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Hillgrove Resources

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FY2017 Annual Report · Hillgrove Resources
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ANNUAL REPORT  
for the year ended 31 December 2017

HILLGROVE RESOURCES LIMITED 

ACN 004 297 116

CONTENTS

CORPORATE DIRECTORY

Chairman and Managing  
Director’s Statement  

Kanmantoo Copper Mine  

Exploration 

Mineral Resource  
and Ore Reserves  

Sustainability: Environment,  
Safety and Community 

Financial Statements 

Directors’ Declaration 

1

3

6

12

14

15

68

Independent Auditor’s Report  69

Shareholder Information 

75

CORPORATE AND  
REGISTERED OFFICE
5-7 King William Road,  
Unley S.A. 5061, Australia

Tel: +61 8 7070 1698

KANMANTOO COPPER MINE
Eclair Mine Road 
Kanmantoo S.A. 5252, Australia

Tel:  + 61 8 8538 6800 
Fax: + 61 8 8538 5255

SHARE REGISTRY
Boardroom Pty Limited 
Level 12, 225 George Street 
Sydney N.S.W. 2000, Australia

Tel: + 61 2 9290 9600 
Fax: + 61 2 9279 0664

BANKERS
Westpac Banking Corporation 
31 Willoughby Road 
Crows Nest N.S.W. 2065, Australia 

Macquarie Bank Limited 
1 Martin Place 
Sydney N.S.W. 2000, Australia

AUDITORS
PricewaterhouseCoopers 
Level 11, 70 Franklin Street 
Adelaide S.A. 5000, Australia

WEB SITE
www.hillgroveresources.com.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES 
Info@hillgroveresources.com.au

CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

In the 2017 calendar year, Hillgrove completed the investment 
phase of the Giant Pit cutback and has now entered a cash 
generative phase. By late 2018 this should enable our creditors 
who have supported us through this period to be returned to 
normal trading terms, employees to be repaid their salary 
deferments and debt to be repaid. In the second half of 2018, 
this should have a material impact on the balance sheet and will 
position the company to pursue growth options and consider 
returning some of the value to shareholders in the form of fully 
franked dividends. 

We have come a long way since the 
first quarter of 2016, when Hillgrove 
critically assessed the past performance 
of Kanmantoo. The depressed copper 
prices at the time and the deferred 
copper production associated with 
the new Mineral Resource Estimate 
(announced in May 2016), when 
factored into mine plans and financial 
projections, were combining to cause 
a looming cash shortfall throughout 
2016 and 2017. Facing this challenge 
as a real and imminent threat led to 
an extraordinary effort to successfully 
implement a wide range of initiatives. 

To put our operations on a sounder 
footing, a number of measures were 
undertaken.  These included negotiation 
of lower charges (and deferred payment 
terms) with our main contractors, 
introduction of a 10% wages deferment 
(now being repaid) for our workforce, 
deferring price participation with our 
offtake buyer, completing an infill 
drilling programme and targeting gold 
production during a high price period.

An important financing initiative was the 
unwinding of the forward sold copper 
hedges to realise substantial cash 
surpluses. This enabled the Company to 
fully repay the USD debt early without 
breaching covenants or defaulting on 
that debt.  It should be noted that, had 
these positions not been closed, the 
subsequent copper price increase would 
have led to a negative monetary hedge 
book value of a similar amount.

Other financing initiatives included 
obtaining a $4m loan with the South 
Australian Government and securing 
the South Australian Government 
environmental performance bond with 
owned assets. Swiss Re provided a 
bond to Electranet thus removing the 
cash backing requirement. We also 
negotiated a debt for equity swap and 
copper price linked deferment with 
our drilling contractor, and sourced 
a PetroBond to provide credit for the 
supply of fuel to the mine, improving 
the company’s cash position.   These 
initiatives were supplemented in late 
2016 by the funds raised via a fully 
underwritten Convertible Note issue and 
associated issue of short-dated options.

All of this notwithstanding, 2017 threw 
up challenges for the Company that 
delayed the timing of positive cashflows 
until December 2017.  These included 
remedial geotechnical measures 
predominantly associated with the east 
wall slippage, availability challenges with 
contracted mining equipment, adverse 
weather and high workforce turnover.  
On the other hand the exercise of the 
options issued with the Convertible 
Notes contributed funds to the Company 
and the early redemption of those 
Convertible Notes, virtually all of which 
were converted to equity, reduced debt 
improving the balance sheet. 

Mr John Gooding 
Independent Non-Executive Chairman

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Mr Steven McClare - Chief Executive 
Officer and Managing Director

In early 2018 we have repaid the South 
Australian Government Loan and also 
successfully negotiated a copper pre-
pay facility that has provided a further 
$4 million dollars for working capital 
and allowed us to fix the pricing of an 
additional 5,000 tonnes of copper at 
an Australian Dollar price of $8,885 
per tonne.  As a result at 28 February 
2018 we have fixed pricing for 13,400 
tonnes of 2018 copper production at an 
average price of $8,896 per tonne after 
margins.

When looking at the 2017 financial 
report, many of the initiatives that have 
assisted the company through 2016 
and 2017 calendar years have led 
to liabilities that will become payable 
in 2018. They have therefore been 
recognised as current liabilities, causing 
current liabilities to significantly outweigh 
current assets at the end of 2017. 

 
 
 
CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT (CONT.)

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We remain confident, however, that 
the company can generate sufficient 
cashflow from operations to meet the 
Company’s obligations throughout 2018 
and beyond.  

The underlying EBITDA for 2017 was 
$16.2 million.  When coupled with 
the funding initiatives outlined above, 
this  allowed the Company to complete 
the Giant Pit cutback by the end of 
2017, an investment of $70 million 
over the last three years. With the 
sustainable step-up in monthly copper 
production occurring before the end of 
2017, EBITDA is projected to improve 
significantly in 2018 with production of 
22,000-24,000 tonnes of copper and 
approximately 3,000 ounces of gold 
anticipated.

After stripping out the fair value 
adjustment (loss) on redemption of the 
convertible notes (due to the share price 
rising after the notes were issued), the 
net financial result before tax for 2017 
was around break-even. The Company 
books a tax expense at present mainly 
because it does not record the tax 
benefit of carried forward tax losses. 

There has also been a significant focus 
on evaluating growth opportunities in 
2017.  

These efforts have validated several 
projects which are able to utilise the 
existing processing facility and/or site 
infrastructure. These include Kanmantoo 
Underground, exploration targets at 
Kanappa and Mt Rhine, as well as 
Kanmantoo Pumped Hydro.  
Successful development of an 
underground mining proof of concept at 
Kanmantoo, and significant exploration 
soil sampling and technical studies 
at Kanappa/Mt Rhine have been 
announced progressively throughout 
2017. With Hillgrove now in the cash 
generation phase, this work can progress 
and accelerate albeit with modest 
investment requirements during 2018. 

The Board is determined to ensure that 
any future growth or life extensions must 
have a reasonable potential of delivering 
a return for shareholders over and above 
the base case of returning otherwise 
invested cash to shareholders. To this 
end, the Company intends to undertake 
a measured exploration programme and 
project feasibility assessment, which will 
aim to extend mine life through near 
mine extensions, regional exploration 
targets or revenue generating projects.

On behalf of the Board we sincerely 
thank all shareholders for your patience 
and continued support.  

With the cutback complete and 
Kanmantoo in a cash generative phase, 
the Company is now in a much stronger 
financial position.  The aim is to now 
return creditors to normal terms, clear 
debt and, with a much-improved cash 
position and balance sheet, reward 
shareholders. 

We would like to also express our 
gratitude to our fellow directors who 
have worked closely with our hard-
working management team, to ensure 
that the interests of our shareholders 
and stakeholders have been always 
in the forefront of any initiatives that 
we have undertaken. We would also 
like to thank our past Chairman, Hon 
Dean Brown, AO for his dedicated and 
energetic contribution in the past and 
until his retirement in the first half of 
2017.

Finally, we would like to acknowledge 
the South Australian Government, our 
wonderful staff, our offtake partner, 
contractors and suppliers who have 
worked so closely with the management 
team to overcome the challenges of 
the past few years and to ready the 
company for much stronger profitability 
and cash generation during 2018.

 
 
 
KANMANTOO COPPER MINE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Completed Giant Cutback which concludes capital investment phase of the 
current open pit

The future Strip Ratio1 of 1.1 waste tonnes for every tonne of ore, positions 
the business to increase copper production from below 15,000t in CY17 to 
22,000t to 24,000t copper in CY18

KANMANTOO HIGHLIGHTS

 ■ OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES ADVERSELY IMPACTED 

PRODUCTION, INCLUDING POOR EQUIPMENT AVAILABILITY, 
WET WEATHER AND GEOTECHNICAL ISSUES

 ■ FLATTENED THE PIT WHICH ENABLED RETURN TO EFFICIENT 

MINING PRACTICES 

 ■ 67,265T OF COPPER CONCENTRATE PRODUCED, RESULTING 

IN 14,802T OF CONTAINED COPPER IN CONCENTRATE

 ■ SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED OBLIGATION TO BACKFILL ALL 

SATELLITE PITS 

 ■ ESTABLISHED GROWTH PIPELINE INCLUDING STAGED 

UNDERGROUND DEVELOPMENT AT KANMANTOO, REGIONAL 
EXPLORATION OPPORTUNITIES AND PUMPED HYDRO  
ENERGY STORAGE

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1  Strip Ratio = Tonnes Waste / Tonnes Resource (including inferred)

 
 
KANMANTOO COPPER MINE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA (CONT.)

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Hillgrove’s flagship development is the 
open pit Kanmantoo Copper Mine in 
South Australia, located 55 kilometres 
from Adelaide and close to road, 
rail, power and Port Adelaide. The 
exploration and mining lease is dotted 
with historical copper and base metal 
operations and includes the former 
Kanmantoo Mine, a medium sized 
copper operation that operated from 
1971 to 1976.  The location of the 
Kanmantoo Copper Mine offers many 
operational and logistical advantages, 
with a main highway passing close to 
the project and being approximately 
90km by road to Port Adelaide, 
permitting the trucking of copper 
concentrate. The mine site is connected 
to the electricity grid and has mains 
water available, although most of the 
process water is supplied by the District 
Council of Mount Barker’s treated waste 
water programme with a supplementary 
(untreated) supply from SA Water.    In 
partnership with the South Australian 
Government, additional water capacity 
was installed in CY2016 from the 
Murray River which provides 100% 
redundancy to the Mount Barker supply 
if required and enhances Hillgrove’s 
active dust suppression programme. 

Approximately 220 Hillgrove personnel 
currently staff the mine.  Due to 
Kanmantoo’s location close to the 
outer-Adelaide regional centres of Mt 
Barker and Murray Bridge there is no 
requirement to provide fly in/fly out 
facilities.  The resulting mix of staff 
comprises about 12% from the local 
area, 72% from the nearby regional 
area and the remainder from greater 
Adelaide.

 
 
 
KANMANTOO COPPER MINE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA (CONT.)

Along with Hillgrove’s direct 
employment, specialist contract services 
are being undertaken by its three 
main mining contractors which have a 
combined permanent workforce of some 
55 employees on site. The combination 
of specialised contract skills and 
experienced Hillgrove employees has 
allowed a high level of quality control 
in the critical areas of drilling, blasting, 
production and dilution control during 
mining and milling operations.

The safety performance in CY17 
improved slightly with Total Reportable 
Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) down 
to 20.3 injuries per million work hours 
(CY16 21.3), however, this remains well 
short of Hillgrove’s expectations.  The 
majority of injuries sustained were hand 
injuries and sprains from walking on 
uneven ground.  Hand injuries were 
arrested following the introduction 
of mandatory wearing of gloves in 
operational areas.Injury prevention in 
CY18 will continue to focus on manual 
handling and reducing soft muscle 
injuries in static roles which reduced 
markedly in CY17 following targeted 
training and changed work practices.

Mining production in CY17 was 17% 
higher than the previous year, due to an 
investment (funded by the capital raised 
in December 2016), which enabled 
the pit to flatten out, creating larger 
working areas, which improved mining 
efficiency.  Backfilling of the Emily 
Pit was completed in CY17, finishing 
the environmental commitments 
made to backfill all satellite pits after 
mining.  Rehabilitation of a further 18ha 
commenced in early CY17 and shaping 
of the final waste rock landforms 
continued ahead of further planned 
seasonal planting in CY18.

Gawler

Nuriootpa

Angaston

Tanunda

Lyndoch

EL 5628

Mount
Pleasant

Sedan

Swan Reach

Mt Rhine

Kanappa

M urray

Gulf

St. Vincent

ADELAIDE

EL 5628

Mannum

R iver

Nairne

Mount Barker
Echunga

Kanmantoo

Callington

Murray Bridge

Meadows

Strathalbyn

Kanmantoo
Copper Mine
(ML 6345)

Tailem Bend

Milang

L a k e
A l e x a n d r i n a

Fleurieu

Peninsula

Goolwa

Victor Harbor

NORTH

0

20

kilometres

Meningie

Mineral Lease

Exploration Licence

Exploration Project

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Along with direct employment 
opportunities and the significant use of 
local suppliers and businesses, Hillgrove 
continues to support local township 
community events and sporting groups, 
and engages with local Councils on 
support and provision of services.  The 
Company also supports the awareness 
of and education in the mining industry 
through its support of mining training, 
induction programmes and scholarships 
for study in the resources industry.

Kanmantoo Tenement Map

The processing plant crushed and 
milled 3.4M tonnes, 7% above the 
previous year.  Mining costs were 
$13.15/BCM, and processing costs 
$7.41/tonne milled.  The unit mining 
costs decreased (CY16 $14.01/BCM) 
due to the increased production 
efficiency afforded by the wider working 
areas.  

The CY17 C1 cost of US$2.33/lb of 
copper produced was within guidance of 
US$2.25/lb to US$2.35/lb.

Hillgrove continued its engagement 
during the year with the local 
Kanmantoo Callington Community 
Consultative Committee (KCCCC).  There 
was particular focus on how the mine 
can have a lasting positive effect on the 
local area, through shared infrastructure 
and enhancing the local environment by 
linking onsite rehabilitation works with 
offsite vegetation.  

 
 
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EXPLORATION

NEAR MINE AND REGIONAL EXPLORATION
In 2016 the Company identified a number of opportunities for organic growth around the Kanmantoo infrastructure, namely 
the Kanmantoo Underground Exploration Targets, the Kanappa copper-gold exploration project and the Mt Rhine copper-gold 
exploration project.

The development of these opportunities continued in 2017 resulting in several announcements on their progress.

Kanmantoo Underground Exploration Targets 1 
The Company demonstrated the extension of several high grade copper-gold zones beyond the final open pit design. This 
resulted in the announcement (25 May 2017) of an Exploration Target 2 of: 5-10Mt @ 1.7-2.2% Cu, 0.4-1.0g/t Au

614500mN

615000mN

615500mN

Kanmantoo
Copper Mine

NORTH

1200m RL

1000m RL

800m RL

600m RL

Final Pit Design

Nugent

South West
South West
Kavanagh
Kavanagh

East
Kavanagh

North East
Kavanagh

North
Kavanagh

Coopers

Spitfire

West Kavanagh

Central Kavanagh

0

300

metres

Kanmantoo Copper Mine Longitudinal Section - Exploration Target Zones

In summary, the Exploration Targets;

 ■ suggest the potential for a very significant underground resource opportunity at 

Kanmantoo, beneath and in the wall of the existing final pit 

 ■ suggest that a significant increase in mine life may be possible at Kanmantoo 

 ■ are based on utilising the existing processing plant and utilising the final in-pit haul 

road that will extend from surface down to 350m depth 

 ■ are based on several higher grade copper-gold ore zones that have already been 

mined in the open pit, and projecting these to depth 

 ■ commence within 250m of the existing in-pit haul road and therefore if these zones 

are confirmed by drilling, will require minimal capital to develop, and 

 ■ will benefit from the existing copper-gold processing plant at Kanmantoo that 

operates at a very efficient $7.41/tonne milled

1 

2 

ASX Release of 25 May 2017.

The Exploration Target is conceptual 
in nature as there has been 
insufficient exploration to define a 
Mineral Resource. It is uncertain 
if further exploration will result in 
the determination of a Mineral 
Resource.

 
 
 
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EXPLORATION (CONT.)

NEAR MINE AND REGIONAL EXPLORATION (CONT.)
Underground mining at Kanmantoo is 
not a new venture for the orebody. The 
previous mining operators at Kanmantoo 
in 1970-1976 also commenced 
underground mining on the copper-
gold orebodies before the copper price 
collapse of 1976 closed the operation.

