The Board of Resolute Mining Limited
(Resolute or Company) is responsible for the
corporate governance
of the consolidated entity (Group). The Board guides and monitors
the business and affairs of the Company
on behalf of the Company's shareholders (Shareholders) by whom they are elected
and to whom they
are accountable.
The Company has adopted the Fourth
Edition of the Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations
(Fourth Edition)
established by the ASX Corporate Governance Council and published
in February 2019 by the Australian Securities Exchange
(ASX) (available at
https://www2.asx.com.au/about/regulation/asx-corporate-governance-council).
The Company has also published an Appendix 4G
which confirms that the Company has followed all of the principles
and recommendations of the Fourth Edition for the financial year
ended 31 December 2023 (Reporting
Period).
A description of the Company's main
corporate governance practices, and the extent to which the Company
has followed the Recommendations in the Fourth Edition during the
Reporting Period, is set out below. All practices, unless otherwise
stated, were in place for the entire year. We have set out our
practices in line with the principles established by the ASX
Corporate Governance Council.
This Corporate Governance Statement
has been approved by the Board and is accurate and up to date as at
27 March 2024 unless a later date is specified in the
document).
This Corporate Governance Statement
makes various references to information contained in the Company's
Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2023 (Annual Report).
A full copy of the Annual Report can be viewed on our
website https://www.rml.com.au/investors/reports/.
1. Lay solid foundations for
management and oversight
1.1 The Board of Directors
and Management
The Company has a Board Charter that
outlines the functions reserved to the Board and those delegated to
management. A copy of the Board Charter can be viewed
here.
The
Board is responsible for the overall management, strategic
direction and corporate governance of the Company and for
delivering accountable corporate performance in accordance with the
Company's goals
and objectives. As part of its responsibilities, the Board is
required to:
·
provide strategic direction to the Group, maximise
performance, generate appropriate levels of Shareholder value and
financial return and sustain the growth and success of the
business
·
monitor the operational and financial position of
the Company specifically and the Group generally
·
ensure that the principal risks faced by the Group
are identified and oversee that appropriate control
and monitoring systems are in place to manage the impact of these
risks
·
review and approve Resolute's internal compliance
and control systems, statement of values and
Codes of Conduct to underpin the desired culture within
Resolute
·
appoint (and where appropriate, remove) the CEO
and monitor other key executive appointments
·
evaluate the performance of the CEO and through
the CEO, receive reports on the performance of
other senior executives in the context of the attainment of the
Group's strategies and objectives.
The CEO is responsible for the
management, operations and running of the day-to-day affairs of the
Group under delegated authority from the Board.
Further details of the
responsibilities of the Board and CEO (and management under
sub-delegation from
the CEO) can be found in the Board Charter.
1.2 Board and Senior
Executive appointments
The Company undertakes appropriate
checks on Director candidates, including checks on the person's
character, experience, education, criminal record and bankruptcy
history, before either appointing a person
as a Director or putting that person forward as a candidate for
election or appointment. The Company has extended this practice to
its Senior Executive appointments in accordance with the Fourth
Edition. The Company provides security holders with all material
information in its possession relevant to a decision whether or not
to elect or re-elect a director, by including that information in
the relevant notice of meeting materials.
Details of the members of the Board
and senior executives including their experience, expertise and
qualifications are set out in the Directors' Report and under the
heading "Board of Directors and Leadership Team" in the Annual
Report.
1.3 Board
agreements
The Company has a written agreement
in place with each Director and senior executive which sets out the
terms of their appointment. Material variations to these agreements
are disclosed to the ASX to the extent required by the ASX Listing
Rules.
1.4 Company
Secretary
The Company Secretary has a direct
line of communication with all Directors and is directly
accountable to the Board, through the Chairman, on all matters
relating to the proper functioning of the Board. The Company
Secretary is responsible for advising the Board and its Committees
on governance, policy and procedural issues and the preparation of
Board papers and minutes.
1.5 Diversity
In accordance with best governance
practice, a diversity and inclusion policy has been established
which includes gender diversity targets within the Group as to
Board composition, executive composition and employee composition
by gender (Measurable
Gender Diversity Targets).
These Measurable Gender Diversity Targets have been set by the
Board, and having a target timeframe of 2025, guide Resolute's
efforts towards establishing a diverse and inclusive
workplace.
