the time the claim is made.
Insurance premiums
20.6 The Company may pay the
premium on a policy of insurance in respect of a person who is or
has been an officer of the Company (where the Company requested the
officer to accept that appointment), to the full extent permitted
by the Corporations Act.
21 Security
Interests
21.1 If any provision of this
constitution creates a security interest in shares or other
personal property (Collateral) to which the PPSA
applies:
(a) the Company
need not comply with any provisions of the PPSA that the parties
may contract out of in relation to the Collateral; and
(b)
shareholders may not exercise any rights under sections 142
(redemption of collateral) or 143 (reinstatement of security
agreement) of the PPSA to the extent the law permits those rights
to be excluded.
21.2 The Company need not give
the shareholder any other notice required under the PPSA (including
a notice of verification statements under section 157 of the PPSA)
unless the notice cannot be excluded.
22
Seals
Adoption of Common Seal
22.1 The directors may provide
for the Company to have a seal or for the Company to no longer have
a common seal.
22.2 Clauses
22.3 to 22.10 only
apply if the Company has a common seal.
Use of Seal
22.3 The Seal must be used only
by the authority of the directors or a committee of the directors
authorised by the directors to authorise the use of the
Seal.
22.4 The authority to use the
Seal may be given before or after the Seal is used.
22.5 Subject to clauses
22.4 and 22.10, until
the directors otherwise determine, the fixing of the Seal to a
document must be witnessed by a director and by another director, a
secretary or another person appointed by the directors to witness
that document or a class of documents in which that document is
included.
Duplicate seal
22.6 The Company may have for use
in place of its common seal outside the state or territory where
its common seal is kept one or more duplicate seals, each of which
must be a facsimile of the common seal of the Company with the
addition on its face of the words "duplicate seal" and the name of
the place where it is to be used.
22.7 A document sealed with a
duplicate seal is to be taken as having been sealed with the common
seal of the Company.
Share seal or certificate seal
22.8 The Company may have for use
on certificates for securities of the Company in place of its
common seal one or more duplicate seals, each of which must be a
facsimile of the common seal of the Company with the addition on
its face of the words "share seal" or "certificate
seal".
22.9 A certificate for securities
of the Company sealed with a share seal or certificate seal or in
the manner contemplated in clause 22.10
is to be taken as having been sealed with the common seal of
the Company.
Sealing and signing of
certificates
22.10 The directors may determine either
generally or in a particular case that the seal and the signature
of any director, secretary or other person is to be printed on or
affixed to any certificates for securities in the Company by some
mechanical or other means.