Completed Nugent Pit

Current  Pit Surface

Planned Nugent UG Development

Final
Giant Pit
Design

Nugent
Orezones with
planned drilling

NORTH

0

200

metres

Isometric view of the Giant Open Pit to the north-west and the proposed Nugent 
underground development to the south-east

The first stage of the underground 
feasibility study focuses on the 
exploration of the high grade copper-
gold area in Nugent (12m @ 2.2% Cu, 
7.9g/t Au) at the south-east end of the 
Giant open pit. The plan is to establish 
a short development drive of 180m from 
the existing open pit ramp to establish 
underground exploration drilling 
platforms and stoping configurations to 
test the Nugent Exploration Target  
of 0.8-2.0Mt @ 1.5-2.0% Cu, 
1.5-2.5 g/t Au.

Planning is in progress and tenders are 
being evaluated for various stages of the 
Nugent underground activities.

In addition, a series of deep diamond 
drill holes into the East, Central and 
West Kavanagh Exploration Targets are 
planned to be undertaken in 2018. 
These holes intend to follow up the 
previously reported KTDD027 of 21m @ 
2.2% CuEq and 7m @ 3.1% CuEq, and 
KTDD149 24m @ 2.4% CuEq 3, which 
are open downdip and along strike. 
These previous drill holes are not only 
high grade copper intercepts but also 
contain significant gold mineralisation.

These deep drill holes will enable 
the depth continuation of the main 
Kavanagh orebodies to be affirmed and 
resource estimates to be released.

3 

ASX Release 25 May 2017 
Underground growth opportunity.

Underground mining at Kanmantoo in 1976

 
 
EXPLORATION (CONT.)

NEAR MINE AND REGIONAL EXPLORATION (CONT.)

0.9% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au

6.6% Cu, 0.2 g/t Au

0.4% Cu, 0.3 W

2.4% Cu, 0.8 g/t Au

0.2% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au

0.6% Cu

6.2% Cu

KPDDH01

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<35ppm Cu

<50ppm Cu

<80ppm Cu

>80ppm Cu

Diamond Drillhole
CuOx Sites

3.4% Cu

Rock Chip results

6158000mN

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400

metres

6157000mN

4.4% Cu

11.9% Cu

34% Cu

3.5% Cu

1.8% Cu

6156000mN

0.8 g/t Au

4.0 g/t Au

2.1 g/t Au

1.5 g/t Au

2.3 g/t Au

4.0 g/t Au

0.4% Cu

6155000mN

336000mE

337000mE

Kanappa Copper-Gold Exploration 4 
Hillgrove has identified a copper-gold 
mineralised zone at Kanappa over 4.8km 
long, confirmed with soil and rock chip 
sampling. Highlights include:

 ■ Sampling of mineralised outcrops along 
the Kanappa zone, has shown up to 
34.8% Cu and 4.0g/t Au (different 
samples)

 ■ The soil geochemical sampling has 

identified an area with very high grade 
copper results up to 2,300ppm Cu  
in soils

 ■ Mapping has identified in excess of 120 
sites of outcropping copper and copper-
gold mineralisation

 ■ The Kanappa Project is 60kms via 
existing roads from the Kanmantoo 
processing plant

Various geophysical programs will be 
undertaken in early 2018 to enable drill 
targets to be prioritised.

Mt Rhine Copper-Gold Exploration 
Project 5
The Company has identified two significant 
zones of copper-gold at Mt Rhine through 
a systematic soil and rock chip sampling 
program. Selective rock chip sampling and 
channel samples along Zone A have resulted 
in intervals of 6m @ 15.9g/t Au.

Along Zone B, selective rock chip sampling 
by Hillgrove has resulted in the discovery 
of surface outcrops of high grade copper 
and gold zones to 13.1% Cu and 49.8g/t Au 
(different samples). 

Both zones are over 1.0km in length. The 
Mt Rhine Project is 80kms via existing roads 
from the Kanmantoo processing plant and 
12kms from the Kanappa copper-gold project.

4 

ASX Releases 25 May 2017 and  
20 October 2017.

5 

ASX Release 25 October 2017.

Contoured 2017 soil geochemistry with 
selected rock chip results at Kanappa

 
 
 
EXPLORATION (CONT.)

NEAR MINE AND REGIONAL EXPLORATION (CONT.)
Mt Rhine Copper-Gold Exploration Project  (cont.)
Due to this projects’ proximity to Kanappa, geophysical programs planned to be undertaken in 2018 to identify drill targets will be 
able to be undertaken in a cost and time effective manner.

NORTH

0

500

metres

3.7% Cu, 1.4 g/t Au

13.1% Cu, 6.8 g/t Au, 163 g/t Ag

0.1% Cu, 3.4 g/t Au

3.7% Cu, 1.4 g/t Au

7.1% Cu, 49.8 g/t Au

Channel 6m @ 15.9 g/t Au

5.1% Zn

6165000mN

4.4 g/t Au

1.1 g/t Au

Channel 8m @ 5.4 g/t Au

Channel 6m @ 15.4 g/t Au

Channel 6m @ 13.1 g/t Au

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>50ppm Cu

20-50ppm Cu

10-20ppm Cu

<10ppm Cu

Channel samples

Historic RC holes

Rock Chips

3.4% Cu

Rock Chip results

337000mE

338000mE

339000mE

Contoured 2017 soil geochemistry with selected rock chip results at Mt Rhine

 
 
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EXPLORATION (CONT.)

Waste
Dump

NEAR MINE AND REGIONAL EXPLORATION (CONT.)
Pumped Hydro Energy Storage
Hillgrove is compiling a prefeasibility 
study of a Pumped Hydro Energy 
Storage facility at the Kanmantoo site.  
The Company has entered commercial 
discussions with parties regarding 
the potential to take advantage of 
the infrastructure being developed 
at Kanmantoo as part of the open pit 
mining operation to establish a Pumped 
Hydro Energy Storage facility.  Pumped 
Hydro enables South Australian 
renewable energy growth by adding 
system stability and storage to the 
electrical network.

Storage
Dam

Waste Dump

Intake

NORTH

0

250

metres

Surge Tank

Shaft

Underground Power House

A c c e s s   T u n n e l

Tailrace Tunnel

S u r f a c e   P e n s t o c k

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Road
Haul
Pit

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The mine site is well suited for this 
project due to: 

 ■ Upper and lower ponds 

approximately 1km apart providing 
an effective head of up to 250m, 
sufficient to generate 220MW for 
up to 6 hours which is considered 
the upper limit for commercial 
maximization in the South Australian 
context.  

 ■ Advanced understanding of the 
site’s geological, geotechnical, 
hydrological and environmental 
conditions from the existing mining 
operation that is directly applicable 
to Pumped Hydro, including a 
complete array of ground water 
monitoring stations, structural 
mapping of pit faces (lower pond) 
and over 145 km of exploration 
drilling. 

 ■ Estimated capital of less than $1M 
per installed MW, roughly half the 
industry average and competitive 
with any other project in SA owing 
largely to the ability of the mining 
operation to construct the upper 
(tailings storage facility) and lower 
(final open pit) ponds for very 
little additional cost as part of the 
mining operation, which effectively 
subsidises the Pumped Hydro 
capital expenditure.

Kanmantoo Pumped Storage Project generalised plan

Intake

Dam

Surge Tank

Surface Penstock

1200mRL

1100mRL

1000mRL

900mRL

800mRL

Vertical
Shaft

Kanmantoo
Open Pit

A c c e s s   T u n n e l

l r a c e   T u n n e l

T a i

Underground
Power House

0

250

metres

Kanmantoo Pumped Storage Project gerneralised longitudinal projection

 ■ Close proximity to the main 275kV electricity network. 

 ■ Access to water via existing pipelines (>2.5GLpa).

 ■ Excellent community and government relationships, as well as a site which is 

already used for heavy industry.

Benchmarking against other announced pumped hydro projects indicates that the 
Kanmantoo Pumped Hydro would be one of the earliest to market with a low capital 
spend.  

Initial studies indicate the Pumped Hydro facility can be developed and operate 
concurrently with underground mining.  However, the value of the underground 
mining would reduce due to ore left in the larger crown pillar required and increased 
mine development costs.  Further studies will be carried out to optimise the 
combination of projects that returns the best value to shareholders.

 
 
 
EXPLORATION (CONT.)

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INDONESIAN PROJECTS
On 28 February 2018 Hillgrove received notices from the Indonesian Department 
of Mines, which state the tenements for its two Indonesian assets at Bird’s Head in 
West Papua and Sumba Island have been terminated due to the non-performance of 
obligations, including the non-payment of dead rents. 

Hillgrove is taking advice to review its position and decide whether it will appeal the 
decision.

The projects were on a care and maintenance and the carrying value of both projects 
was fully impaired in 2015.

 
 
12

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MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE ESTIMATES

On 18 October 2016 a Mineral Resource Estimate and Ore Reserve Estimate was announced for the Kanmantoo Copper Mine. 
The 2016 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Giant Pit only was updated in 2017 with 1,617m of in-pit RC drilling (<0.01% 
increase in drill metres) to provide more certainty for the production schedules. The in-pit drilling has not resulted in a material 
change to the total Mineral Resource Estimate.

The 2017 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Kanmantoo District has been reported at the 31 December 2017 mined surface 
and is therefore depleted for production from 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2017. As production has only been from the 
Giant Pit, only the Giant Pit has been depleted. The Mineral Resource estimate is tabulated below at 0.2% Cu cut-off grade. All 
search parameters, variography, estimation algorithm, model extents, panel dimensions, are identical to the previously reported 
2016 Mineral Resource Estimate (18 October 2016). The Mineral Resource Estimate is inclusive of the Ore Reserve Estimate also 
tabulated below for the same surface and cut-off grade for the Giant Pit.

KANMANTOO GLOBAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE AT 31 DECEMBER 2017
Ag
Tonnage

JORC 2012

Au

Cu

Mine

Kanmantoo Copper Mine, 
All Deposits 

Classification

Measured 

Indicated

Inferred

Total

Note: Economic cut-off grade is 0.20% Cu.   

(Mt)

9.5

10.1

12.3

31.8

(%)

0.6

0.6

0.6

0.6

(g/t)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

GIANT OPEN PIT MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATE AT 31 DECEMBER 2017

JORC 2012

Tonnage

Mine

Classification

Kanmantoo Copper Mine, 

Measured 

Giant Pit Only

Total

Indicated

Inferred

Note: Economic cut-off grade is 0.20% Cu. 

(Mt)

7.5

4.5

9.6

21.6

Cu

(%)

0.6

0.5

0.6

0.6

Au

(g/t)

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

KANMANTOO OPEN PIT ORE RESERVE ESTIMATE AT 31 DECEMBER 2017

JORC 2012

Tonnage

Mine

Classification

Kanmantoo Copper Mine

Proved 

Probable

Total

Note: Economic cut-off grade is 0.20% Cu.   

(Mt)

4.9

1.1

6.1

Cu

(%)

0.6

0.5

0.6

Au

(g/t)

0.1

0.1

0.1

(g/t)

1.2

1.5

1.0

1.2

Ag

(g/t)

1.2

1.0

0.9

1.0

Ag

(g/t)

1.2

0.9

1.1

Cu Metal

(kt)

59

62

67

188

Cu Metal

(kt)

44

23

53

120

Cu Metal

(kt)

31

6

37

The resource estimate is validated as an ongoing practice by the mine staff by reconciling production against the estimates. This 
reconciliation process has highlighted the importance of drill hole data density as the pit progresses to depth. 

Reconciliation for the last 3 months and for the last 6 months of 2017 shows the Mineral Resource Estimate to reconcile 
conservatively by 2% in copper metal against mill reconciled open pit production.

 
 
 
MINERAL RESOURCE AND ORE RESERVE ESTIMATES (CONT.)

KANMANTOO UNDERGROUND COPPER-GOLD EXPLORATION TARGET
The Kanmantoo Exploration Target in this report is based on currently available data and was reported on 25 May 2017. The 
Exploration Target is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration to define a Mineral Resource. It is uncertain 
if further exploration will result in the determination of a Mineral Resource under the “Australasian Code for Reporting of 
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves, the JORC Code” (JORC 2012). The Exploration Target is in addition to 
the Mineral Resource Estimates tabulated above.

Exploration Target

Coopers

North Kavanagh

North East Zone

East Kavanagh

Central Kavanagh

West Kavanagh

South West Kavanagh

Spitfire

Nugent

Total

DH Width Range  
(m)

Tonnage Range  
(Mt)

Grade Range  
(Cu%)

Grade Range  
(Au g/t)

Grade Range 
(CuEq%)

6-10

6-10

12-33

10-24

13-30

11-28

7-22

16-37

8-15

6-37

0.1-0.3

0.1-0.7

0.4-0.7

0.4-0.8

1.2-2.2

0.8-1.6

0.8-1.0

0.4-0.7

0.8-2.0

1.5-2.0

1.5-2.0

2.0-2.5

2.0-2.5

1.5-2.0

2.0-2.5

1.8-2.2

1.5-2.0

1.5-2.0

5.0-10.0

1.7-2.2

0.4-0.8

0.4-0.8

0.4-0.8

0.05-0.2

0.1-0.4

0.01-0.05

0.1-0.4

1.5-3.0

1.5-2.5

0.4-1.0

1.8-2.5

1.8-2.5

2.2-3.0

2.0-2.6

1.6-2.2

2.0-2.5

1.8-2.4

2.5-4.0

2.5-3.5

2.0-2.8

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Competent Person’s Statement

The information in this release that relates to Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates were prepared by Competent Persons in accordance with the JORC 
Code 2012.  Further information on the Kanmantoo Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves is available in the Hillgrove Updated Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve 
Estimate released to the ASX on 18 October 2016, which is also available on the Hillgrove Resources website at www.hillgroveresources.com.au.  Hillgrove 
Resources confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in that market announcement and, in the 
case of estimates of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant 
market announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.  Hillgrove Resources confirms that the form and context in which the findings of 
the Competent Persons (Peter Rolley and Michaela Wright in relation to the Mineral Resource Estimates and Lachlan Wallace in relation to the Ore Reserve 
estimates) are presented, have not been materially modified from the original market announcement apart from mining depletion. Peter Rolley, Michaela Wright 
and Lachlan Wallace consent to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which they appear.

 
 
SUSTAINABILITY: ENVIRONMENT, SAFETY AND COMMUNITY

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Hillgrove’s Sustainability and Work 
Health & Safety Policies provide a 
strong, ethical foundation for our 
approach to health, safety, environment 
and community (HSEC) responsibilities.   
Supporting these policies, Hillgrove 
has implemented an Integrated 
Risk Management System (Kan-do) 
across our operations.  The system 
incorporates a prioritised risk based 
approach and continual improvement 
framework, ensuring our HSEC policy 
objectives and legislative compliance are 
achieved.

To reduce the risks as low as reasonably 
practicable, the Kan-do system provides 
the appropriate safe systems of work, 
clearly outlined responsibilities and 
accountabilities, and a strong audit 
framework.  Hillgrove has identified its 
Principal HSEC risks and implemented 
the appropriate control measures.  

The Kan-do system is driven by effective 
leadership, the acceptance of individual 
responsibility and the promotion of a 
risk aware culture across its operations 
through the implementation of a Due 
Diligence Model.  The Kan-do system 
is audited regularly, and improvements 
are monitored through Hillgrove’s Senior 
Leadership Team and the Audit and 
Risk Committee.  

Prudent and environmentally 
responsible operational management 
at Kanmantoo has helped reduce 
our overall rehabilitation expenditure, 
while building our reputation with the 
community as a good neighbour and an 
ethical mining operator.   

Progressive rehabilitation of the site 
has commenced and the Integrated 
Waste Landform (IWL) comprised 
of our waste rock and the tailings 
storage facility has seen considerable 
progress. The continued revegetation 
of the Mining Lease has seen further 
linkages of remnant woodland areas and 
enhancement of conserved remnant 
vegetation.  

The establishment of high quality native 
vegetation on adjacent land is assisting 
Hillgrove to return up to 10 hectares 
of high quality rehabilitated land to the 
community for every hectare of native 
vegetation we have disturbed. The 
establishment of this vegetation as a 
community asset is being integrated 
into a “Community Master Plan” 
to ensure real benefit back to the 
impacted community and the natural 
environment. We continue to produce 
and harvest native seed as well as 
conduct wild seed collection to ensure 
there are sufficient propagules to enable 
this important work.

Strategic community engagement 
continues utilising the long established 
Community Engagement Plan (2009). 
Regular reviews and modifications to the 
plan continue to ensure engagement of 
the community remains effective and 
productive. 

We remain pro-active in meeting the 
ongoing challenges and impacts of 
our site through the use of real-time 
monitoring and alert systems focused 
on dust prevention and action and the 
blasting notification SMS system. There 
is however always room for improvement 
and as such we utilise working groups 
made up of community and committee 
members and regulators to drive actions 
and ideas to improve performance.