As at 31 December 2023, the
respective proportions of men and women on the Board,
in senior executive positions and across the whole
workforce, was as follows:
(a) on the Board: 86%
men and 14% women;
(b) in senior executive
positions (defined as key management personnel and executives of
the Company): 100% men; and
(c) across the whole
workforce generally: 94% men and 6% women.
The Company's Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Policy applies to all directors, consultants and
employees of the Group. Details of the policy are set out on the
Company's website here.
The goal of the Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion Policy is to have a high performing workforce that
takes into account and recognises the communities in which we
operate. The Directors have set additional measurable objectives
towards establishing this goal. Details of these objectives and the
progress towards achieving them are provided in the table
below.
Objective for year ended
31
December 2023
|
Time
period
|
Activity during year ended 31 December 2023
|
|
|
|
Strengthen
the Company's
Policy
Framework with
Regards to
governance
|
2022-2023
|
•
Ongoing Human Rights training in French and
English for our workforce
•
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training program
in English and in French, to be rolled out in 2023
•
Sexual Harassment Policy implemented and training
program developed and rolled out in 2023
|
Elimination
of the gender pay
gap across
all entities
|
2020-2023
|
•
Gender pay gap analysis conducted twice a year -
no material gap identified in 2023 salary review process
|
Objective for year ended
31
December 2023
|
Time
period
|
Activity during year ended 31 December 2023
|
|
|
|
Increase
the participation
of women in the work force at the Senior Manager and
Other
Manager
levels (as defined by
WGEA
categories)*
|
2020-2023
|
•
Considered recruitment
•
Workforce planning, succession planning and talent
management initiatives
|
Work towards increasing
the
ratio (at all job levels)
of
Nationals to Expats in
each
country of operation*
|
2020-2023
|
•
Measuring progress against nationalisation metrics
(95% in 2022, a 1% increase compared to 2022)
•
Key management roles at Syama have been
nationalised, 51% of management and senior management roles at
Syama and Mako are held by Nationals
•
Recruitment policy reserves entry-level and
semi-skilled roles for members of the local/host
communities
|
Increase the overall
proportion
of women in the
workforce*
|
2020-2023
|
•
Measuring progress against Board approved gender
diversity targets
•
Diversity considerations form part of selection
criteria in all recruitment processes
•
Flexible and remote work arrangements
considered
•
Generous Paid Parental Leave Policy rolled out
across the group in 2021, with increase in uptake in 2022 (194
employees in 2022 compared to 43 in 2022)
•
Private health insurance support in place for all
direct employees
•
Promotion of two female professionals to
GM level positions and as part of the Resolute Leadership
Team
•
Ensure minimum 50-50 gender split in all Company
sponsored external training programs - traineeships,
apprenticeships etc
|
*Baseline
to be created effective 31 Dec 2019
1.6 Board Performance
Evaluation
The Company has a Performance
Evaluation Process for periodically evaluating the performance
of the Board, its Committees, individual Directors and senior
executives which can be viewed here.
The Chairman and the Board regularly
discuss the performance of the Board, the performance of the
individual Directors and the CEO, and the Committees of the Board.
The Chairman is responsible
for meeting with the individual Directors to discuss their
performance and contribution to the Board.
The performance of the Board was
continually assessed during the year ended 31 December 2023 in
accordance with the approved process.
1.7 Senior Executives
Performance Evaluation
The CEO is responsible for formally
evaluating the performance of senior executives each year.
A performance appraisal questionnaire is completed by each senior
executive and reviewed and
discussed with the CEO in a formal meeting.
The CEO's performance is
periodically reviewed by the Nomination Committee and the
Remuneration Committee (each discussed in more detail in sections
2.1 and 8.1 below) in accordance with agreed performance
parameters.
A performance evaluation of the CEO
and senior executives took place for the year ended
31 December 2023 in accordance with the process described
above.
2. Structure the board to add
value
2.1 Nomination
Committee
The Company has a Nomination
Committee that is governed by the Nomination Committee Charter
(a copy of which can be viewed here).
The Nomination Committee is
responsible for Board and Committee membership, succession
planning, performance evaluation and diversity and inclusion policy
development, monitoring and review. Further roles and
responsibilities of the Nomination Committee, including a
description of the procedure for the selection, appointment and
re-election of incumbents, can be found in the Nomination Committee
Charter.
