Shareholder Communications
Policy
Woolworths Limited
Adopted on 25 August 2010
Woolworths Limited
Shareholder Communications Policy
1
Communication Strategy
The Company aims to ensure that shareholders are kept informed of all major developments
affecting the state of affairs of the Company. Additionally, the Company recognises that potential
investors and other interested stakeholders may wish to obtain information about the Company
from time to time.
To achieve this, the Company communicates information regularly to shareholders and other
stakeholders through a range of forums and publications.
2
Website
One of the Company’s key communication tools is its website located at
www.woolworthslimited.com.au. The Company endeavours to keep its website up-to-date,
complete and accurate. Important information about the Company can be found under the sections
marked ‘Investor Centre’ and ‘Governance’ including:
•
Corporate profile;
•
Constitution;
•
Board Charter
•
Nomination Committee Charter
•
Audit Risk Management and Compliance Committee Charter;
•
People Policy Committee Charter;
•
Core corporate governance policies (including Securities Dealing Policy,
Continuous Disclosure Policy);
•
Shareholder calendar;
•
Financial information about the Company: including share information,
dividend history and other financial performance data;
•
Notice of Meeting: The Company places the full text of all notices of meetings
and explanatory material on its website in the Investor Centre section.
•
Annual Report: The Company’s Annual Report is available on its website and
contains important information about the Company’s activities and results for
the previous financial year.
•
Announcements lodged with the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
within the last 5 years: All major ASX announcements made to the market are
posted on the Company website, including annual and half year financial results
and quarterly sales results. Major announcements by the Company to ASX are
posted on the Company’s website as soon as possible after receiving ASX’s
confirmation that an announcement has been released to the market, and are
broadcast via email and/or fax to major shareholders.
•
Presentations: Copies of all investor presentations made to analysts and
media briefings are posted on the Company’s website, and where appropriate,
the Company uses webcasting or teleconferencing of these presentations and
briefings.
•
Corporate Responsibility Report: the full version of the company’s CR report
covering all our critical areas of operation (marketplace, environment,
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Woolworths Limited
Shareholder Communications Policy
governance and community investment) and reported against Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI) benchmark indicators with external verification.
•
Other information: The Company provides a telephone helpline facility
(operated by its share registry) and an online email inquiry service to assist
shareholders with any queries.
The Woolworths website also contains a facility for shareholders to direct inquiries to the Company,
and to elect to receive communications from the Company via email (or to elect to discontinue
receiving email communications from the Company), and provide assessment and feedback on our
CR reporting.
3
Annual General Meeting
In addition to facilitating regular communication with shareholders through its website, Woolworths
uses its Annual General Meeting (AGM) as an opportunity to further engage with its shareholders
and seek their input on the management of the Company. Woolworths seeks to maximise
shareholders’ ability to participate in the AGM process by:
•
making directors, members of the management team and the external auditor
available to shareholders at the AGM;
•
allowing shareholders in attendance at the AGM a reasonable opportunity to
ask questions regarding the items of business, including questions to the
external auditor regarding the conduct of the audit and the preparation and
content of the auditor’s report;
•
providing shareholders who are unable to attend the meeting with an
opportunity to submit questions in advance of the meeting;
•
allowing shareholders to lodge proxies electronically;
•
webcasting the AGM proceedings and making the recording available on the
Woolworths website for shareholders and other stakeholders to view during the
year; and
•
where possible, holding the AGM at different locations around Australia.
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