 
 
 
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  
for the year ended 31 December 2017

15

CONTENTS

Financial Statements 

  Directors’ Report 

  Remuneration Report (audited) 

  Auditor’s Independence Declaration 

  Consolidated statement of profit or loss and  
  other comprehensive income 

  Consolidated statement of financial position 

  Consolidated statement of changes in equity 

  Consolidated statement of cash flows 

  Notes to the Financial Statements  

Directors’ Declaration 

Independent Auditor’s Report 

Shareholder Information 

15

16

28

39

40

41

42

43

44

68

69

75

These financial statements are the consolidated financial 
statements for the consolidated entity consisting of Hillgrove 
Resources Limited and its subsidiaries. The financial 
statements are presented in the Australian currency.

Hillgrove Resources Limited is a company limited by shares, 
incorporated and domiciled in Australia. Its registered office 
and principal place of business is:

Hillgrove Resources Limited 
Ground Floor, 5-7 King William Road,  
Unley, South Australia 5061

The financial statements were authorised for issue by the 
Directors on 14 March 2018.  The Directors have the power to 
amend and reissue the financial statements.

Through the use of the internet, we have ensured that our 
corporate reporting is timely and complete. All press releases, 
financial reports and other information are available at our 
Investors’ Centre on our website www.hillgroveresources.com.au

 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT

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The Directors present their report on the consolidated entity (referred to hereafter as “the Group”) consisting of Hillgrove 
Resources Limited (Hillgrove or the Company) and the entities it controlled during the 12 months ended 31 December 2017.
PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES
Hillgrove Resources Limited is an Australian mining company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: HGO) focused 
on operating its flagship Kanmantoo Copper Mine and associated regional exploration targets, located less than 55km from 
Adelaide in South Australia.

The Kanmantoo Mine has been mined at the rate of up to 20 million tonnes per annum and has produced up to 20,000 tonnes 
of copper per annum.  Annual export earnings are in a range of $110 million to $170 million per annum.  Copper concentrate 
production from the Kanmantoo Copper Mine is sold to Freepoint Metals & Concentrates LLC under a 100% off take agreement.  

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
The Directors and Officers of the Company at any time during the 12 month period or since the end of 31 December 2017 are:

Name/Qualifications

Experience and special responsibilities

Mr John Gooding

Independent Non-Executive Chairman /  Chairman Nomination and Remuneration Committees

Qualifications 

Experience

Assoc Dip. Mining Eng., FIE Aust., F. Aus. IMM, MAICD

John is a Mining Engineer with over 40 years’ experience in the resources industry.  He has held 
executive management positions with CRA, Normandy Mining, MIM, Xstrata (CEO Xstrata Copper 
Australia), Ok Tedi Mining and Roche Mining. John has extensive experience in gold and base metal 
mining (both open-cut and underground) through the management and operation of mines in Australia 
and internationally. He was the Managing Director and CEO of Highlands Pacific for nine and a half 
years until November 2016, and was a Board member of the PNG Chamber of Mines and Petroleum 
from 2009. He is also the Non-Executive Chairman of the Board for Kasbah Resources Ltd.

John is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee.

Appointed 31 May 2007.

Mr Maurice Loomes

Non-Executive Director

Qualifications

Experience

B.Comm (Econ Hons), F.Fin.

Maurice has a Bachelor of Commerce (Econ Hons) and over 40 years’ experience in investment 
analysis and strategy gained across many industries, including roles at Bain and Company, Industrial 
Equity Limited, Westmex Limited, Guinness Peat Group PLC and many others. He has also held 
numerous directorships of public companies including CIC Australia Limited (1994-2013), Guinness 
Peat Group PLC (1996-2000) and Tower Limited (2003-2005). Maurice is currently a Non-Executive 
Director of Ariadne Australia Limited (2004- ) (a significant shareholder of Hillgrove Resources) and 
was formerly a Non-Executive Director of Calliden Group Ltd from 2000- 2014.

Maurice is a member of the Remuneration, Audit and Risk and Nomination Committees.

Appointed 25 November 2013.

Mr Philip Baker 

Independent Non-Executive Director 

Qualifications 

Experience

CPA, MAICD, BBus, PGDipBA

Phil is a Certified Practising Accountant with over 37 years in the mining industry. He started with MIM 
Holdings in 1980 undertaking various roles before leading the development and construction of the 
Ernest Henry copper/gold mine from 1995-97, and then was responsible for the copper refinery and 
other operations in north Queensland. He became Group Treasurer and later EGM - Strategy, Planning 
and Development, before leaving MIM in 2003.  Phil was then CFO and Company Secretary at Peplin 
Limited and later QMAG Limited before joining Lihir Gold Limited in 2007 as CFO, serving as CEO for 
three months in 2010 before the takeover by Newcrest Ltd.  After a period consulting to the resources 
industry, Phil joined Rio Tinto in 2012 as CFO of Pacific Aluminium to help prepare it for divestment, 
leaving in late 2013 when it was reintegrated into Rio Tinto Alcan.  

Phil is a member of the Remuneration and Nomination Committees and Chairs the Audit and Risk 
Committee.

Appointed 29 October 2014.

 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS (CONT.)

Name/Qualifications

Experience and special responsibilities

Mr Anthony (Tony) Breuer 

Independent Non-Executive Director 

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Qualifications 

Experience

BCom/LLB

Tony has over thirty years of experience at investment bank, Gresham Partners Limited and is currently 
Managing Director of Gresham Funds Management Group and Deputy Chairman of Gresham Partners 
Capital Limited, and is a Board member of various Gresham group companies and committees. He 
was formerly, Director of National Gallery Australia Foundation. He was admitted as a Barrister to the 
Supreme Court of NSW.  

Tony is a member of the Remuneration, Audit and Risk and Nomination Committees.

Appointed 1 June 2017.

Mr Steven McClare 

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director

Qualifications

Experience

Mr Paul Kiley

Qualifications

Experience

BEng (Mining Hons), M.Aus.IMM

Steve joined Hillgrove in September 2012 as the General Manager Operations at the Kanmantoo 
Copper Mine and in May 2015 he was promoted to Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.  
Previously the Deputy General Manager, then Head of Mining Operations for Newcrest Mining’s 
Cadia Valley Operations, Steve has spent a significant portion of his career constructing, ramping up 
and optimising mining operations, including Telfer, Cadia Hill, Ridgeway Deeps and Cadia East for 
Newcrest, and Callie for Newmont.  With a background that includes management of Normandy’s 
White Devil Mine, and also various roles within Mount Isa Mines and a work/study Mining Engineering 
Cadetship with Western Collieries when he joined the industry in 1989. Steve boasts significant 
experience within industry ranging from underground operations to 150ktpa to 26mtpa, to open pit 
operations of 2mtpa to 24mtpa. 

Steve is a member of the Treasury Committee.

Appointed 27 May 2015.

Chief Financial Officer & Company Secretary

B.Ec, CPA

Paul has over thirty years of experience in the mining, oil and gas industries. He spent 13 years with 
Newmont (and previously Normandy) in a number of executive roles including Director for Corporate 
Development for Newmont’s Asia Pacific region and the Group Risk Manager. He also spent six years 
in senior roles with Occidental Oil & Gas, working in both Australia and the United States of America. 

Paul is a member of the Treasury Committee.

Appointed 12 June 2015.

 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS (CONT.)
RETIRED DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS
Name/Qualifications

Experience and special responsibilities

The Hon.  
Dean Brown, AO

Qualifications

Experience

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Independent Non-Executive Chairman / Chairman Nomination Committee

B.Rur.Sc.,Grad.Dip. Bus.Admin.,M.Rur.Sc., D.Sc.(Hon), FAICD

Former Premier and Minister of the South Australian Government and Member of South Australian 
Parliament from 1973-1985 and 1992-2006. Dean was also Deputy Premier and Leader of the Opposition 
during that time.  He was a Director of AACM International Pty Ltd (1986-92), a Senior Agricultural Scientist, 
the Premier’s Special Advisor on Drought (2007-11), a Director of the National Youth Mental Health Advisory 
Board (Headspace) (between 2006-09) and Chairman of InterMet Resources Limited between (2008-13).

Dean undertakes corporate advisory consulting to a variety of companies and is also a Director of Scantech 
Limited (2007- ), Chairman of the Playford Memorial Trust (member since 2008 and Chairman since 2011), 
a Director of Foodbank SA (2006- ), a Director of Mission Australia (2012- ), Chairman of Skills IQ and a 
member of several advisory Boards. 
Dean Chaired the Nomination and the Remuneration Committees and was a member of the Audit and Risk 
Committee.

Resigned 31 May 2017.

DIRECTORS’ MEETINGS
The number of Directors’ meetings and number of meetings attended by each of the Directors of the Company during the twelve 
month period are:

Meetings Held

Director

Mr J E Gooding

Mr M W Loomes

Mr P Baker

Mr A Breuer

Mr S P McClare

Hon. D C Brown, AO

Board

Remuneration 
Committee

Audit  
Committee

Nomination 
Committee

Treasury  
Committee

A

18

18

18

8

18

10

B

18

18

18

8

18

10

A

6

6

6

2

6

4

B

6

6

6

2

4

4

A

7

7

7

2

7

5

B

7

7

7

2

7

5

A

2

2

2

-

2

1

B

2

2

2

-

2

1

A

-

-

2

-

2

-

B

-

-

2

-

2

-

A – Number of meetings held during the Directors time in office 

B – Number of meetings attended

The number of Audit Committee meetings increased from three in 2016 to seven in 2017 as a result of a decision to tender the 
Company’s audit services, and the subsequent appointment of PwC as the Company’s new auditor.

The Treasury Committee members are Mr P Baker, Mr S McClare, Mr P Kiley and Mr J Sutanto (Group Finance & Planning 
Manager).

 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

RESULTS

Revenue from ordinary activities

$127.1m CY16: $113.1m

Profit / (Loss) from ordinary 
activities after tax attributable  
to the owners of  
Hillgrove Resources Limited

Profit / (Loss) for the period 
attributable to the owners of 
Hillgrove Resources Limited

($14.1m)

CY16: ($109.2m)  
restated (1)

($14.1m)

CY16: ($109.2m)  
restated (1)

1  Restatement: the financial statements for CY16 have been restated 
to include adjustments relating to rehabilitation provision and 
depreciation.  Further details are in note 2 (f) to the consolidated 
financial statements. 

OVERVIEW OF CONSOLIDATED  
FINANCIAL RESULTS
Hillgrove Resources Limited is an Australian mining company listed 
on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: HGO) focused on its 
flagship Kanmantoo Copper Mine, located less than 55km from 
Adelaide in South Australia and associated regional exploration 
targets.

For the year ended 31 December 2017, the net loss after tax was 
$14.1 million compared to a net loss after tax of $109.2 million for 
the year ended 31 December 2016 which included non-cash asset 
impairment charges from the first half of 2016.   At 30 June 2016 
there was an impairment charge of $68.5 million after tax reducing 
the carrying value of the Kanmantoo mine assets and which is 
shown as a non-underlying item.  The underlying net loss after tax 
during the year was $8.4 million compared with $40.7 million loss in 
2016.  (Refer page 22 for further details including a reconciliation of 
statutory results to underlying results).

During 2017, a non-underlying expense of $5.5 million was 
recorded to reflect the increase in fair value of the convertible notes 
by the time they were converted to shares.  All convertible notes 
were converted into equity or redeemed by year end.  Further, the 
Company books a tax expense at present because it does not record 
the full tax benefit of carried forward tax losses.

Before the non-underlying items, the operating result for 2017 was 
a profit before interest and tax (EBIT) of $4.4 million compared to a 
loss before interest and tax of $22.5 million in 2016.  Depreciation 
expense in CY17 was $32.9 million, lower than the previous 
year due mainly to lower charges following the impairment write 
downs of depreciating assets in the previous year.   With non-cash 
depreciation and amortisation added back, underlying EBITDA in 
2017 decreased by $6.0 million from $22.2 million to $16.2 million 
with lower mining costs being capitalised during 2017 for the  
pre-strip.

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REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE 
CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK
In CY17, Hillgrove completed the investment phase 
of the Giant Pit cutback and has now entered a cash 
generative phase as higher grade ore can now be 
selectively processed. By late 2018, this should enable 
creditors who have supported the Company through the 
2016 to 2017 period to be returned to normal trading 
terms, employees to be repaid their salary deferments 
and debt to be repaid. 

A number of measures were undertaken in CY16 to deal 
with the projected cashflow challenge from depressed 
copper prices and deferred copper production.  These 
included negotiation of lower charges (and deferred 
payment terms) with the main contractors, introduction 
of a 10% wages deferment (now being repaid) for the 
workforce, deferring price participation with the offtake 
buyer, completing an infill drilling programme and 
targeting gold production during a high price period.  An 
important financing initiative was the unwinding of the 
forward sold copper hedges to realise substantial cash 
surpluses. This enabled the Company to fully repay 
the USD debt early without breaching covenants or 
defaulting on that debt.

Other financing initiatives included obtaining a $4m loan 
from the South Australian Government and securing 
the South Australian Government environmental 
performance bond with owned assets. Swiss Re provided 
a bond to Electranet thus removing the cash backing 
requirement.  A debt for equity swap and copper price 
linked deferment was also negotiated with the drilling 
contractor, and a PetroBond was secured to provide 
credit for the supply of fuel to the mine, improving 
the company’s cash position. These initiatives were 
supplemented in late 2016 by the funds raised via a fully 
underwritten convertible note issue and associated issue 
of short-dated options.

During 2017 the Company faced operational challenges 
that delayed the timing of positive cashflows until 
December 2017.  These included remedial geotechnical 
measures predominantly associated with the east 
wall slippage, availability challenges with contracted 
mining equipment, adverse weather and high workforce 
turnover. 

The exercise of the options issued with the Convertible 
Notes contributed funds to the Company and the early 
redemption of those Convertible Notes, virtually all 
of which were converted to equity, reduced debt and 
improved the balance sheet by the end of 2017.  

 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
In early 2018 the Company has repaid the $4 million South Australian Government Loan along with accumulated interest of 
$0.3 million and also successfully negotiated a copper pre-pay facility that has provided a further $4 million for working capital 
and allowed Hillgrove to fix the pricing of an additional 5,000 tonnes of copper to be sold in 2018 at an Australian Dollar price 
of $8,885 per tonne.  As at 28 February 2018, there is fixed pricing for 13,400 tonnes of copper production over the next 
12 months at an average price of $8,896/tonne after margins.

Many of the initiatives that have assisted the Company through 2016 and 2017 calendar years have led to liabilities on the 
balance sheet that will become payable in 2018. They have therefore been recognised as current liabilities, causing current 
liabilities to significantly outweigh current assets at the end of 2017. Management remains confident, however, that, with the 
step-up in copper production from December 2017, the Company can generate sufficient cashflow from operations to meet its 
obligations throughout 2018 and beyond.  

The underlying EBITDA (refer page 22) for 2017 was $16.2 million.  When coupled with the funding initiatives outlined above, 
this allowed the Company to complete the Giant Pit cutback by the end of 2017, an investment of $70 million over the last 
three years. With the sustainable step-up in monthly copper production occurring before the end of 2017, EBITDA is projected 
to improve significantly in 2018 with production of 22,000-24,000 tonnes of copper and approximately 3,000 ounces of gold 
anticipated. 

After stripping out the fair value adjustment (loss) on redemption of the convertible notes (due to the share price rising after the 
notes were issued) the underlying net profit before tax for 2017 was near break-even. The Company books a tax expense at 
present mainly because it does not record the tax benefit of carried forward tax losses.

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Kanmantoo Copper Mine Production Statistics

Ore to ROM from Pit

Mined Waste

Total Tonnes Mined

Closing Ore Stocks

Mining Grade

Ore Milled

Milled Grade 

Recovery  

- Cu

- Au

- Cu

- Au

CY16

Mar-17 Qtr

Jun-17 Qtr

Sep-17 Qtr

Dec-17 Qtr

CY17

12 Mths

3 Mths

3 Mths

3 Mths

3 Mths

12 Mths

2,838

12,332

15,171

40

0.50

3,197

0.52

0.21

82.7

52.7

1,040

4,413

5,453

205

0.45

875

0.47

0.08

90.5

48.7

849

3,821

4,669

242

0.44

831

0.45

0.08

90.8

51.7

811

2,679

3,490

183

0.54

838

0.47

0.13

90.8

54.6

1,216

3,475

4,691

524

0.48

882

0.52

0.19

90.5

51.2

3,915

14,388

18,303

524

0.48

3,427

0.48

0.12

90.6

51.8

kt

kt

kt

kt

%

kt

%

g/t

%

%

Cu Concentrate Produced

Dry mt

59,842

16,223

15,203

16,170

19,669

67,265

Concentrate Grade  

- Cu

- Au

Contained Metal in Concentrate 

- Cu

- Au

- Ag

%

g/t

t

oz

oz

Total Concentrate Sold

Dry mt

22.8

6.0

23.0

2.0

22.3

2.3

21.9

3.7

21.0

4.3

22.0

3.1

13,624

11,518

104,042

60,213

3,727

1,060

27,254

15,939

3,392

1,100

25,986

15,865

3,548

1,900

26,448

15,786

4,135

2,725

14,802

6,785

30,862

110,551

17,571

65,161

During 2017, Hillgrove achieved production of 67,265 tonnes of dry concentrate containing 14,802 tonnes of copper and 
6,785oz of gold from the Kanmantoo Copper Mine.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
The funds from the convertible note issue in December 2016 enabled the pit to 
flatten out, creating larger working areas which improved mining efficiency and 
contributed to a 20% increase in mining production in CY17.  Backfilling of the 
Emily Pit was completed in CY17, finishing the environmental commitments made to 
backfill all satellite pits after mining.  Rehabilitation of a further 18ha commenced in 
early CY17 and shaping of the final waste rock landforms continued ahead of further 
planned seasonal planting in CY18.  The processing plant crushed and milled 3.4M 
tonnes, 7% above the previous year.  

