Author: roymorgansocial

Bight fight as drilling approved

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Original article by Nick Evans, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 19-Dec-19

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety & Environmental Management Authority has imposed a number of conditions on Equinor after granting environmental approval for its plans for a drilling program in the Great Australian Bight. Amongst other things, the Norway-based energy group will be restricted to drilling between October and May. Environmental groups have opposed drilling in the Bight, as has mining magnate Andrew Forrest. Equinor expects to drill the first exploration well in late 2020.

CORPORATES
EQUINOR ASA, AUSTRALIA. NATIONAL OFFSHORE PETROLEUM SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, CHEVRON CORPORATION, BP PLC, THE WILDERNESS SOCIETY, AUSTRALIAN PETROLEUM PRODUCTION AND EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION LIMITED, ACIL TASMAN PTY LTD, WOOD MACKENZIE

Westpac faces class action over scandal

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Original article by Aleks Vickovich
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 14 & 19 : 19-Dec-19

Law firm Phi Finney McDonald has filed a class action lawsuit against Westpac on behalf of retail and institutional investors. The firm will allege amongst other things that Westpac breached its continuous disclosure obligations by failing to properly inform prospective investors about Austrac’s concerns regarding its compliance with anti-money laundering laws. The class action is open to investors who bought Westpac shares between 16 December 2013 and 19 November 2019.

CORPORATES
WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, PHI FINNEY McDONALD PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. ATTORNEY-GENERAL’S DEPT. AUSTRALIAN TRANSACTION REPORTS AND ANALYSIS CENTRE, WOODSFORD LITIGATION FUNDING, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, AMP LIMITED – ASX AMP, MAURICE BLACKBURN PTY LTD, IMF BENTHAM LIMITED – ASX IMF

Gold beats coal as iron ore drives export record

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 19-Dec-19

The Department of Industry, Innovation & Science now expects Australia’s resources exports to top $281bn in 2019-20. This is $4bn lower than was forecast in June, although it will still be a new record. Resources exports are forecast to fall to around $256bn in 2020-21, due to factors such as an expected fall in the iron ore price and the resumption of shipments from Brazil. This will see Australia’s iron ore exports fall to $65.5bn in 2020-21, compared with expectations of $84bn in the current financial year. Gold exports are tipped to reach a new high of $27.8bn in 2019-20, before falling to $25.9bn in 2020-21.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE

Haoma Mining – Chairman’s address to shareholders, by Gary Morgan, Wednesday December 18, 2019

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Original article by
Haoma Mining NL Announcements – Page: Online : 19-Dec-19

Yesterday at Haoma Mining’s AGM, Chairman Gary Morgan presented information on Haoma’s activities, including recent Test Work at Bamboo Creek. Included in the information was the report that over the last 7 days a Vat Leach Trial at Bamboo Creek processed a sample of 1.425 tonnes of course (+180 microns to -3mm) Kitchener Low Grade Ore using the Elazac Leach Process. The ‘calculated’ gold grade (based on the Elazac Assay Method) was 37.39 g/t gold. Shareholders were reminded that the Bamboo Creek Vat contains 28,000 tonnes of crushed course Kitchener Low Grade ore and leaching should be operating early next year.

CORPORATES
HAOMA MINING NL

Northern Star shines in $1.2bn Super Pit

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Original article by Nick Evans
The Australian – Page: 13 & 16 : 18-Dec-19

Northern Star Resources will finance the acquisition of Newmont Goldcorp’s 50 per cent stake in Kalgoorlie’s Super Pit gold mine via a $765m share placement, a $50m share purchase plan and a $480m debt facility. Executive chairman Bill Beament says Northern Star hopes to bring forward an underground expansion of the mine, subject to approval from new joint venture partner Saracen Mineral Holdings. The latter recently acquired Barrick Gold’s stake in the Super Pit.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN STAR RESOURCES LIMITED – ASX NST, NEWMONT GOLDCORP CORPORATION, SARACEN MINERAL HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX SAR, BARRICK GOLD CORPORATION

Kyoto credits may not be needed

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 8 : 18-Dec-19

Energy Minister Angus Taylor says Australia is on track to exceed its 2030 carbon emissions reduction target under the Paris climate agreement. He says the nation has consistently over-delivered with regard to reducing carbon emissions, and he is confident that it will do so with regard to the 2030 target. Matt Harris of Frontier Economics believes that Australia can meet its 2030 target without needing to use Kyoto carry-over credits.

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY, FRONTIER ECONOMICS PTY LTD, GRATTAN INSTITUTE

Employers drop bid for new permaflexi work category

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Original article by David Marin-Guzman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 18-Dec-19

The NSW Business Chamber and its legal arm, Australian Business Industrial, have abandoned a push for the Fair Work Commission to recognise a new category of employment. So-called ‘permaflexi’ workers would have been paid a 10 per cent loading in exchange for flexible rostering. The proposal was put forward in response to the Workpac case, in which the Federal Court ruled that casual workers are entitled to annual leave in addition to a casual loading. The permaflexi proposal may be revived if the federal government does not take legislative action in response to the Workpac case.

CORPORATES
NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER LIMITED

Asia’s coal hunger to lift exports

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Original article by Greg Brown, Perry Williams
The Australian – Page: 1 & 2 : 18-Dec-19

Australia’s coal production will grow by 1.4 per cent annually over the next five years, according to a report from the International Energy Agency. The nation’s coal output is forecast to top 444 million tonnes in 2024, compared with 409 million tonnes in 2018. Thermal coal exports are forecast to increase from 203 million tonnes to 223 million tonnes over this period, with coking coal shipments to rise from 179 million tonnes to 196 million tonnes. Demand for Australian coal is expected to be driven by nations such as India, Vietnam and Indonesia. Greens MP Adam Bandt has called for legislation to phase out coal exports by 2030, claiming that "coal will kill us".

CORPORATES
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND SCIENCE, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, MINERALS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, ADANI MINING PTY LTD, SIEMENS AG

RBA to wait and see before February rate cut

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Original article by David Rogers
The Australian – Page: 18 : 18-Dec-19

Financial markets have priced in a 62 per cent of an official interest rate cut in February, following the release of the federal government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The minutes from the central bank’s latest board meeting indicate that it will assess the economic outlook before deciding whether to make any change to monetary policy at its first meeting for 2020. The minutes noted that some downside risks to the global economic outlook have receded in recent weeks.

CORPORATES
RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Primed: Harto poised to sign off

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Original article by Caroline Overington
The Australian – Page: 13 & 18 : 18-Dec-19

Prime Media Group’s chairman John Hartigan expects shareholders to reject Seven West Media’s takeover offer for its regional affiliate on 18 December. He says the deal is likely to be blocked by major shareholders Bruce Gordon and Anthony Catalano, noting that they have a different agenda to other Prime investors. Hartigan supports the merger with Seven, arguing that cross-media ownership rules governing regional broadcasters are outdated and do not reflect the rise of streaming services. Hartigan has downplayed speculation that he will step down after the vote.

CORPORATES
PRIME MEDIA GROUP LIMITED – ASX PRT, SEVEN WEST MEDIA LIMITED – ASX SWM