As at 31 December 2023, the
Nomination Committee comprised of Mr M. Botha (Chair), Ms S. Shugg,
Mr S. Jackson, Mr A. Reynolds, Mr M. Potts (resigned 20 March 2024)
and Mr K. Marshall, all of whom are Non-Executive
Directors.
As at the date of this statement,
all members of the Nomination Committee are independent
Directors.
The attendance record of Nomination
Committee members at Nomination Committee meetings for the
reporting period ended 31 December 2023 is noted in the Directors'
Report under the heading "Directors' Meetings" in the Annual
Report.
2.2 Board Composition and
Skills Matrix
The Board
As at
31 December 2023 and as at the date of this statement, the Board is
comprised of six Non-Executive Directors (including the Chairman)
and one Executive Director (being the Managing Director and
CEO).
The table below sets out the detail
of the tenure of each Director (current and during the Reporting
Period).
Director
|
Role of Director
|
First Appointed*
|
Qualification
|
Martin Botha
|
Non-Executive Director and
Chairman
(appointed
Chairman from 29 June 2017)
|
February 2014
|
BScEng
|
Adrian Reynolds
|
Non-Executive Director
|
May 2021
|
MSc, GradDipMinEng
|
Simon Jackson
|
Non-Executive Director
|
October 2021
|
B.Com FCA
|
Sabina Shugg
|
Non-Executive Director
|
September 2018
|
BSc (Mining Engineering),
MBA, GAICD
|
Keith Marshall
|
Non-Executive Director
|
June 2023
|
BSc (Engineering)
|
Adrienne Parker
|
Non-Executive Director
|
20 March 2024
|
LLB
|
Mark Potts**
|
Non-Executive Director
|
June 2017
|
BSc (Hons), GAICD
|
Terry Holohan
|
Managing Director and CEO
|
May 2022
|
BSc CEng MIMMM
|
*Resolute
was incorporated on 8 June 2001.
** Resigned
20 March 2024
In relation to term of office, the
Company's constitution specifies that one third (or if not a whole
number,
the nearest whole number to one third) of all Directors (with the
exception of the CEO) must retire from office annually and are
eligible for re-election. The Nomination Committee assesses and
determines whether to endorse the re-election of Directors required
to retire by rotation. The Company's constitution also requires
that any Director who will have been in office for more than three
years by the next annual general meeting, must retire from office
at the current annual general meeting and is eligible for
re-election.
Skills Matrix
A profile of
each Director setting out their skills, experience, expertise and
period of office is set out in the Directors' Report in the Annual
Report.
The Board has identified that the
appropriate mix of skills and diversity required of its members on
the Board to operate effectively and efficiently is achieved by
personnel having substantial skills and experience in operational
management, mining and technical, capital projects, strategy/risk,
finance, listed resource companies, equity markets and
sustainability and stakeholder management.
Each Director brings a unique and
varied skillset covering relevant aspects of the desired mix of
skills and diversity required in the composition of the Board, and
each Director has the right of access to all Company information
and to the senior executive team.
The table below summarises the areas
of competence, skills and experience of the six Directors in office
as at 31 December 2023.
Skill/competency and Board composition
|
Leadership and Culture
|
Governance and Compliance
|
|
Senior executive role
or substantial Board
experience in a
company with
proven track record
of leadership skills.
|
|
Experience in
recognising and
managing risks which
have the potential to
materially impact the
achievement of
business objectives.
|
|
Record of senior
leadership in a public
listed company.
|
|
Experience with
regulatory and legal
compliance and
litigation/disputes.
|
|
|
|
| |
Skill/competency and Board composition
|
Industry
|
People and Capability
|
|
Ability to leverage
digital technology to
support growth and
drive competitive
advantage.
|
|
Board or senior
executive or
equivalent
experience in people
management and
succession planning,
and performance and
organisational
culture.
|
|
Senior executive experience in a large mining organisation combined
with an understanding of the Group's corporate purpose to create
long-term shareholder value through the discovery, acquisition,
development and marketing of natural resources.
|
|
Board or senior
executive or
equivalent
experience in
remuneration policy
and application
including linking
remuneration to
strategy.
|
|
Senior executive experience in the
gold industry, including in-depth knowledge of the Group's
strategy, markets, competitors, operational issues, technology and
regulatory concerns.