EXPLORATION PROGRAMME
Exploration activities during the year 
were focused on delineating drill targets 
to convert the significant underground 
Exploration Target at the Kanmantoo 
Copper Mine, and to test the regional 
copper-gold projects at Kanappa and  
Mt Rhine.

Mining costs were $13.15/BCM, and processing costs $7.41/tonne milled.  The 
unit mining costs decreased from the previous year (CY16 $14.01/BCM) due to the 
increased production efficiency afforded by the wider working areas.  

The CY17 C1 cost of US$2.33/lb of copper produced was within guidance of 
US$2.25/lb to US$2.35/lb.

Kanmantoo Monthly Mining Performance

672

406

596
435

497

198

538

525

447

305

329

215

321

370

264

337

423

226

553

413

469

573

476

250

)
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u
o
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(

t
n
e
m
e
v
o
M
M
C
B

l
a
t
o
T

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Jan 
2017 

Feb 
2017 

Mar 
2017 

Apr 
2017 

May 
2017 

Jun 
2017 

Jul 
2017 

Aug 
2017 

Sep 
2017 

Oct 
2017 

Nov 
2017 

Dec 
2017

Total BCM movements (LHS)

Total Ore tonnes (RHS)

Kanmantoo Monthly Milled Tonnes, Copper Recovery (%)  
and Mill  Run Time (%) Performance

)
s
d
n
a
s
u
o
h
t

-

t

m
d
(

s
e
n
n
o
T

d
e
l
l
i

M

325

300

275

250

225

94.2

94.8

94.4

93.1

90.5

90.5

90.1

89.9

90.5

89.5

94.8

92.4

91.7

88.8

90.1

84.7

100.0

97.4

93.2

90.4

89.8

89.6

96.2

91.6

290

282

304

291

285

255

271

266

301

299

276

306

Jan 
2017 

Feb 
2017 

Mar 
2017 

Apr 
2017 

May 
2017 

Jun 
2017 

Jul 
2017 

Aug 
2017 

Sep 
2017 

Oct 
2017 

Nov 
2017 

Dec 
2017

Milled Tonnes (LHS)

Primary Copper Recovery (RHS)

Mill Run Time (RHS)

)
s
d
n
a
s
u
o
h
t
(

s
e
n
n
o
T

e
r
O

l
a
t
o
T

e
g
a
t
n
e
c
r
e
P

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

100

95

90

85

80

75

70

65

60

1 

The Exploration Target is conceptual in nature as there has been insufficient exploration 
to define a Mineral Resource. It is uncertain if further exploration will result in the 
determination of a Mineral Resource.

2 

ASX Releases 25 May 2017 and 20 October 2017.

The Company has demonstrated 
the extension of several high grade 
copper-gold zones beyond the final 
open pit design. This has resulted in 
the announcement (25 May 2017) of 
an underground Exploration Target 1 of 
5-10Mt @ 1.7-2.2% Cu, 0.4-1.0g/t Au.

The most advanced of these underground 
targets is the Nugent underground zone 
where the Company has identified a high 
copper-gold area (12m @ 2.2% Cu, 7.9g/t 
Au) at the south-east end of the Giant 
open pit. The plan is to complete a short 
development drive of 180m from the 
existing Giant open pit ramp to establish 
underground exploration drilling platforms 
and stoping configurations to test the 
Nugent Exploration Target of 0.8-2.0Mt @ 
1.5-2.0% Cu, 1.5-2.5 g/t Au.

Planning is in progress and tenders are 
being evaluated for various stages of the 
Nugent underground activities.

In general, the successful delineation 
of the underground targets beneath 
and within the wall of the existing 
final Kanmantoo pit wall may result in 
a significant increase in mine life at 
Kanmantoo, made possible only by the 
utilisation of the substantial assets of the 
Company, the open pit Haul Road and the 
efficient processing plant.

At Kanappa a soil sampling program has 
identified a copper-gold mineralised zone 
over 4.8km long with rock chips to 34.8% 
Cu and 4g/t Au (different samples) 2. The 
soil sample results are up to 2,300ppm 
and mapping has identified over 120 sites 
of outcropping mineralisation along the 
trend. This is an exciting discovery and 
one that the Company intend to vigorously 
explore in 2018.

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
EXPLORATION PROGRAMME (CONT.)
At Mt Rhine, two significant zones of copper-gold mineralisation have been identified 
by soil and rock chip sampling. Zone A has been channel sampled with results of 
6m @ 15.9g/t Au. Zone B is over 1km long and has rock samples of 13.1% Cu and 
49.8g/t Au 3. Both zones are open along strike. 

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Kanappa and Mt Rhine are approximately 60kms and 80kms respectively by road 
from the Kanmantoo infrastructure and offer significant opportunities to discover 
new copper-gold resources on wholly owned Company assets. Various geophysical 
programs are underway with a view to developing drill targets in 2018.

STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS 

$million

TOTAL REVENUE

Cash costs of production

Mining

Pre-strip and deferral

Processing

Transport and shipping

Treatment and refining

Other direct costs

Inventory movements

Royalties

Corporate costs

Gain/(loss) on disposal of assets

Other income

Net foreign exchange gain/(loss) realised

12 months to 
31 Dec 2017

12 months to 
31 Dec 2016 
(restated)

Change

127.1

113.1

14.0

(73.8)

15.9

(27.7)

(6.0)

(12.9)

(5.1)

7.8

(4.6)

(4.4)

(0.1)

0.2

(0.2)

(71.1)

(2.7)

32.8

(16.9)

(24.8)

(5.0)

(12.4)

(5.8)

(1.0)

(1.3)

(4.1)

0.1

0.5

1.2

(2.9)

(1.0)

(0.5)

0.7

8.8

(3.3)

(0.3)

(0.2)

0.3

(1.4)

TOTAL CASH COSTS OF PRODUCTION

(110.9)

(90.9)

(20.0)

UNDERLYING EBITDA

Depreciation and amortisation

UNDERLYING EBIT

Net interest and financing charges

Income tax (expense)/benefit

UNDERLYING NPAT

Non-underlying items, net of tax

16.2

(11.8)

4.4

(4.6)

(8.2)

(8.4)

(5.7)

22.2

(44.7)

(22.5)

(4.3)

(13.9)

(40.7)

(68.5)

Reported net profit/(loss) after tax

(14.1)

(109.2)

Non-underlying Items

Fair value movement – Convertible Notes

Impairment - Australian exploration write down

Impairment - Kanmantoo assets write down

Total Non-underlying Items

(5.5)

(0.2)

-

(5.7)

-

-

(68.5)

(68.5)

(6.0)

32.9

26.9

(0.3)

5.7

32.3

62.8

95.1

(5.5)

(0.2)

68.5

62.8

Revenue from the sale of concentrate 
(including the recognition of deferred 
hedging gains from the previous year) 
increased from $113.1 million in 
2016 to $127.1 million in 2017.  Total 
concentrate sold in 2017 was 65,161 
dry tonnes (CY16: 60,213 tonnes) at 
an average realised price of $7,700 per 
tonne of payable copper (CY16: $7,327 
per tonne).   The value of gold sold in 
concentrate was $10.0 million (CY16: 
$15.7 million).The volume of concentrate 
produced increased in 2017 due to the 
completion of the Giant Pit cut-back at 
the end of the year, but still a few months 
later than originally expected due to 
delays with bad weather and equipment 
availability particularly during the third 
quarter.  

Cash costs of production were also 
higher in 2017 rising from $90.9 million 
to $110.9 million in 2017.  Even though 
gross mining costs stayed level, the 
proportion of mining costs capitalised 
to the balance sheet for pre-strip and 
deferred mining costs decreased by 
$16.9 million as waste removal ratios 
declined as expected toward the end of 
the cut-back.  In addition, processing 
costs increased by $2.9 million due to 
higher volume and electricity prices.  
Royalties increased by $3.3 million 
to $4.6 million in 2017 reflecting the 
change in royalty rate to 5% early in 
the year following the 5th anniversary of 
production.

3 

ASX Release 25 October 2017.

 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
CASH FLOW OVERVIEW
Operating activities cash flow

$ million

Receipts from customers

12 months to 
31 Dec 2017

12 months to 
31 Dec 2016

101.5

97.3

Payment to suppliers, employees and 
contractors

Net cash inflows from operating activities

(100.9)

0.6

(76.3)

21.0

Change

4.2

(24.6)

(20.4)

Net cash inflows from operating activities for the 12 months ended 31 December 
2017 were $0.6m reflecting that monthly copper metal production for most of 
the year was at or around the cash breakeven level until the step-up in copper 
production which occurred in December 2017.  This includes the expenditure on 
deferred mining costs of $14.5 million (2016: $9.1 million).

The $24.6 million increase in payments to suppliers, employees and contractors is 
exacerbated by the classification of capitalised pre-strip costs as investing in PPE.  
In 2016 the investment in pre-strip was $23.7 million, whereas in 2017 it reduced 
to $4.5 million.  On a combined basis, total cash payments for all mining activity in 
2017 increased by only $2.7 million or about 2.6%.

Investing activities cash flow

$ million

12 months to 
31 Dec 2017

12 months to 
31 Dec 2016

Payments for exploration activities

Payments for property, plant and equipment

Proceeds on sale of plant and equipment 

(0.1)

(6.8)

-

(0.4)

(28.3)

0.6

Change

0.3

21.5

(0.6)

Net cash (outflows) from investing activities

(6.9)

(28.1)

(21.2)

Investing activities were limited to sustaining capex at Kanmantoo, pre-strip 
expenditure and modest exploration work in order to preserve cash during 2017.  
With the completion of the Giant Pit cut back, the amount of capitalised pre-strip 
expenditure decreased in 2017 following completion of the last bench with a strip 
ratio greater than ten to one. 

Financing activities cash flow

$ million

Proceeds from early termination of derivatives

Proceeds from issue of shares

Repayment of borrowings

Net proceeds from new borrowings

Net interest paid (incl. transaction costs)

Net cash inflows from financing activities

12 months to 
31 Dec 2017

12 months to 
31 Dec 2016

-

5.6

(0.3)

0.3

(0.9)

4.7

14.4

-

(18.4)

8.5

(1.6)

2.9

Change

(14.4)

5.6

18.1

(8.2)

0.7

1.8

In 2017, the only significant financing activity in the cashflow was $5.6 million in 
proceeds from the exercise of options attached to the convertible note issue.  The 
conversion of convertible notes into shares was a non-cash transfer from debt to 
equity.

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In 2016, the early close out of the hedge 
book generated $14.4 million which, 
along with the cash on hand, was 
used to fully repay the USD debt from 
Freepoint subsidiary Ventures Australia 
LLC.  The $4.0 million loan from the 
South Australian Government was drawn 
down in June 2016 and in December 
2016 $5.0 million of convertible notes 
were issued to shareholders.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL 
POSITION
Cash and cash equivalents at 
31 December 2017 were $0.5 million.   
The long-awaited step change in copper 
production occurred in December 2017 
following completion of the cut-back of 
the Giant Pit.  This has been sustained 
to the date of this report and is expected 
to be maintained during 2018.   
See below for details of production 
guidance for 2018. This means that 
the Kanmantoo Copper Mine is now 
generating significantly higher net cash 
inflows from operations each month 
than has been the case for the past few 
years.

Inventories were historically high at 
31 December 2017 at $12.7 million.  
Most of the $7.7 million increase during 
2017 was due to the build-up in run-of-
mine (ROM) ore stocks which occurred 
because the mine was producing ore at 
rates faster than the mill could process 
at full capacity.  Stocks of finished 
concentrates were also higher than 
normal due to strong production in late 
December and sales delayed by public 
holidays.

Property, plant and equipment 
increased by $9.0 million to $77.7 
million.  Taking into account 
depreciation of $11.8 million, this 
means additions to PP&E of about $21 
million during 2017.  

 
 
24

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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

Total borrowings of $9.5 million at 31 December 2017 comprise the loan from the 
South Australian Government ($4.0 million plus accumulated interest of $0.3 million, 
which was repaid in February 2018), promissory note from contractor ($2.7 million – 
repayments commencing April 2018), deferred payment to contractor creditor ($1.9 
million – repaid in February 2018) and $0.7 million in finance lease liabilities.

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL 
POSITION (CONT.)
Of this, $14.5 million was mining 
expenditure added to deferred mining 
costs under the accounting policy 
which normalises costs in the Giant Pit 
for the impacts of variable waste ratios 
and copper grades.  As noted above, 
December 2017 marked the turning 
point for mine production which means 
deferred costs will reduce in future 
and be charged to costs of production.  
Sustaining capital expenditure in 
2017 was $1.9 million comprising 
mainly geotechnical controls in the 
pit and ongoing tailing storage facility 
(TSF) construction.  Along with the 
increase in rehabilitation provision, the 
corresponding rehabilitation asset in 
mine development was increased by 
$2.4 million.

Employee benefits increased by $3.6 million which included salaries deferred by 
employees to assist with cash management plus unpaid liabilities for payroll related 
on costs.  The salary deferrals peaked in November 2017 and are now being repaid 
as planned.  

For the year ended 31 December 2017 total equity decreased by $4.4 million 
reflecting the loss for the year of $14.1 million and a $7.1 million decrease in 
reserves mainly relating to the recycling through profit and loss of deferred hedging 
gains offset by a $16.8 million increase in share capital from conversion of the 
convertible notes and exercise of related options.

As was the case at 31 December 2016, by applying impairment testing methodology 
consistent with that used in previous years, the calculated recoverable amount 
as at 31 December 2017 exceeds the carrying value. However, past impairment 
charges have not been written back until such time as the Group has demonstrated 
a sustained period of positive cashflows following the completion of the Giant Pit 
cutback in late 2017.

Summary Balance Sheet

$ million

Cash

Receivables

Inventories

Property, Plant & Equipment

Exploration

Deferred Tax Assets

Total Assets

Payables

Provisions

Borrowings

Employee Benefits

Deferred Income

Total Liabilities

Net Assets / Equity

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016 
 (restated)

0.5

4.3

12.7

77.7

0.9

-

96.2

48.3

16.8

9.5

7.3

0.5

82.4

13.8

1.9

4.0

5.0

68.7

0.8

4.9

85.3

36.4

13.3

13.0

3.7

0.7

67.1

18.2

Change

(1.4)

0.4

7.7

9.0

0.1

(4.9)

10.9

(11.9)

(3.5)

3.5

(3.6)

0.2

(15.3)

(4.4)

Deferred tax assets have moved to a 
net nil position on the balance sheet 
as the Group has recognised deferred 
tax assets only to the extent that they 
offset deferred tax expense and liabilities 
arising from temporary differences.  The 
tax benefit of carried forward tax losses 
of approximately $154.4 million is yet to 
be brought to account.

Payables increased by $11.9 million to 
$48.3 million at 31 December 2017, 
mainly reflecting the planned payment 
deferral agreements reached with the 
three largest mining contractors.  With 
the forecast free cash flow generation 
in 2018, this balance is expected to be 
more than halved in the upcoming year.  

Provisions increased by $3.5 million 
mainly as a result of a revision of 
the final cost estimate to close the 
Kanmantoo mine upon depletion and 
fully rehabilitate all affected areas, 
including use of a lower discount rate 
which increases the present value of 
projected closure costs.

 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
GUIDANCE
Hillgrove provided guidance in March 2017 with the release of its Annual 
Report. Due to the delay in the completion of the Giant Pit cutback, the 
guidance for copper production was revised in August 2017 (2017 Half 
Year Financial Report) and the guidance for copper production and C1 
cost was revised in October 2017 (30 September 2017 Quarterly Report).  
The Company’s actual performance against its revised 2017 guidance is 
summarised in the table below.

CY17

Guidance

Actuals achieved

Copper contained in concentrates

14,800t - 15,800t

Gold contained in concentrates

5,500oz - 7,500oz

14,802t

6,785oz

C1 Costs

US$2.25 - $2.35 per lb 1 US$2.33 per lb

Capital Projects (excludes pre-strip) 2

$1.8M - $2.5M

$1.9M

1 

2  

At 0.75 exchange rate 

In addition to the capital projects, $15.9 million of pre-strip was completed. 

Copper produced, gold produced, C1 cost and capital expenditure were all 
within the revised guidance.

Life of mine plan and outlook for 2018
The 2018 financial year will be one of step change, with the Giant Pit cutback 
complete and copper production is forecast to be significantly higher than 
the previous year as higher grade ore is made available for processing which 
through stockpiles can be selectively treated, leading to significantly higher 
cash generation. In addition to this, with improvements in both mining and 
processing performance, a robust geological model, and a favourable outlook for 
commodity prices, there is potential to create significant value for shareholders 
from the remaining life of mine.

The Company provides the following guidance for the current Financial Year 
ending 31 December 2018 (CY18) for the Kanmantoo Copper Mine:

 ■ Copper produced   22,000t to 24,000t copper contained in concentrates

 ■ Gold produced 

2,500oz to 3,500oz gold contained in concentrates 

 ■ C1 Costs  

US$2.00 to US$2.25 per lb (at a 0.78 exchange rate)

 ■ Exploration capex 

$1.8 million to $2.5 million

 ■ Capital projects  

$2.6 million to $3.0 million

Despite the higher production, C1 costs remain relatively high, driven by the 
deferred mining costs which will now be reallocated from the balance sheet to 
operating costs.  Excluding the reallocation of the deferred mining costs, the C1 
cost would be in the order of US$1.65 to US$1.80 (at a 0.78 exchange rate) 
and this would be more reflective of cash costs.

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RISKS 
The Company currently has a single operation 
asset, the Kanmantoo Copper Mine in 
South Australia. The operation provides 
the Company with all of its income. The 
operation consists of an open pit mine and 
processing plant located close to regional 
communities. Concentrate is transported by 
road in containers to the Port of Adelaide and 
then loaded onto ship via the port rotainer 
operation. The concentrate is then shipped to 
the receiver, typically located in China. Should 
any of these elements be subject to failure, 
the Company’s expected financial result could 
be impacted. 

The Company’s annual budget and 
related mine plans and production and 
operation outcomes are subject to a range 
of assumptions and expectations, all of 
which contain a level of uncertainty and 
therefore risk.  The Company adopts a risk 
management framework in order to identify, 
analyse, treat and monitor the risks applicable 
to the Group.  The risks are formally reported 
and discussed by the Executive on a regular 
basis and with the Board and Audit and Risk 
Committee twice a year.  

The prices received for the Company’s 
commodities (copper, gold and silver) are 
dictated by global markets over which 
Hillgrove and its offtake partner, Freepoint 
Commodities LLC, have no influence. The 
Company has taken active steps to mitigate 
copper price and exchange rate risk on 
revenues by fixing the AUD copper price for 
future shipments. As at 28 February 2018 the 
Company now had fixed pricing for 13,400 
tonnes of copper at an average copper price 
of $8,896 per tonne after margins.

CAPITAL RAISINGS
Prior to the expiry of its listed Options 
on 22 September 2017, the Company 
raised approximately $5.6 million (with no 
transaction costs), through the exercise of the 
187.8m Options at an exercise price of $0.03. 

 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REVIEW OF OPERATIONS FOR THE CY17 YEAR AND OUTLOOK (CONT.)
EARLY REDEMPTION OF 
EVENTS SUBSEQUENT TO REPORTING DATE
CONVERTIBLE NOTES
Since the Balance Date the Company has successfully completed the following 
initiatives.
On 11 October 2017, the Company 
announced its intention to redeem 
its listed convertible notes (Notes) on 
the redemption date of 22 December 
2017.  This followed a decision from the 
Board that it was in the best interests 
of Hillgrove to use the proceeds raised 
from the September 2017 exercise of 
its listed options to redeem the Notes as 
this would simplify its capital structure, 
reduce a layer of administration, and, 
to the extent Noteholders elected to 
convert their Notes to shares, strengthen 
its balance sheet. 

$4m Copper Pre-pay Facility
On 16 February 2018, the Company agreed a fully secured $4m copper pre-pay 
Facility with Freepoint Metals & Concentrates LLC.  The Facility provided the 
Company with general working capital enabling it to:

 ■ Reduce its copper price risk exposure during 2018 by fixing the price of an 

 ■ Freepoint advanced Hillgrove $4.0 million through to 30 June 2018, which 

 ■ Take advantage of transactions such as buying back future liabilities at a 

additional 5,000 tonnes of copper at $8,885/tonne, and

discount and to continue to advance growth projects. 

The key terms of the Facility were:

will then convert to a prepayment of $800 per tonne on 5,000 tonnes of future 
copper sales;

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At the request of Ariadne Capital Pty 
Ltd (Ariadne), which underwrote the 
issue of the Notes, the Company called 
a shareholder meeting at which Ariadne 
sought shareholder approval to convert 
all of its Notes.  Approval was granted at 
the shareholder meeting held on  
8 December 2017, and as a result, 
Ariadne converted all of its Notes 
into ordinary shares, increasing its 
ownership in the Company to 26.1%.

As a result of this Note conversion and 
earlier conversions during 2017, 4.95 
million of the 5.0 million Notes were 
converted into fully paid shares, and 
the remaining 0.05 million Notes were 
redeemed.

During 2017, the Company issued 
164,963,630 shares as a result of Note 
conversions.

DIVIDENDS
There were no dividends declared or 
paid during the current period or in the 
prior year. 

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN 
THE STATE OF AFFAIRS
Other than those matters listed in this 
report there have been no significant 
changes in the affairs of the Group 
during the period.

 ■ Hillgrove will repay the Facility from the sale of these 5,000 tonnes during the 

period from July 2018 to December 2018;

 ■ The Facility is secured by a security package which includes the mortgages over 
the real property which was previously used to secure the SA Government Loan; 
and

 ■ The Facility will incur interest at 7% pa. 

Repayment of SAG $4m Loan
On 16 February 2018, the Company repaid to the South Australian Government 
an amount of $4.3m for a loan and accumulated interest. The $4m loan was one 
of a number of initiatives from key stakeholders to assist Hillgrove overcome a 
cash shortfall during a major pit cutback at the Kanmantoo Copper Mine during a 
significant downturn in the copper market (refer market release 28 June 2016).

Buy out of a mining contractor deferred liability 
On 16 November 2016, the Company announced it had reached agreement with 
a mining contractor to defer payment of $1.35 million of its outstanding creditor 
balance until after 1 July 2017, when the Company would pay an amount based on 
a sliding scale copper price.  Based on current copper prices, this liability had the 
potential to increase significantly, so on 27 February 2018, the Company paid $1.93 
million in full settlement of this future liability. 

Indonesian Projects
On 28 February 2018, Hillgrove received notices from the Indonesian Department 
of Mines, which state the tenements for its two Indonesian assets at Bird’s Head in 
West Papua and Sumba Island have been terminated due to the non-performance  
of obligations including the non-payment of dead rents. 

Hillgrove is taking advice to review its position and decide whether it will appeal the 
decision.

The projects were on care and maintenance and the carrying value of both projects 
was fully impaired in 2015.

 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
The consolidated entity’s operations are subject to significant environmental and 
other regulations. The consolidated entity has a policy of engaging appropriately 
experienced contractors and consultants to advise on and ensure compliance with 
environmental regulations in respect of its exploration and development activities. 
There have been no reports of material breaches of environmental regulations in the 
financial period and at the date of this report.

INDEMNIFICATION AND INSURANCE OF OFFICERS
Officers’ Indemnity
Article 7.3(a) of the Company’s Constitution provides that “To the extent permitted 
by law, the Company must indemnify each Relevant Officer against: (i) a Liability of 
that person; and (ii) Legal Costs of that person”. The Company indemnifies every 
officer against any liability or costs and expenses incurred by the person in his or her 
capacity as officer of the Company:

 ■ in defending any proceedings, whether civil or criminal, in which judgement is 

given in favour of the person or in which the person is acquitted, or

 ■ in connection with an application, in relation to such proceedings, in which the 

Court grants relief to the person under the Corporations Law.

Directors’ and Officers’ Insurance
During the financial year, the Company paid a premium in respect of a contract for 
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance.  It is a condition of this Policy that each 
Insured and/or any persons at their direction or on their behalf shall not disclose 
the existence of any Coverage Section, its Limits of Liability, the nature of the liability 
indemnified, or the premium payable.

Proceedings on Behalf of the Company
No person has applied to the Court under section 237 of the Corporations Act 2001 
for leave to bring proceedings on behalf of the Company, or to intervene in any 
proceedings to which the Company is a party, for the purpose of taking responsibility 
on behalf of the Company for all or part of those proceedings. No proceedings have 
been brought or intervened in on behalf of the Company with leave of the Court 
under section 237 of the Corporations Act 2001.

Non-audit Services
The Company may decide to employ the auditor on assignments additional to their 
statutory audit duties where the auditor’s expertise and experience with the Company 
and/or the consolidated entity are important. Details of the amounts paid or payable 
to the auditor (Price Waterhouse Coopers and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu) for audit 
and non-audit services provided during the period are set out in Note 6.

The Audit and Risk Committee has considered the position and is satisfied that 
the provision of the non-audit services is compatible with the general standard of 
independence for auditors imposed by the Corporations Act 2001. The Directors are 
satisfied that the provision of non-audit services by the auditor, as set out below, did 
not compromise the auditor independence requirements of the Corporations  
Act 2001. 

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None of the services provided 
undermine the general principles 
relating to auditor independence as 
set out in Professional Statement 
F1, including reviewing or auditing 
the auditor’s own work, acting in a 
management or decision-making 
capacity for the Company, acting as 
advocate for the Company or jointly 
sharing economic risk and rewards.  
A copy of the Auditors’ Independence 
Declaration as required under section 
307C of the Corporations Act 2001 is  
set out on page 39.  

The Board is committed to following 
ASX Corporate Governance Council 
Corporate Governance Principles 
and Recommendations. The 
Company adopts these best practice 
recommendations in its policies and 
procedures where it is appropriate to do 
so, given the size and type of Company 
and its operations.  

The Board has a process of reviewing 
all policies and corporate governance 
processes.  Charters are reviewed 
and updated periodically.  These 
charters provide the framework and 
roles of respective committees for the 
appointment of Non-Executive Directors 
to undertake specific responsibilities on 
behalf of the Board.

Details of the corporate governance 
policies adopted by the Company 
and referred to in this statement are 
available on the Company’s website at 
www.hillgroveresources.com.au.

 
 
28

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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED)
The Directors of Hillgrove Resources 
and its Consolidated Entities present the 
Remuneration Report for the Company 
for the year ended 31 December 2017, 
which forms part of the director’s 
report and has been audited in 
accordance with section 308 (3C) of the 
Corporations Act 2001.

Non-executive Directors

Mr J E Gooding

During the year a number of 
remuneration related, cost reduction 
decisions were implemented to assist 
the Company to address the cash 
constraints it faced, including:

 ■ Continuing the pay freeze which 

Mr M W Loomes  
(Non-independent)

was instituted in 2014, with salaries 
remaining at 2013 levels.

Mr P Baker

 ■ The 10% salary deferral for all staff 
(which commenced in May 2016) 
continued until November 2017,

 ■ Not granting any Short Term 

Incentives (STI’s) during 2017, and:

 ■ Reducing staff through natural 

attrition and absorbing their roles 
into remaining roles where possible.

Repayment of the 10% salary deferrals 
commenced in December 2017.

Mr T Breuer

Executive Directors

Mr S P McClare

KMP Executives

Mr P Kiley

1.0  KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL
Key management personnel comprise the Non-Executive Directors, the Executive 
Director and Executives (KMP). Details of the KMP are set out in the table below.

 Title (at year end)

Chairman 
Chairman Remuneration Committee 
Member Audit and Risk Committee 
Chairman Nomination Committee

Director 
Member Remuneration Committee 
Member Audit and Risk Committee 
Member Nomination Committee

Director 
Chairman Audit and Risk Committee 
Member Remuneration Committee 
Member Nomination Committee

Director 
Member Remuneration Committee 
Member Audit and Risk Committee 
Member Nomination Committee

Change in 2017  
Financial Year

Appointed Chairman 
of the Board, the 
Remuneration 
Committee and the 
Nomination Committee 
on 31 May 2017

Full Year

Full Year

Part Year 
Appointed 1 June 2017

CEO and Managing Director 
Member Treasury Committee

Chief Financial Officer and  
Company Secretary 
Member Treasury Committee

Full Year

Full Year

Mr L Wallace

General Manager, Kanmantoo

Full Year

Key Management departures during the 2017 Financial Year

Non-executive Directors

 Title (at year end)

The Hon. Dean Brown, AO Chairman 

Chairman Remuneration Committee 
Member Audit and Risk Committee 
Chairman Nomination Committee

Change in 2017  
Financial Year

Resigned  
31 May 2017

 
 
 
 
 
 
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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
2.0  ROLE OF THE BOARD AND 
THE REMUNERATION  
COMMITTEE
The Board is responsible for the 
Company’s remuneration strategy 
and policy. Consistent with this 
responsibility, the Board has established 
a Remuneration Committee which 
comprises a majority of independent 
non-executive directors.

and employee turnover.

Shareholder Return (TSR);

and hence improved TSR; and

The Remuneration and Benefits policy aims to:

 ■ Align employee remuneration to the principles and measurement of Total 

 ■ Present progressive incentive structures to encourage outstanding performance, 

 ■ Mitigate the business risks associated with poor performance, market movements 

The Remuneration Committee Charter and Remuneration and Benefits Policy  
can be viewed in the Corporate Governance section of the Company’s website  
www.hillgroveresources.com.au.

The role of the Remuneration Committee 
is set out in its Charter and in summary 
is to:

 ■ Review and approve the Company’s 
remuneration strategy and policy;

 ■ Consider and propose to the Board 
the remuneration of the CEO and  
consider and approve the remuneration  
of all designated senior executives;

 ■ Review and approve Hillgrove 

Resources’ short term incentive 
(STI) and long term incentive (LTI) 
schemes, including amounts, terms 
and offer processes and procedures;

 ■ Determine and approve equity 

awards in accordance with policy 
and shareholder approvals, including 
testing of vesting and termination 
provisions; and

 ■ Review and make recommendations 
to the Board regarding remuneration 
of non-executive directors.

Further information on the Remuneration 
Committee’s role, responsibilities 
and membership is contained in the 
Corporate Governance Statement which 
is available on the Company’s website 
www.hillgroveresources.com.au.

2.1   Remuneration and Benefits  

Policy

The Company’s approach to remuneration 
is outlined in the Remuneration and 
Benefits Policy and is based on providing 
competitive rewards that motivate 
talented employees to deliver superior 
results.

2.2   Use of remuneration consultants
During the year no remuneration consultancy contracts were entered into by 
the Company and no disclosure is required under section 300A (1) (h) of the 
Corporations Act 2001.

3.0  NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REMUNERATION
Details
Elements

Aggregate Board and 
Committee Fees 

The total amount of fees paid to non-executive directors 
in the year ended 31 December 2017 is within the 
aggregate amount approved by shareholders at the AGM 
in 2009 of $450,000 a year.  The individual amounts paid 
to directors have not increased since January 2011 (1).

Board/Committee fees  
per annum* 

Board Chairman Fee

$120,000 (1)

Audit Committee Chairman 

 $10,000 (2)

Board NED Base Fee

$60,000 (1)

Post-employment Benefits

Details

Superannuation

Superannuation contributions are made at a rate of 
9.5% of base fee (but only up to the Government’s 
prescribed maximum contributions limit) which satisfies 
the Company’s statutory superannuation contributions.  
Contributions are included in the base fee.

Other Benefits

Details

Equity Instruments

Other fees/benefits

Non-Executive directors do not receive any performance 
related remuneration or performance rights.

No payments were made to non-executive directors 
during the 2017 financial year for extra services or 
special exertions.  Directors are entitled to be reimbursed 
for approved Company related expenditure e.g. flights 
and expenses to attend Board meetings.

(1)   Effective 1 December 2015, the Board agreed to a temporary 20% fee reduction in 
the light of the economic conditions and low commodity price environment, which 
reduced the Chairman’s fee from $150,000 to $120,000 and the NED fee from $75,000 
to $60,000. The fee reduction was a voluntary initiative put in place by the directors. 
Director’s fees will revert to the pre-reduction fees once the Giant Pit cutback is completed 
and production returns to pre-cut back levels (expected to be in early 2018).

(2)  Effective 1 January 2017, the Board agreed to pay the chairman of the Audit & Risk 

Committee an annual fee of $10,000 in recognition of the increased time commitment 
which comes with this role.

* 

Fees include all committee memberships with no extra payments for committee 
memberships, except as noted at (2) above.