|
|
Board or senior executive or
equivalent experience in industrial relations.
|
Skill/competency and Board composition
|
Commercial Capability
|
Sustainability and Stakeholder Management
|
|
Successful record
of development and
oversight of business
strategy and
competitive
business analysis.
|
|
Demonstrable
understanding of
health and safety
management,
performance and
governance.
|
|
Exhibits a high level of
financial acumen and
has senior executive
or equivalent
experience in
financial accounting and reporting
and internal financial controls, including the ability to probe the
adequacies of financial and risk controls.
|
|
Demonstrable
understanding of key
environmental impacts,
including fluency in how climate change
risks and opportunities affect the business and experience in
management, performance and governance of these
impacts.
|
|
Senior executive or
equivalent experience
or background in
capital intensive and
long-term projects
and investments.
|
|
Demonstrated
commitment to the
highest standards of
corporate governance including board
or senior executive or equivalent experience or background which
demonstrates a commitment to a high level of corporate
governance.
|
|
Relevant experience
in merger and
acquisition
transactions raising
complex financial,
regulatory and
operational issues.
|
|
Track record of
overseeing successful
engagement with a
range of key
stakeholders at
national, regional and
local levels, including
government,
community and non
government
organisations.
|
Skill/competency and Board composition
|
Sustainability and Stakeholder Management
|
|
|
Experience in government affairs and
public and regulatory policy.
|
|
|
External Market
|
|
Senior executive experience in the
gold industry, including in-depth knowledge of the Group's
strategy, markets, competitors, operational issues, technology
and
regulatory concerns.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
High Competence
Awareness
Diversity of the Board as at 31 December
2023
|
Gender
|
6 males and 1 female
|
|
Tenure
|
0 - 2 years
2 - 4 years
4 - 10 years
10+ years
|
1 directors
3 directors
3 directors
0 directors
|
2.3 Assessment of Board
Independence
Directors are expected to contribute
independent views to the Board.
An independent Board member operates
independently of executive management and free of any business or
other relationship (personal, business or otherwise) that could
materially interfere with, or could reasonably be perceived to
materially interfere with, the exercise of their unfettered and
independent judgment.
Independent Board members
accordingly assist in ensuring that the Board operates in the best
interests of the Company, having regard to the goals and objectives
of the Company.
The assessment of whether a Board
member is independent is a matter of judgement for the Board as a
whole and includes concepts of materiality. In making that
judgement the Board may have regard to, but need not be bound by,
the Recommendations as to director "independence".
All Board members are required to
disclose to the Board and the Nomination Committee (via the Company
Secretary) any interest, position, association, relationship or
information (and any changes thereof) which may be relevant or
material to that assessment. No director deemed independent has any
interest, position, affiliation or relationship of the type
described in Box 2.3 of the Fourth Edition.
The Chairman, and at least a
majority of Directors, should be independent, unless special
circumstances exist, are disclosed and are approved of by the Board
as an exception to this requirement.
The Board regularly reviews and
considers the positions and associations of each of the Directors
in office.
As at 31 December 2023, the Board
considered that six of the seven directors were independent,
namely, Mr. M. Botha (Chairman), Ms. S. Shugg, Mr. A. Reynolds, Mr.
S. Jackson, Mr. M. Potts and Mr. K. Marshall. As at 31 December
2023, the Board did not consider Mr. T. Holohan to be
independent.
Refer to section 2.2 of this
statement under the heading "The Board" for details of the length
of service of each of the Directors.
2.4 Ratio of Board
Independence
As at 31 December 2023 and the date
of this statement, the majority of the Board (six of the seven
Directors) were independent.
2.5 Roles of the Chairman and
CEO
The roles of the Chairman (Mr. M.
Botha) and the CEO (Mr T. Holohan) are not exercised by the same
individual. As at the date of this Statement, the Chairman is an
independent Non-Executive Director.
2.6 Board Induction and
Professional Development
The Company
has a procedure for the selection and appointment of new Directors
which can be viewed here.
The Board, through the Nomination
Committee, reviews whether the Directors as a group have the
skills, knowledge and familiarity with the Group and its operating
environment required to fulfil their role on the Board and its
Committees effectively. It also oversees Board member induction and
professional development including, where gaps are identified,
considering what training or development could be undertaken to
fill the gaps, and where necessary, providing resources for the
Directors to develop and maintain their skills and knowledge.