 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
4.0  EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION
4.1  KMP Executive Remuneration Tables – Audited

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Non-Executive Directors

Mr J E Gooding

Mr M W Loomes

Mr P Baker

Mr A Breuer

The Hon. D C Brown

Total

Executive Directors

Mr S McClare

Total

Other key management personnel

Mr P G Kiley

Mr L A Wallace

Total

KMP Total

Year

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

Fixed Remuneration

Short-term

Long-term

Salary  
and Fees

Non-monetary 
benefits

Superannuation 
Benefits

Termination 
Benefits

Long  
Service  
Leave

88,059

60,000

54,795

55,191

63,927

54,795

31,963

-

50,000

100,000

288,744

269,986

472,634

430,436

472,634

430,436

337,000

342,770

277,697

288,696

614,697

631,466

1,376,075

1,331,888

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

6941

-

5205

5,243

6,073

5,205

3,037

-

-

20,000

21,256

30,448

25,830

12,306

25,830

12,306

31,599

32,010

26,034

26,931

57,633

58,941

104,719

101,695

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Total

95,000

60,000

60,000

60,434

70,000

60,000

35,000

0

50,000

120,000

310,000

300,434

498,464

442,742

498,464

442,742

368,599

374,780

303,731

315,627

672,330

690,407

1,480,794

1,433,583

 
 
 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
4.0  EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION (CONT.)
4.1  KMP Executive Remuneration Tables – Audited (cont.)

Variable Remuneration

Total

Proportion of  
Total Remuneration

Short-term

Year

Bonus

Equity 
Compensation

Value of 
Performance 
Rights

Total

Performance 
Related

Equity Related

31

Non-Executive Directors

Mr J E Gooding

Mr M W Loomes

Mr P Baker

Mr A Breuer

The Hon. D C Brown

Total

Executive Directors

Mr S P McClare

Total

Other key management personnel

Mr P G Kiley

Mr L A Wallace

Total

KMP Total

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

CY17

CY16

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

95,000

60,000

60,000

60,434

70,000

60,000

35,000

-

50,000

120,000

310,000

300,434

126,566

126,566

625,030

83,799

83,799

526,541

126,566

126,566

625,030

83,799

83,799

526,541

100,667

100,667

469,266

29,813

86,413

46,454

29,813

404,593

86,413

390,144

46,454

362,081

187,080

187,080

859,410

76,267

76,267

766,674

313,646

313,646

1,794,440

160,066

160,066

1,593,649

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0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

-

-

0%

0%

-

-

0%

0%

0%

0%

-

-

-

-

%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

-

-

20%

16%

-

-

21%

7%

22%

13%

-

-

-

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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
4.0  EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION (CONT.)
4.2  Executive KMP  

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remuneration framework

Hillgrove Resources’ executive 
remuneration strategy is designed to 
attract, retain and motivate a highly 
qualified and experienced group of 
executives.  

4.3  Total fixed remuneration 
Total Fixed Remuneration (TFR) 
includes all remuneration and benefits 
paid to an Executive KMP calculated 
on a Total Employment Cost (TEC) 
basis and includes base salary and 
superannuation benefits paid in line with 
the prevailing statutory Superannuation 
Guarantee legislation. 

There has been no increases in TFR 
during the last three years and salaries 
have remained at 2013 levels. In May 
2016, given the Company’s cashflow 
position was forecast to be very tight 
throughout the remainder of 2016 
and continue into 2017, all Hillgrove 
employees agreed to defer 10% of 
salaries from 19 May 2016 until  
30 November 2017. In December 2017, 
the Company began repaying these 
deferred amounts over a fourteen month 
period up until January 2019. 

January 
2017

TFR

STI

LTI

4.4  Remuneration composition mix and timing of receipt
The Company endeavours to provide an appropriate and competitive mix of 
remuneration components balanced between fixed and ‘at risk’. The broad 
remuneration composition mix of the Company’s Executive KMP can be illustrated  
as follows: 

Remuneration mix (actual) CY 2017

Position

CEO/MD

Senior Executives (KMP)

TFR (Cash)

STI (Cash) (1)

LTI (Equity)

100%

100%

Up to 60% of TFR

Up to 60% of TFR

Up to 50% of TFR

Up to 50% of TFR

(1)  Note no STI’s were offered or paid in 2016 or 2017. 

Note KMPs are classified as Executives for the purposes of remuneration disclosures 
under the Corporations Act.  

The three complementary components of Executive KMP remuneration are ‘earned’ 
over multiple time ranges. This is illustrated in the following chart.

YEARS 2 and 3

January 
2018

June 
2019

YEAR 1

June 
2017

TFR

Performance measured  
(one year)

Performance measured  
(two years)

LTI  
performance  
period starts

STI  
performance  
period ends

STI  
performance  
period starts  
and new TFR  
effective

LTI  
performance  
period ends

4.5  Variable ‘at risk’ remuneration
As set out in the Section 4.4, variable remuneration forms a portion of the CEO/
MD and other Executive KMP remuneration. Apart from being market competitive 
the purpose of variable remuneration is to direct executive’s behaviours towards 
maximising Hillgrove Resources’ value and return to shareholders, by targeting short, 
medium and long term performance measures. The key aspects are summarised 
below.

 
 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
4.0  EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION (CONT.)
4.5  Variable ‘at risk’ remuneration (cont.)
4.5.1 Hedging and Margin Lending Prohibition
Under the Company’s Share Trading Policy and in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, equity granted under the 
Company’s equity incentive schemes must remain at risk until vested, or exercised. It is a specific condition of the policy that no 
schemes are entered into, by an individual or their associates, that specifically protects the unvested value of shares, options or 
performance rights allocated.

The Company, as required under the ASX Listing Rules, has a formal policy outlining how and when employees may deal in 
Hillgrove Resources securities.  

Hillgrove Resources Limited’s Share Trading Policy is available on the Company’s website www.HillgroveResources.com under 
Investor Centre, Corporate Governance. 

4.5.2 Long Term Incentives (LTI)
The LTI provides an annual opportunity for executives and key staff to receive an equity award with a two year vesting period and 
that is intended to align a significant portion of an executive’s overall remuneration to shareholder value over the longer term. 
All LTI awards remain at risk and subject to clawback (forfeiture or lapse) until vesting and must meet or exceed relative TSR 
performance hurdles over the vesting period, along with other performance criteria.

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Long Term Incentives (LTI)

Purpose

Types of equity 
awarded

To retain key executives and align their remuneration with shareholder value.

LTI has been provided under the Company’s Executive Long Term Incentive Plan. See Section 5.1 for further 
details.

Under the LTI, executives and key staff are offered performance rights (to acquire ordinary shares of Hillgrove 
Resources Limited).

Time of grant

In 2018 equity grants will be made after the 2018 AGM.

Time restrictions

Equity grants awarded to the CEO/MD and other KMPs are tested against the performance hurdle at the 
vesting date which is two years (1) after the grant date. If the performance hurdle is not met at the vesting 
date, performance rights lapse, subject to Board evaluation. 

A service and performance requirement is imposed on all equity grants.

Performance hurdles 
and vesting schedule

Equity grants were made in 2017 and were subject to the Company’s Total Shareholder Return (TSR) ranked 
against the S&P/ASX Small Resources Index as follows:

Ranking of TSR Against S&P/ASX Small Resources Index (2 Years) (1)

Performance

% of equity to vest

Below the 50th percentile

At the 50th percentile

0%

50% vest

Between the 50th to 75th percentile

2% vesting on a straight line interpolation for each percentile 
ranking above the 50th percentile

At or above 75th percentile

100%

Performance rights vest as shares if the time restrictions and relevant performance hurdle is met. Special 
provisions, in accordance with company policies, may apply in the event of termination of employment or a 
change of control.

There are no voting rights attached to performance rights.

The size of individual LTI grants for the CEO/MD and other KMPs is determined in accordance with the Board 
approved remuneration strategy mix. See Section 4.4.

The target LTI $ value for each executive is then converted into a number of performance rights based on a 
valuation methodology determined at the grant date, as follows:

Performance right allocation = LTI $ value determined / Hillgrove Resources share price at grant date. 

Voting rights

LTI Allocation 

(1)  The vesting period for the 2016 and 2017 LTI’s was reduced to two years to reflect the current approved PEPR mine life.

 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
4.0  EXECUTIVE REMUNERATION (CONT.)
4.5  Variable ‘at risk’ remuneration (cont.)
4.5.3 Short Term Incentives (STI)

STI Programme

Purpose

Performance 
Target Areas

Rewarding 
Performance

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The STI arrangements are designed to reward executives for the achievement against annual performance targets 
set by the Board at the beginning of the performance period. The STI programme is reviewed annually by the 
Remuneration Committee and approved by the Board. 

All STI awards to the CEO/MD and other KMP are approved by the Remuneration Committee and the Board.  

The key performance objectives of the Company vary by level but are currently directed to achieving ambitious 
targets, complemented by the achievement of individual performance goals and Company performance.

Based on the performance target areas set out above, a number of targets are set for each area which generally 
includes a Threshold, Target and Stretch target.  An STI measure can only start to be accumulated provided the 
Threshold level is achieved. 

A “gate opener” principle applies whereby an STI will only start to be awarded to the CEO and KMPs if a threshold 
level of EBITDA is achieved.

All targets are set having regard to prior year performance, market conditions and Board approved budgets. 
Specific targets are not provided in detail due to commercial sensitivity.

Validation of performance against the measures set for the CEO/MD and KMPs involves a review calculation and 
recommendation by the CEO, reviewed and approved by the Remuneration Committee with final Board sign-off.

The Remuneration Committee determined that given the Company’s tight cashflow position no STI awards would be granted for 
the 2017 year.

4.6  Relationship between Performance and Executive KMP Remuneration
4.6.1 Hillgrove Resources Financial Performance (31 January 2014 to 31 December 2017)

Sales Revenue ($M)

Underlying EBITDA ($M)

Reported net profit / (loss) ($M)

Return on equity (ROE) % (2)

Basic earnings per share (EPS) (cents)

Diluted EPS (cents)

Share price as at 31 December (cents) (3)

12 Months to  
31 January

11 Months to  
31 December

12 Months to 31 December

2014

139.2

37.8

1.5

0.7%

1.1

1.1

70

2014

166.8

52.3

3.8

1.6%

2.6

2.5

45

 2015 (restated)

2016 (restated)

139.5

16.1

113.1

22.2

2017

127.1

16.2

(130.1) (1)

(109.2) (4)

(14.1) (4)

(69.1%) (1)

(144.3%) (4)

(88.3%) (4)

(77.0) (1)

(77.0) (1)

16

(57.8) (4)

(57.8) (4)

4

(4.8) (4)

(4.8) (4)

9

Total shareholder return (TSR) % (Annual)

(30.4%)

(35.3%)

(64.4%)

(75.0%)

125.0%

(1) 

Includes impairment charge of $112.9m.

(2)  Based on average total equity

(3)  After 8 for 1 share consolidation effective on 17 September 2014.

(4) 

Includes impairment charge of $68.5m. 

4.5.2 Dividend History
No dividends have been declared or paid (interim or final) over the five years from 2014 to 2017.

 
 
 
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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
5.0  EQUITY PLAN DISCLOSURES
5.1  Employee Share Schemes (ESS) operated by the Group

Plan Details

Type of Instruments

Details

Purpose

Employee share plan and share 
issues

General Employee Share Plan 
(GESP)

Hillgrove Resources Option and 
Performance Rights Plan

Option and Performance 
Rights Plan (OPRP)

Refer 4.5.2

To incentivise and align part of employee 
remuneration to shareholder value

To provide equity incentive subject to 
meeting predetermined service and 
performance conditions.

5.2  Analysis of share-based payments granted as remuneration to KMP
Details of the vesting profile of the performance rights granted as remuneration to each Key Management Personnel, and the 
movements during the period are set out below:

Key Executives

Mr S P McClare

TOTAL

Mr P Kiley

TOTAL

Mr L A Wallace

TOTAL

Balance held  
at 31/12/16

Granted 

Number  
vested 

%  
vested 

Number  
forfeited 

%  
lapsed 

Balance held at 
31/12/17

Grant Date

Jun 17

Jul 16

Jul 14

-

3,800,000

2,500,000

300,000

-

-

2,800,000

3,800,000

Jun 17

-

2,600,000

Jul 16

1,500,000

-

Jun 17

Jul 16

Jul 14

1,500,000

2,600,000

-

2,100,000

1,200,000

112,500

-

-

1,312,500

2,100,000

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

0%

0%

-

-

0%

0%

-

0%

0%

-

-

-

-

-

-

(300,000)

100%

(300,000) 

-

-

- 

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

(112,500)

100%

3,800,000

2,500,000

-

6,300,000

2,600,000

1,500,000

4,100,000

2,100,000

1,200,000

-

(112,500)

-

3,300,000

5.3  Exercise of Performance Rights granted as remuneration
No performance rights held by executive KMP were exercised during the financial year.

5.4  Value of performance rights granted to Executive KMP, and on foot as at 31 December 2017

Key Executives

Mr S P McClare

TOTAL

Mr P Kiley

TOTAL

Mr L A Wallace

TOTAL

Grant Date

Number Granted

Vesting Date

Jun 17

Jul 16

Jun 17

Jul 16

Jun 17

Jul 16

3,800,000

2,500,000

6,300,000

2,600,000

1,500,000

4,100,000

2,100,000

1,200,000

3,300,000

Jun 19

Jun 18

Jun 19

Jun 18

Jun 19

Jun 18

Face Value 
per right

$0.086

$0.086

Fair Value (1)

(3) $0.0644

(4) $0.0321

Intrinsic 
Value (2)

$326,800

$215,000

Total Fair 
Value

$244,870

$80,250

$541,800

$325,120

$0.086

$0.086

$0.086

$0.086

(5) $0.0654

(6) $0.0678

$223,600

$129,000

$169,940

$101,700

$352,600

$271,640

(5) $0.0654

(6) $0.0678

$180,600

$103,200

$137,260

$81,360

$283,200

$218,620

(1)  The fair value at grant date has been based on a valuation in accordance with accounting standard AASB 2 “Share Based Payments”.  

The fair values are used for accounting purposes only.
Intrinsic value at year end is the difference between the exercise price and the share price ($0.086) on 31 December 2017.

(2) 
(3)  Valued at 25 May 2017 when approved by shareholders at the AGM.
(4)  Valued at 26 May 2016 when approved by shareholders at the AGM 
(5)  Valued at Grant Date on 1 June 2017. 
(6)  Valued at Grant Date on 11 July 2016.

 
 
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DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
5.5  Movement in equity held
The movement during the reporting period in the number of ordinary shares, convertible notes and options over ordinary shares 
of Hillgrove Resources Limited held, directly, indirectly or beneficially, by each specified Director and executive KMP, including 
their personally-related entities:

Held as at 
31/12/16

Net Other 
Changes

Convertible 
Notes (1)

Exercise  
Options (2)

Exercise of  
Rights

Held as at 
31/12/17

Directors

Mr J E Gooding

Mr M W Loomes

Mr P Baker

Mr A Breuer

Mr S P McClare

Other KMP

Mr P Kiley 

Mr L A Wallace

Shares

Notes

Options

Shares

Notes

Options

Shares

Notes

Options

Shares

Notes

Options

Shares

Notes

Options

Shares

Notes

Options

Shares

Notes

Options

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

33,333

(1,000)

37,621

-

-

(37,621)

4,264,200

4,812,577

(127,926)

-

-

(4,812,577)

266,666

(8,000)

300,960

-

-

(300,960)

94,444

-

-

10,127,346

-

-

667,626

-

-

(3) 1,546,000

5,224,466

13,396,334

20,166,800

23,490

1,000

37,621

1,050,569

127,926

4,812,577

100,000

8,000

300,960

-

-

-

(3) 156,734

(156,734)

-

(4) 13,396,334

-

(13,396,334)

477,273

55,000

-

-

1,833,333

4,569,100 

(55,000)

-

2,069,100

(5) 2,500,000

-

(4,569,100)

10,000

50,000

1,881,000

23,864

100,000

-

-

-

-

-

1,666,666

1,881,000

(50,000)

-

-

1,881,000

3,333,333

6,262,000

(100,000)

-

3,762,000

(6) 2,500.000

-

(6,262,000)

-

-

6,879,706

-

-

3,557,666

-

-

9,619,197

-

-

(1)  Convertible Notes were converted into ordinary shares on or before the Redemption date of 22 December 2017.
(2)  Options were exercised on or before their Expiry date of 22 September 2017.
(3)  Shares and Notes held by Mr Breuer at the time of his appointment.
(4) 
(5)  Options acquired by Mr McClare acquired off market.
(6)  Options acquired by Mr Wallace acquired off market.

Includes 5,896,334 Options held by Mr Breuer and 7,500,000 Options acquired off market.

 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

REMUNERATION REPORT (AUDITED) (CONT.)
6.0  SERVICE CONTRACTS AND EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENTS
The Company does not enter into service contracts for KMP Executives.  The following sets out details of the employment 
contracts for Executive KMPs as at 31 December 2017.  

Employee

Position

Mr S P McClare

Mr P G Kiley

Mr L A Wallace

Chief Executive Officer and 
Managing Director

Chief Financial Officer and 
Company Secretary

General Manager, Kanmantoo 
Copper Mine

12 June 2015

$400,000 p.a. (3)  
reviewed periodically

Up to 50% of fixed 
remuneration

Up to 50% of fixed 
remuneration

Indefinite

3 months

1 August 2015

$330,000 p.a. (4)  
reviewed periodically

Up to 50% of fixed 
remuneration

Up to 50% of fixed 
remuneration

Indefinite

3 months

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Commencement

25 May 2015

$500,000 p.a. (2)  
reviewed periodically

Up to 60% of fixed 
remuneration

Up to 60% of fixed 
remuneration

Indefinite

6 months

Fixed Remuneration (1)

Short-term Incentive

Long-term Incentive

Contract Length 

Notice periods for resignation 
or termination

Redundancy Benefit

Death or Total and Permanent 
Disability Benefit

National Employment Standards 
and Group Redundancy Policy

National Employment Standards 
and Group Redundancy Policy

National Employment Standards 
and Group Redundancy Policy

No specific benefit

No specific benefit

No specific benefit

Change of Control

No effect

No effect

No effect

Termination for serious 
misconduct

No notice required, 
remuneration to the day less 
advance payments and return 
of Company property.

No notice required, 
remuneration to the day less 
advance payments and return 
of Company property.

No notice required, 
remuneration to the day less 
advance payments and return 
of Company property.

No payment STI/LTI

No payment STI/LTI

No payment STI/LTI

Statutory entitlements

All leave and benefits due per 
National Employment Standards

All leave and benefits due per 
National Employment Standards

All leave and benefits due per 
National Employment Standards

Post-Employment restraints

For 6 months:
Must not interfere in Company 
business, recruit employees, 
or make adverse comments or 
actions by either party.

No adverse comments or 
actions by either party

No adverse comments or 
actions by either party

(1)  On 19 May 2016 all Hillgrove employees, as part of a cost reduction initiative, agreed to defer 10% of their salary from 19 May 2016 until 
1 December 2017. From 1 December 2017, the total salary deferral for each employee will be repaid over a 14 month period up until 
January 2019.

(2)  Mr McClare’s annual fixed remuneration excludes $64,632 attributable to the 2016 and 2017 salary deferral amounts, which will be paid 

during CY18.

(3)  Mr Kiley’s annual fixed remuneration excludes $52,571 attributable to the 2016 and 2017 salary deferral amounts, which will be paid 

during CY18.

(4)  Mr Wallace’s annual fixed remuneration excludes $43,806 attributable to the 2016 and 2017 salary deferral amounts, which will be paid 

during CY18. 

 
 
 
DIRECTORS’ REPORT (CONT.)

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE STATEMENT
The Company’s Board is committed to achieving the highest standards of corporate governance.

The Company’s Corporate Governance Statement for the year ended 31 December 2017 may be accessed from the Company’s 
website at www.hillgroveresources.com.au/article/Corporate_Governance/Corporate_Governance.

ROUNDING OF AMOUNTS
The Company is of a kind referred to in ASIC Corporations (Rounding in Financials/Directors’ Reports) Instrument 2016/191, 
dated 24 March 2016, and in accordance with that Corporations Instrument amounts in the directors‘ report and the financial 
statements are rounded off to the nearest hundred thousand dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

AUDITORS INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION
A copy of the auditor’s independence declaration as required under section 307C of the Corporations Act 2001 is set out on  
page 39.

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Directors:

Dated at Adelaide this 14th day of March 2018

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Mr John Gooding 
Chairman 

Mr Steve McClare 
Managing Director

 
 
 
 
 
 
AUDITOR’S INDEPENDENCE DECLARATION

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Auditor’s Independence Declaration 

As lead auditor for the audit of Hillgrove Resources Limited for the year ended 31 December 2017, I 
declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, there have been:  

(a) 

no contraventions of the auditor independence requirements of the Corporations Act 2001 in 
relation to the audit; and 

(b) 

no contraventions of any applicable code of professional conduct in relation to the audit. 

This declaration is in respect of Hillgrove Resources Limited and the entities it controlled during the 
period.

Andrew Forman 
Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers 

Adelaide
14 March 2018

PricewaterhouseCoopers, ABN 52 780 433 757
Level 11, 70 Franklin Street, ADELAIDE  SA  5000, GPO Box 418, ADELAIDE  SA 5001 
T: +61 8 8218 7000, F: +61 8 8218 7999, www.pwc.com.au 

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation. 

 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS  
AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
For the year ended 31 December 2017

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Revenue

Other income

Expenses 

Impairment charges

Interest and finance charges 

Fair value movement in convertible notes

Profit/(Loss) before income tax

Income tax (expense) / benefit 

Profit/(Loss) for the year attributable to owners

Items that may be reclassified to profit or loss

Recycle of cash flow hedge reserve

Income tax relating to components of other  
comprehensive income

Other comprehensive income for the period (net of income tax)

Note

4

5

6(a)

6(c)

6(b)

20(a)

7

23

23

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

127,078

212

(122,914)

(153)

(4,561)

(5,569)

(5,907)

(8,167)

(14,074)

$’000 
restated

113,127

565

(136,201)

(68,475)

(4,354)

-

(95,338)

(13,859)

(109,197)

(10,946)

(10,550)

3,284

(7,662)

3,165

(7,385)

Total comprehensive income for the period

(21,736)

(116,582)

Total comprehensive income for the period is attributed to:

Equity holders of Hillgrove Resources Limited

Non-controlling interests

Total comprehensive income

Earnings per share for profit attributable to the ordinary equity 
holders of the Company: 

Basic and diluted earnings per share

8

(21,736)

-

(21,736)

Cents

(4.8)

(116,582)

-

(116,582)

Cents

(57.8)

The Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income is to be read in conjunction with  
the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 44 to 67. 

 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
As at 31 December 2017

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Note

$’000

$’000 
restated

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade and other receivables

Inventories

Total current assets

Non-current assets

Property, plant and equipment

Exploration and evaluation expenditure

Deferred tax assets

Total non-current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Provisions

Borrowings

Employee benefits payable

Deferred income

Total current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Provisions

Borrowings

Employee benefits payable

Deferred income

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Equity

Contributed equity

Reserves

Retained earnings / (accumulated losses)

Total equity

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

471

4,367

12,734

17,572

77,691

889

-

78,580

96,152

48,317

2,896

8,151

6,716

306

66,386

13,826

1,388

609

190

16,013

82,399

13,753

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1,942

3,994

4,991

10,927

68,660

803

4,883

74,346

85,273

36,425

3,027

2,834

2,768

229

45,283

10,219

10,193

927

468

21,807

67,090

18,183

234,334

3,128

(223,709)

13,753

217,538

10,280

(209,635)

18,183

The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position is to be read in conjunction with  
the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 44 to 67. 

 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY
For the year ended 31 December 2017

Contributed 
equity

Reserves

Note

$’000

$’000

Retained 
earnings

$’000 
restated

Total equity

$’000 
restated

Balance 31 December 2015

216,272

16,122

(99,200)

133,194

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Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income

Transactions with owners:

Shares issued to creditors

Share based compensation

Transfer

Balance 31 December 2016

Loss for the period

Other comprehensive income

Transactions with owners:

Contributions of equity

Share based compensation

Balance 31 December 2017

-

-

1,266

-

-

217,538

-

-

16,796

-

22

33

23

22

33

-

(109,197)

(109,197)

(7,385)

-

305

1,238

10,280

-

-

-

(1,238)

(209,635)

-

(14,074)

(7,662)

-

510

-

-

-

(7,385)

1,266

305

-

18,183

(14,074)

(7,662) 

16,796

510

13,753

234,334

3,128

(223,709)

The Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity is to be read in conjunction with  
the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 44 to 67. 

 
 
 
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
For the year ended 31 December 2017

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Note

$’000

$’000

Cash flows from operating activities

Cash receipts in the course of operations

Cash payments in the course of operations

Net cash generated by operating activities

28

Cash flows from investing activities

Payments for exploration and evaluation expenditure

Payments for property, plant and equipment

Proceeds on disposal of plant and equipment

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from early termination of derivatives

Proceeds from issue of shares

Transaction costs on issue of shares

Proceeds from borrowings

Transaction costs of borrowings / convertible notes

Repayment of borrowings

Interest received 

Interest paid

Net cash from/(used) in financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

22

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of financial period

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the financial period

9

101,547

(100,905)

642

(107)

(6,788)

1

(6,894)

-

5,635

-

300

(276)

(300)

5

(583)

4,781

(1,471)

1,942

471

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97,302

(76,270)

21,032

(383)

(28,319)

611

(28,091)

14,434

-

(30)

8,930

(526)

(18,354)

80

(1,663)

2,901

(4,158)

6,100

1,942

The Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows is to be read in conjunction with  
the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 44 to 67.

 
 
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

1.  STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT  
ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The principal accounting policies adopted in the preparation 
of these consolidated financial statements are set out below. 
Where an accounting policy is specific to one note, the policy 
is described in the note to which it relates.  The financial 
statements are for the consolidated entity consisting of 
Hillgrove Resources Limited and its subsidiaries.

(a)   Basis of preparation
This general purpose financial report has been prepared 
in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards, 
Interpretations and other authoritative pronouncements of the 
Australian Accounting Standards Board and the Corporations 
Act 2001. The financial statements comprise the consolidated 
financial statements of the Group. For the purposes of 
preparing the consolidated financial statements, Hillgrove 
Resources Limited is a for-profit entity.

Going concern

(i) 
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared on 
a going concern basis, which assumes the Group will be able 
to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities in the normal 
course of business.  At 31 December 2017, the Group’s 
current liabilities exceeded its current assets by $48.9 million. 

It should be noted that many of the initiatives that assisted the 
Company through the 2016 and 2017 calendar years have 
led to liabilities that have become payable in 2018. These 
liabilities have therefore been recognised as current liabilities, 
causing current liabilities to significantly outweigh current 
assets at the end of 2017. 

The Group continues to manage its cash balance and 
liquidity position through the continuation of existing creditor 
deferred payment agreements with its main supplier and 
service providers. The repayment of these deferred amounts 
commenced in November 2017 and all of the scheduled 
deferment payments to the main supplier have been made, 
along with the repayment of the South Australian Government 
loan of $4.3 million (including accumulated interest). In 
February 2018, the Company’s improved credit standing saw 
the establishment of a new debt facility to provide working 
capital throughout 2018. 

In addition to continuing creditor support, in 2017 the Group 
executed a number of initiatives to manage its cash flows, 
including raising $5.6 million through the exercise of options 
attached to the convertible notes, negotiating a $2.7 million 
PetroBond allowing it to return to normal creditor terms with its 
fuel supplier instead of paying cash up front and replacing the 
$1.6 million Electranet security bond with a bond which did 
not require cash backing.

To minimise short term downside copper price risk on the 
expected copper output, as at 28 February 2018, the Group 
has fixed pricing of 13,400 tonnes of copper production over 
the next 12 months at an average price of $8,896 per tonne 
after margins. 

Following the completion of the Giant Pit cutback, the 
operating performance of the Kanmantoo mine improved 
significantly in December 2017, with increases in mining 
movements, copper output, and reduced unit costs. These 
improvements were sustained in January and February 2018 
and are expected to continue through the remainder of 2018. 

The Board remains confident that the Company can generate 
sufficient cashflow from operations to meet its obligations 
throughout 2018 and beyond.  The most recent cash flow 
forecast to February 2019 shows positive cash flows from 
operations will enable the Group to meet its obligations, build 
cash reserves and improve upon the current working capital 
balance. This cash flow forecast is dependent on achieving 
planned yet attainable levels of mine production and mill 
throughput.  

However, based on the net current liability position and 
continued reliance on creditors, there remains a material 
uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the Group’s 
ability to continue as a going concern and therefore the Group 
may be unable to realise its assets and discharge its liabilities 
in the normal course of business. To address this uncertainty 
the Group has a number of measures in place with major 
creditors and is confident that the forecast production and 
cash flows will enable the Group to realise its assets and 
discharge its liabilities in the normal course of business and 
therefore the financial report has been prepared on a going 
concern basis. 

The financial report does not include any adjustments relating 
to the recoverability and classification of recorded asset 
amounts or to the amounts and classification of liabilities that 
may be necessary should the Group be unable to continue as 
a going concern.

(ii)   Compliance with International Financial  

Reporting Standards

Compliance with Australian Accounting Standards ensures 
that the consolidated financial statements and notes of 
Hillgrove Resources Limited comply with International 
Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs).

(iii)   Historical cost convention
These financial statements have been prepared under the 
historical cost convention, as modified when necessary by the 
revaluation of certain financial assets and liabilities to fair value 
through other comprehensive income or through profit or loss.

 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

1.  STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT  
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONT.)

(a)   Basis of preparation (cont.)
(iv)  Critical accounting estimates
The preparation of financial statements requires the use 
of certain critical accounting estimates. It also requires 
management to exercise its judgement in the process of 
applying the Group’s accounting policies. The areas involving 
a higher degree of judgement or complexity, or areas where 
assumptions and estimates are significant to the financial 
statements are disclosed in Note 2.

(v)  Restatement of prior period
Certain amounts reported in the previous period have been 
restated to correct errors impacting depreciation and provision 
for rehabilitation which are not considered material to the prior 
year financial statements.  Details on the adjustments can be 
found in Note 2.  

Subsidiaries

(b)  Basis of consolidation
(i) 
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the assets 
and liabilities of all subsidiaries of Hillgrove Resources 
Limited (the ‘’parent entity’’) as at 31 December 2017 and the 
results of all subsidiaries for the period then ended. Hillgrove 
Resources Limited and its subsidiaries together are referred 
to in this financial report as the Group.  Subsidiaries are all 
entities controlled by the Group.  Control is achieved when the 
Group has power over the investee, is exposed, or has rights, 
to variable returns from its involvement with the investee and 
has the ability to use its power to affect its returns.

The purchase method of accounting is used to account for the 
acquisition of subsidiaries by the Group.  Cost is measured as 
the fair value of the assets given, shares issued or liabilities 
incurred or assumed at the date of exchange.  Transaction 
costs are expensed as incurred, except if related to the issue 
of debt or equity securities.  

Consolidation of a subsidiary begins when the Group obtains 
control over the subsidiary and ceases when the Group loses 
control of the subsidiary.  Profit or loss and each component 
of other comprehensive income are attributed to owners 
of Hillgrove Resources Limited and to the non-controlling 
interests where applicable.

Intercompany transactions, balances and unrealised gains 
on transactions between Group companies are eliminated. 
Unrealised losses are also eliminated unless the transaction 
provides evidence of the impairment of the asset transferred. 

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Accounting policies of subsidiaries have been changed where 
necessary to ensure consistency with the policies adopted by 
the Group.

(ii)  Parent Entity
The financial information for the parent entity, Hillgrove 
Resources Limited, disclosed in Note 34 has been prepared 
on the same basis as the consolidated financial statements, 
except as set out below.

Investments in subsidiaries and associates are accounted 
for at cost in the financial statements of Hillgrove Resources 
Limited. Dividends received from associates are recognised in 
the parent entity’s profit or loss, rather than being deducted 
from the carrying amount of these investments.

(c)  Foreign currency translation
Functional and presentation currency
(i) 
Items included in the financial statements of each of the 
Group’s entities are measured using the currency of the primary 
economic environment in which the entity operates (‘the 
functional currency’). The consolidated financial statements are 
presented in Australian dollars, which is Hillgrove Resources 
Limited’s functional and presentation currency.

Transactions and balances

(ii) 
Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional 
currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the dates of 
the transactions.  Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting 
from the settlement of such transactions and from the 
translation at year end exchange rates of monetary assets and 
liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are recognised in 
the profit or loss, except when deferred in equity as qualifying 
cash flow hedges and qualifying net investment hedges.

For the purpose of presenting consolidated financial 
statements, the assets and liabilities of Hillgrove Resources 
Limited’s foreign operations are translated into Australian 
dollars using exchange rates prevailing at the end of the 
reporting period. Income and expense items are translated at 
the average exchange rates for the period, unless exchange 
rates fluctuated significantly during that period, in which case 
the exchange rates at the dates of the transactions are used.  
Exchange differences arising, if any, are recognised in other 
comprehensive income and accumulated in equity (attributed 
to non-controlling interests as appropriate). 

 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

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1.  STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANT  
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONT.)
Impairment of assets

(d) 
The carrying value of property, plant and equipment is 
assessed for impairment whenever there is an indicator that 
the asset may be impaired.  Determining whether property, 
plant and equipment is impaired requires an estimation of 
the recoverable value of the Cash Generating Unit (“CGU”) 
to which property, plant and equipment has been allocated.  
Impairment is recognised when the carrying amount exceeds 
the recoverable amount.