Further details of the professional development provided by the
Nomination Committee can be found in the Nomination Committee
Charter.
Directors and Board Committees have
the right, in connection with their duties and responsibilities, to
seek independent professional advice at the Company's
expense.
3. Act ethically and
responsibly
3.1 Values
The Company has implemented a formal
set of behavioural values designed to uphold high standards of
integrity and work performance by all Directors and employees of
the Group. The Company's values are:
·
Respect: We respect each other
and the countries and communities in which we operate.
·
Accountability: We own our
actions and deliver on our commitments.
·
Integrity: We are ethical, open
and honest.
·
Sustainability: We prioritise
health, safety and environment, operating responsibly to manage
risk
and opportunity.
·
Empowerment: We set ambitious
goals, foster high performance and support our people to
generate
new ideas.
3.2 Ethical standards and
code of conduct
Code of
Conduct
The Board acknowledges the need for
the highest standards of corporate governance and ethical
conduct
by all Directors and employees of the Group. As such, the Company
has a Code of Conduct which has been fully endorsed by the Board
and applies to all Directors and Group employees. The Code of
Conduct is regularly reviewed and updated as necessary to ensure
that it reflects the highest standards of behaviour
and professionalism and the practices necessary to maintain
confidence in the Group's integrity.
A fundamental theme is that all
business affairs are conducted legally, ethically and with strict
observance
of the highest standards of integrity and propriety. The Directors
and management have the responsibility
to carry out their functions with a view to maximising financial
performance of the consolidated entity.
This concerns the propriety of decision making in conflict of
interest situations and quality decision making
for the benefit of Shareholders. All material breaches of the Code
of Conduct are reported to the Board.
The Company's employees must
complete training on the Code of Conduct (via an online module or
in a
face to face format).
A copy of the Company's Code of
Conduct can be found here.
Whistleblower Policy
In
line with the Code of Conduct, the Company has a Whistleblower
Policy which aims to further the Company's commitment to
maintaining high ethical standards of conduct and to encourage the
reporting of any instance of suspected unethical, illegal,
fraudulent or undesirable conduct which contravenes the Code of
Conduct. The Whistleblower Policy also ensures that persons who
make a report in good faith can do so without fear of intimidation,
disadvantage or reprisal. All material breaches of the
Whistleblower Policy are reported to the Board.
All material incidents reported
under the Policy are required to be reported to the Audit and Risk
Committee.
A copy of the Company's
Whistleblower Policy can be found here.
Anti-Bribery and Corruption Policy
An important element of the Code of Conduct
addresses anti-bribery and corruption (ABC) and requires the adherence to
Australian and other applicable anti-bribery laws conducting
business dealings, irrespective of local standards and practices in
the place of business. The Company's Anti-Bribery and Corruption
Policy provides further guidance and sets out the Company's
commitment to conducting its business ethically and with honesty
and integrity, with a "zero-tolerance" approach to bribery and
corruption. All material breaches of the Anti-Bribery and
Corruption Policy are reported to the Board.
The Company conducts a broader ABC
compliance programme which includes measures such as ABC training
for staff (particularly staff at higher risk of exposure to
corruption), the placement of suitable ABC clauses in all contracts
(particularly those with third party representatives who interact
with government officials on the Company's behalf), and a
pre-approval regime for offering, giving or receiving gifts above a
modest value.
The Company has not been involved in
any ABC regulatory investigations or legal actions either during
the calendar year ending 31 December 2023 or as at the date of this
statement.
A copy of the Company's Anti-Bribery
and Corruption Policy can be found here.
3.3 Sustainability
Committee
As at the date of this statement,
the Company has a Sustainability Committee. The Sustainability
Committee is comprised of Mr. T. Holohan (CEO & Chair), Ms. S.
Shugg (Non-Executive Director), Mr. A. Reynolds (Non-Executive
Director), Mr. K. Marshall and relevant senior executives, namely
the Company's Chief Operating Officer.
The Sustainability Committee is
chaired by Mr. T. Holohan.
The Sustainability Committee
operates under a charter approved by the Board which can be
found here.
The key purposes of the Committee
are to act as a forum for presentation of the safety performance
and environmental impact management of the Group operations
including exploration, consultation, discussion and dissemination
of information on matters which are likely to affect the safety
performance and environmental management of Group
workplaces.
The Sustainability Committee is also
responsible for:
•
monitoring key risks to the business in the areas
of health, safety, security and environment
•
monitoring the Group's compliance with relevant
laws, regulations and Group operational policies
and standards
•
monitoring the culture that is promoted within the
Group to promote compliance with and responsibility
for health, safety, security and environmental
management
•
establishing and tracking of measurable workplace
health, safety and environment objectives and targets, including
recognising and celebrating their achievement.
4. Safeguard integrity in
corporate reporting
4.1 Audit and Risk
Committee
The Company has an Audit and Risk
Committee. As at 31 December 2023, the Audit and Risk Committee
comprised of Mr S. Jackson (Chair), Mr M. Botha, Mr A. Reynolds, Ms
S. Shugg, Mr M. Potts (resigned 20 March 2024) and Mr K. Marshall,
all of whom are Non-Executive Directors. As at the date of
this statement, the composition remains unchanged, other than for
the resignation of Mr Potts and the appointment of Ms A. Parker
(effective 20 March 2024).
As at the date of this statement,
all members of the Audit and Risk Committee are independent
Directors.
The Audit and Risk Committee is chaired by Mr S. Jackson, who is
not the Chairman of the Board.
All members of the Audit and Risk
Committee consider themselves to be financially literate and have
significant understanding of the industry in which the Company
operates. The attendance record of Audit and Risk Committee members
at Audit and Risk Committee meetings for the reporting period ended
31 December 2023 is noted in the Directors' Report under the
heading "Directors' Meetings" in the Annual Report.
Details of the members of the Audit
and Risk Committee including their experience, expertise and
qualifications are set out in the Directors' Report under the
heading "Directors" and under the heading "Board of Directors and
Leadership Team" in the Annual Report.
The Audit and Risk Committee
operates under a charter approved by the Board which can be
found here.
It is the Board's responsibility to
ensure that an effective internal control framework exists within
the entity. This includes internal controls to deal with both the
effectiveness and efficiency of significant business
processes. This includes the safeguarding of assets, the
maintenance of proper accounting records, and the reliability of
financial information as well as non-financial considerations. The
Audit and Risk Committee also provides the Board with additional
assurance regarding the reliability of the financial information
for inclusion in the financial reports.
The Audit and Risk Committee is also
responsible for:
•
ensuring compliance with statutory
responsibilities relating to accounting policy and
disclosure
•
liaising with, discussing and resolving relevant
issues with the auditors
•
assessing the adequacy of accounting, financial
and operating controls
•
reviewing half-year and annual financial
statements before submission to the Board.
4.2 Corporate reporting
certifications
The Company's Chief Executive
Officer (Mr T. Holohan) and Chief Financial Officer (Mr C. Eger)
have provided the Board with the appropriate assurances in relation
to full year statutory financial reports during the year ended 31
December 2023.
These assurances include
declarations in accordance with Section 295A of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth)
(Corporations Act) that, in
their opinion, the financial records have been properly maintained
and that the financial statements comply with the appropriate
accounting standards, and that they give a true and fair view of
the financial position and performance of the Company, and that the
opinion has been formed on the basis of a sound system of risk
management and internal control which is operating
effectively.
4.3 Verification of
Reports
The Company's external auditor,
Ernst & Young, reviews the annual Directors' Report, annual
Remuneration Report, and the annual and half yearly Financial
Statements. The balance of periodic corporate reports, including
Quarterly Reports, the annual Corporate Governance Statement, and
the annual Reserves and Resources Statement, are subject to a
rigorous internal review process coordinated by the Investor
Relations team with individual sign offs by the relevant functional
areas.
4.4 External
Auditor
The Company's external auditor,
Ernst & Young (External
Auditor), attends the Company's Annual
General Meeting. The External Auditor's presence is made known to
Shareholders during the meeting,
and Shareholders are provided with an opportunity to address
questions to the External Auditor relevant to the audit and the
preparation and content of the External Auditor's
report.
The External Auditor is invited to
attend all Audit and Risk Committee Meetings. As noted in the Audit
and Risk Committee Charter, the performance and independence of the
External Auditor is reviewed by the
Audit and Risk Committee.
The External Auditor's existing
policy requires that its audit team provide a statement as to their
independence. This statement was received by the Audit and
Risk Committee for the reporting period ended 31 December
2023.
The External Auditor has a policy
for the rotation of the lead audit partner in accordance with the
requirements of the Corporations
Act.
5. Make timely and balanced
disclosure
5.1 Continuous
disclosure
The Board has a Continuous
Disclosure Policy which can be viewed here.
The Company is committed to:
•
ensuring that stakeholders have the opportunity to
access externally available information issued
by the Company
•
providing full and timely information to the
market about the Company's activities
•
complying with the obligations contained in the
ASX Listing Rules and the Corporations Act relating
to continuous disclosure.
The Board has designated the CEO,
the CFO, the Principal Legal Counsel, the Corporate Development and
Investor Relations Manager and the Joint Company Secretaries as the
responsible people to administer the Continuous Disclosure Policy.
This involves complying with the continuous disclosure requirements
outlined in the ASX Listing Rules, ensuring that disclosure with
the ASX is coordinated and being responsible for administering and
implementing the policy.
5.2 Board
communication
The Company makes announcements
available to Directors promptly after receiving confirmation from
the ASX that an announcement has been released to the
market.
5.3 Announcements and
presentation materials
The Company releases announcements
and presentation materials containing new or market sensitive
material to the ASX prior to the time of the corresponding
presentation to analysts, investors or conference. Following
confirmation of release of such materials by the ASX, the materials
are published on the Company's website, selected social media and
circulated by email to the Company's subscribers.
Presentation materials that do not
contain new or market sensitive material are published on the
website
and circulated to the Company's subscribers at the time they are
made available to the relevant event.
6. Respect the rights of
security holders
6.1 Shareholder
communication
The Company's website
(www.rml.com.au)
provides information on the Company including its history, current
operations and corporate
directory.
The Corporate Governance page of the
Company's website (https://www.rml.com.au/corporate-governance)
provides access to key policies, procedures and charters of the
Company, such as the Board and Committee charters, Securities
Trading Policy, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and Continuous
Disclosure Policy, and the Company's latest Corporate Governance
Statement.
ASX announcements, Company reports
and presentations are uploaded to the website following release to
the ASX and editorial content is updated on a regular basis. The
Company is committed to providing Shareholders and the market with
consistent, transparent corporate reporting and timely, accurate
disclosures.
6.2 Investor relations
program
The Board has established a
Communications Strategy which can be viewed here.
The Company's website (www.rml.com.au) provides information on the Company including its background,
objectives, projects and contact details.
The Board aims to ensure that
Shareholders, on behalf of whom they act, are informed of all
information necessary and kept informed of all major developments
affecting the Company in a timely and effective manner.
Information is communicated to the market and Shareholders
through:
· the
annual report which is made available to all Shareholders and the
public
· half
yearly reports, quarterly reports and ASX announcements which are
made to the ASX and posted on the entity's website
· the
annual general meeting and other meetings so called to obtain
approval for Board action as appropriate.
6.3 Shareholder
participation
The Board recognises the rights of
Shareholders and encourages participation of Shareholders at
general meetings of the Company. Notices of meetings are
distributed to Shareholders and Shareholders are provided with the
opportunity to attend general meetings.
Shareholders who are unable to
attend meetings of the Company are encouraged to participate by way
of appointment of a proxy. Information as to how to lodge a proxy
form is provided to Shareholders at the time a notice of meeting is
distributed. Shareholders are encouraged to use their attendance at
meetings to ask questions on any matter, with time being
specifically set aside for Shareholder queries.
6.4 Substantive
resolutions
All substantive resolutions are
decided by a poll at general meetings of the Company.
6.5 Communication
options
Shareholders
have a choice in relation to the methods in which they receive
information (including notices
of meetings) from the Company. A Shareholder can request to have
information released to them by email
by phoning the Company's Share Registry, Computershare, on 1300 850
505 (within Australia) or
+61 3 9415 4000 (outside Australia) or by visiting the Share
Registry's "Investor Centre" at
www-au.computershare.com/investor/
which allows Shareholders to login and access
their
personal information, shareholdings and a range of relevant forms
via its website.
7. Recognise and manage
risk
7.1 Risk
management
The Company takes a pro-active
approach to risk management across the Group and the Board has
ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the principal risks faced
by the Group are identified and overseeing that appropriate control
and monitoring systems are in place to manage the impact of these
risks.
As detailed in section 4.1 above,
the Board's identification and oversight role was supported by the
Audit and Risk Committee during the reporting period. The Audit and
Risk Committee has a risk function as set by the Audit and Risk
Committee Charter which can be viewed here.
Separately, the CEO and the Chief
Financial Officer will inform the Board annually in writing that
the sign off given on the financial statements is founded on a
sound system of risk management and internal control compliance
which implements the policies adopted by the Board.
The Company's risk management and
internal compliance and control systems is operating effectively
and efficiently in all material respects.
7.2 Review of risk management
framework
The scope of the Audit and Risk
Committee's risk function includes approving and monitoring
policies for identifying and managing/mitigating/transferring risk
(including in accordance with the Group's risk management policy)
and reviewing the Group's risk management framework and policies at
least annually to satisfy itself that it continues to be sound and
that it is operating with due regard to the risk appetite set by
the Board. The risk management framework
was continually reviewed by the Board during the year ended 31
December 2023.
7.3 Internal audit
function
The Company had a dedicated internal
audit function during the reporting period ended 31 December
2023.
Deloitte has been engaged from 2023
to perform the internal audit function. The Company Secretary is
responsible for internal audit, reporting directly to the Audit and
Risk Committee. The Joint Company Secretaries are responsible for
internal audit, reporting directly to the Audit and Risk Committee.
The internal audit function conducts internal audit reviews to
evaluate and where appropriate, identify areas where management
should improve the effectiveness of the Company's risk management,
control, compliance and governance processes. When conducting these
reviews, the internal audit function is supported by a combination
of internal and external resources. In 2023, Deloitte was engaged
to perform the internal audit function and to assess the processes
and controls in place in order to give management a view of
effectiveness of our control environment.
The Audit and Risk Committee will
ensure that appropriately qualified personnel with the suitable
skill sets are employed to manage the internal audit function and
reviews and assesses the performance and objectivity of the
Company's internal audit function.
7.4 Management of material
risks
The Company has an existing risk
framework in place that uses a series of workshops and interviews
to assist in the identification and assessment of key business
risks including the associated mitigation controls and strategies
to appropriately manage the material risks.
The Company has summarised its key
business risks and the associated mitigation controls and
strategies to appropriately manage those material risks in the
Annual Report under the heading "Risk Management".
8. Remunerate fairly and
responsibly
8.1 Remuneration
Committee
The Company has a Remuneration
Committee that is governed by the Remuneration Committee
Charter
(a copy of which can be viewed here).
The Remuneration Committee is
responsible for determining and reviewing the compensation
arrangements for the Directors (including the CEO), the executive
team and Group employees, and making recommendations to the Board
in this regard.
As at 31 December 2023, the
Remuneration Committee comprised of Mr M. Potts (Chair) (resigned
20 March 2024), Mr M. Botha, Ms S. Shugg, Mr A. Reynolds, Mr S.
Jackson and Mr K. Marshall all of whom are Non-Executive Directors.
As at the date of this statement, the composition remains
unchanged, other than for the resignation of Mr Potts, the
appointment of Mr K. Marshall as Chair, and the appointment of Ms
A. Parker (each effective 20 March 2024). As at 31 December 2023
and the date of this statement, all members of the Remuneration
Committee are independent Directors.
The attendance record of
Remuneration Committee members at Remuneration Committee meetings
for the reporting period ended 31 December 2023 is noted in the
Directors' Report under the heading "Directors' Meetings" in the
Annual Report.
8.2 Remuneration
policies
The details of the Directors' and
Officers' remuneration policies are provided in the Directors'
Report under the heading "Remuneration Report" in the Annual
Report. The Remuneration Committee reviews and reassesses the
policy at least annually and obtains the approval of the
Board.
The Remuneration Committee is
responsible for developing measurable objectives and evaluating
progress against these objectives.
8.3 Securities
trading
The Company's Securities Trading
Policy can be found here.
This policy is driven by the
Corporations Act requirements and applies to all Directors,
officers and Group employees. The policy summarises the law
relating to insider trading and sets out the trading prohibitions
which apply to persons affected by the policy.
The Securities Trading Policy
prohibits persons discharging managerial responsibilities at all
times from dealing in financial products issued or created over or
in respect of the Company's securities, including hedge
arrangements. Under the Securities Trading Policy, all trading by
Personnel requires prior clearance from the Company.
***