In its impairment assessment, the Company determined 
the recoverable amount based on a Value in Use (“VIU”) 
calculation.  The VIU assessment was undertaken using a 
discounted cash flow approach. Cash flow projections are 
based on the CGU’s life of mine plan.  In assessing the VIU, 
the estimated future post-tax cash flows are discounted to 
their present value using a post-tax discount rate that reflects 
the current market assessment of the time value of money 
and business risk.  Assets that have suffered an impairment 
charge are reviewed for possible reversal of the impairment at 
each reporting date.

The specific methods and assumptions used to estimate the 
discounted future cash flows of the Group’s CGU are outlined 
in more detail in Note 2 “Critical accounting estimates and 
judgements”.

(e)  Financial Instruments 
The Group measures financial instruments, such as over-the-
counter derivatives, at fair value at each balance sheet date.  

Derivatives are initially recognised at fair value on the date 
a derivative contract is entered into and are subsequently 
re-measured at their fair value. The method of recognising 
the resulting gain or loss depends on whether the derivative 
is designated as a hedging instrument, and if so, the nature 
of the item being hedged. The group designates certain 
derivatives as either:

 ■ hedges of the fair value of recognised assets or liabilities or 

a firm commitment (fair value hedge); or

 ■ hedges of a particular cash flow risk associated with a 

recognised asset or liability or a highly probable forecast 
transaction (cash flow hedge).

(f)  Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Revenues, expenses and assets are recognised net of the 
amount of associated GST, unless the GST incurred is not 
recoverable from the taxation authority. In this case it is 
recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of the asset or as 
part of the expense.

Receivables and payables are stated inclusive of the amount of 
GST receivable or payable. The net amount of GST recoverable 
from, or payable to, the taxation authority is included with 
other receivables or payables in the statement of financial 
position.

Cash flows are presented on a gross basis. The GST 
components of cash flows arising from investing or financing 
activities which are recoverable from, or payable to the taxation 
authority, are presented as operating cash flow.

(g)  Rounding of amounts
The Company is a company of the kind referred to in ASIC 
Corporations (Rounding in Financials/Directors’ Reports 
Instrument 2016/191, dated 24 March 2016, and in 
accordance with that Corporations Instrument, amounts in the 
directors’ report and the financial statements are rounded off 
to the nearest thousand dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

2.  CRITICAL ACCOUNTING  

ESTIMATES AND JUDGEMENTS
The Group makes estimates and assumptions concerning 
the future. The resulting accounting estimates will, by 
definition, seldom equal the related actual results. Estimates 
and judgements are continually evaluated and are based on 
historical experience and other factors, including expectations 
of future events that are believed to be reasonable under the 
circumstances.  The estimates and assumptions that have a 
significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying 
amounts of assets and liabilities are discussed below:

(a)  Recoverability of non-current assets
The Group has a single Cash Generating Unit (CGU) being the 
Kanmantoo copper mine. The estimates of discounted future 
cash flows for the Kanmantoo CGU are based on significant 
assumptions including;  

 ■ Estimates of the quantities of ore reserves and the timing 

of access to those reserves;

 ■ Future production levels based on plant throughput and 

recoveries;

 ■ Future copper, gold and silver prices based on broker 

consensus pricing;

 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

2.  CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES 

AND JUDGEMENTS (CONT.)

(a)  Recoverability of non-current assets (cont.)
 ■ Future exchange rates for the Australian dollar to US dollar 

based on forward curve data;

 ■ Future operating costs of production including capital 

expenditure and rehabilitation;

 ■ The discount rate most appropriate to the CG.

An impairment charge of $67.1 million against the Kanmantoo 
CGU was recorded at half year 30 June 2016 in light of 
weaker consensus commodity prices which prevailed at the 
time.  At each subsequent year end, further assessments of 
the discounted future cash flows for the Kanmantoo CGU have 
resulted in no further adjustments to the carrying values.   

The ultimate recoupment of costs capitalised and carried 
forward for exploration and evaluation activities is dependent 
on successful development and commercial exploitation, or 
sale of the respective areas.

(b)  Pre-strip mine development and  

deferred mining costs

The Group capitalises pre-strip mining costs associated with 
the development of pit structures prior to normal production. 
The amount deferred is calculated according to the waste 
removal ratio when that ratio is significantly higher than the 
normal waste removal ratio expected to be experienced during 
ore production, as indicated by the mine plan.  Capitalised 
pre-strip mining costs are classified under Mine Development 
within Property Plant and Equipment in the balance sheet 
and are being amortised to the Income Statement over the 
remaining life of the Kanmantoo mine.

Deferred mining costs represent the mining costs which are 
normalised for the impact of waste removal ratios and copper 
grades over the productive life of specific pits.  Costs are 
usually deferred in the upper benches of the pit when the 
waste removal ratio is generally higher and the copper grade 
is generally lower than the average of all the ore-producing 
benches in the pit.  The deferred costs are returned to the cost 
of production as the relevant pit reaches its floor depth.

(c)  Ore reserve estimates
The Group’s disclosed reserves are its best estimate of 
product that can be economically and legally extracted from 
the relevant mining properties. Estimates are developed after 
taking into account a range of factors including quantities, ore 
grades, production techniques and recovery rates, exchange 
rates, forecast commodity prices and production costs.

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The Group’s estimates are supported by geological studies and 
drilling samples to determine the quantity and grade of each 
ore body. Significant judgement is required to generate an 
estimate based on the geological data available.

Changes in reported reserves can impact the carrying value 
of property, plant and equipment including deferred mining 
expenditure, provision for mine rehabilitation, recognition 
of deferred tax assets and the amount of depreciation and 
amortisation charged to the profit or loss.

In October 2016 a revised Mineral Resource Estimate and Ore 
Reserve Estimate was announced for the Kanmantoo Copper 
Mine.  The 2016 Ore Reserve Estimate increased by 5.4kt of 
copper metal (about 10%), net of depletion from mining since 
30 June 2016.

(d)  Restoration, rehabilitation and  
environmental obligations

Expenditures related to ongoing restoration, rehabilitation and 
environmental obligation activities are accrued and expensed 
as incurred and included in the relevant cost of mining 
activities. These expenditures are estimated either on the basis 
of detailed cost estimates or are in accordance with statutory 
provision requirements. 

Provision is made for the costs of decommissioning and site  
rehabilitation costs when the related environmental disturbance  
takes place. Provisions are recognised at the net present value 
of future expected costs as outlined in Note 16 and 19. 

The provision represents management’s best estimate of 
the costs that will be incurred, but significant judgement is 
required as many of these costs will not crystallise until the 
end of the life of the mine.

(e)  Accounting for Convertible Notes 
In December 2016 the Company issued $5.0 million of 
convertible notes with a maturity date of December 2019.  
In September 2017 the Company announced its intention 
to redeem all unexercised convertible notes in December 
2017.  The Group was required to measure the fair value 
of the embedded derivative relating to the noteholders 
conversion option being the noteholder’s option to convert 
notes into shares at a discount to the listed share price of the 
Company at the time of conversion.  The overall fair value 
expense estimate for the upward movement in the value of 
the embedded derivative was recognised as an expense of 
$5,569k in the statement of profit or loss.

 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

2.  CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES AND JUDGEMENTS (CONT.)
(f)  Restatement of prior period
In 2017, an error was identified within the depreciation calculation caused by the incorrect application of residual values for 
various items of plant and equipment.  An error was also identified within the financial model used to estimate the rehabilitation 
provision.  Both errors, whilst not considered material, impacted the prior year financial statements. The errors have been 
corrected by restating each of the affected financial statement line items for the 2016 financial year as presented (note; there is 
no impact on prior year cashflows and basic/diluted earnings per share):

Balance Sheet (extract)

31 December 2016

Increase/(decrease)

31 December 2016 restated

Property, Plant & equipment

Deferred tax assets

Provision for rehabilitation

Net assets

Retained earnings

Total equity

Statement of profit or loss (extract)

Expenses 

Impairment charges

Interest & finance charges

Income tax expense

Net profit/loss for year

$’000s

67,105

4,856

8,574

18,246

(209,572)

18,246

2016

$’000s

(137,614)

(67,117)

(4,209)

(13,886)

(109,134)

$’000s

1,555

27

1,645

(63)

(63)

(63)

$’000s

68,660

4,883

10,219

18,183

(209,635)

18,183

Profit Increase/(decrease)

2016 restated

$’000s

1,413

(1,358)

(145)

27

(63)

$’000s

(136,201)

(68,475)

(4,354)

(13,859)

(109,197)

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3.  FINANCIAL REPORTING BY SEGMENT
Through its ownership of the Kanmantoo Copper Mine, the 
Group has one operating segment being in the resources 
industry, in Australia.  The Group also has exploration 
tenement interests overseas, but these tenements are fully 
written down, under minimal care and maintenance and 
therefore are considered to be immaterial, not requiring 
separate segment disclosure.

4.  REVENUE FROM SALE  
OF CONCENTRATES

Revenue from sale of 
concentrates

Total revenue

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

127,078

127,078

113,127

113,127

Revenue is measured at the fair value of the consideration 
received or receivable. 

The Group sells copper concentrate and sales of the metals 
contained in the product are recognised when a group entity 
has delivered the concentrate to the customer. Delivery does 
not occur until the product has either been sold at the port to 
the customer or has been loaded onto a ship on the basis of a 
CIF sale.  

The market price of the copper metal in the concentrate is 
declared by the customer one calendar month prior to the 
month of shipment. The price can be declared as either one 
of: one month before the month of shipment or synthetically 
spread adjusted to five months after the month of arrival at the 
discharge port.

Concentrate sales revenue represents gross proceeds 
receivable from the customer.  Buyer deductions such as 
treatment charges, refining charges, price participation and 
bismuth penalty charges are classified as costs of production.

Revenue for 2017 also includes the net value realised from the 
early close out in 2016 of commodity forward sale contracts 
designated as cash flow hedges.  All of the value realised from 
this close out has now been brought to account.

 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

5.  OTHER INCOME

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

6.  EXPENSES
Profit or loss before income tax includes the following expenses:

$’000

(a)  Expenses per Profit or Loss 

Interest

Other income

Gain on embedded 
derivative  (a)

Grant income  (b) 

Total other income

$’000

11

-

-

201

212

76

13

324

152

565

(a)  The Group has an embedded derivative associated 

with a liability to a contractor for face value of $1,350k 
where the future amount repayable is dependent on 
the average AUD copper price after July 2017.  Using 
forecast consensus pricing at 31 December 2016 
to value the embedded derivative component, an 
unrealised gain was recognised as other income and the 
value of the liability was reduced.  At December 2017, 
the derivative component of the liability was estimated 
using actual average copper prices which added $580k 
to the face value of the liability.  The change in value 
from the turnaround since December 2016 has been 
shown as a finance expense in Note 6 (b).

(b)  Grant income received to assist with construction of a 
water pipeline was deferred to the balance sheet and 
is recognised in the profit or loss on the same basis as 
amortisation of the underlying asset.

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Costs of production

Depreciation and 
amortisation

Inventory movement

Cost of goods sold

Government royalties

Corporate and other 
costs

Loss / (gain) on sale of 
fixed assets

Foreign exchange  
loss / (gain)

Total Expenses per 
Profit or Loss

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Note

(i)

$’000

109,691

11,814

(7,794)

$’000

86,590

44,694

968

113,711

132,252

4,596

1,250

(ii)

4,352

3,976

18

(32)

237

(1,245)

122,914

136,201

(i) 

Costs of production represent costs for mining, 
processing, transport of concentrate to port, site 
overheads and treatment/refining charges.

(ii)  Corporate and other costs reflect the costs incurred 
in running the corporate head office, together with 
Indonesian care and maintenance costs.

(b) 

Interest and finance charges 

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

Discount on unwind of 
rehabilitation provision

Bank fees and charges

Interest on borrowings

Interest payable on 
financial liabilities

Convertible Note interest

Convertible Note costs

Shares in lieu of interest to 
mining contractor

Loss on embedded 
derivative (see note 5(a))

Total Interest and finance 
charges

1,189

16

292

561

295

645

658

905

1,181

1,538

1,181

454

-

-

-

-

4,561

4,354

 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

(e)  Assurance services
The following fees were paid or payable for services provided 
by the auditor of the parent entity, its related practices and 
non-related audit firms:

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

(i)  Audit Services

Fees paid to 
PricewaterhouseCoopers:

Audit and review of  
financial reports and other 
audit work under the 
Corporations Act 2001

Fees paid to Deloitte Touche 
Tohmatsu:

Audit and review of financial 
reports and other audit work 
under the Corporations Act 
2001

Review of prospectus for 
convertible note issue

Fees paid to other firms:

Audit and review of 
Singapore financial reports 
(Crowe Horwath)

(ii)  Taxation Services

Services by Deloitte Touche 
Tohmatsu:

Tax compliance services, 
including review of income 
tax returns 

Tax advice for inclusion in 
convertible note prospectus 

Services by other firms:

Singapore tax compliance 
services, including income 
tax returns (Crowe Horwath)

Research and development 
concession claims 
(Shinewing)

$

203,060

$

-

63,490

260,000

-

20,000

14,624

281,174

15,902

295,902

12,477

20,107

-

12,777

8,348

8,563

10,335

31,160

-

41,447

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6.  EXPENSES (CONT.)
Impairment charges 
(c) 

Property, plant and equip-
ment (Kanmantoo CGU)

Exploration assets

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

-

153

153

68,441

34

68,475

In accordance with the Group’s accounting policies, regular 
impairment testing is carried out to ensure assets are not 
carried at more than their recoverable amount.  The value in 
use methodology is used to estimate the recoverable amount, 
rather than the fair value less cost of disposal method.  This is 
because the value in use methodology more closely portrays 
Kanmantoo’s current life of mine plan which envisages 
completion of mining and closure in the near-term and does 
not assume any future expansion of the mineral resource.  
As the recoverable amount can vary with market conditions 
particularly the future estimated price of copper, impairment 
testing is done at a point in time to reflect those market 
conditions.  At 30 June 2016 the consensus range of future 
copper prices had decreased significantly from the last time 
the recoverable amount was estimated at 31 December 2015.  
After applying these lower copper prices to the recoverable 
amount, an impairment charge of $68.4 million was taken 
against the Group’s Kanmantoo assets.  

An impairment is not a write off but a provision which can be 
reversed in the event of improvements in market outlook or 
operational performance including mine life extensions. As 
was the case at 31 December 2016, by applying methodology 
consistent with that used in previous years, the calculated 
recoverable amount as at 31 December 2017 exceeds the 
carrying value. However, past impairment charges have 
not been written back until such time as the Group has 
demonstrated a sustained period of positive cashflows 
following the completion of the Giant Pit cutback in late 2017.

Expenditure in exploration areas of interest where the prospect 
of recoupment of costs capitalised through successful 
development and commercial exploitation is no longer 
considered likely, is written off to the profit or loss.

(d)  Other required disclosures 

Employee benefits (excluding 
share-based payments) 

Share based payments  
(see note 33)

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

25,113

22,897

510

305

 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

7. 

INCOME TAX EXPENSE

(a) Income tax expense

Income tax expense 
comprises:

- Current tax expense

- Deferred tax expense

Income tax expense / (benefit) 

(b)  Numerical reconciliation  
      of income tax expense to 
      prima facie tax payable

Profit / (loss) from continuing 
operations before income tax 
expense / (benefit)

Tax at the Australian tax rate 
of 30%

Tax effect of amounts 
which are not deductible in 
calculating taxable income:

- Share based payments 

- Non-assessable income

- Non-deductible expenses

- Losses from non-resident 

foreign operations

- Tax temporary differences 

not recognised 

- Fair value movement in 

convertible notes

Income tax expense / (benefit)

(c) Amounts recognised 
     directly in equity

Deferred tax – (credited) / 
debited directly in equity

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

3,284

4,883

8,167

3,165

10,694

13,859

(5,907)

(95,338)

(1,772)

(28,601)

153

-

45

261

91

(242)

3

246

7,809

42,362

1,671

8,167

-

13,859

(3,284)

(3,165)

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(d) 

Tax consolidation legislation

The income tax expense or revenue for the period is the tax 
payable on the current period’s taxable income based on 
the national income tax rate for each jurisdiction adjusted 
by changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities attributable 
to temporary differences between the tax bases of assets 
and liabilities and their carrying amounts in the financial 
statements, and to unused tax losses. The Group’s liability 
for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been 
enacted or substantively enacted by the end of the reporting 
period. Current and deferred tax balances attributable to 
amounts recognised directly in equity are also recognised 
directly in equity.  

Hillgrove Resources Limited and its wholly-owned Australian 
controlled entities have implemented the tax consolidation 
legislation.  The head entity, Hillgrove Resources Limited, and 
the controlled entities in the tax consolidated group account 
for their own current and deferred tax amounts. These tax 
amounts are measured as if each entity in the tax consolidated 
group continues to be a stand-alone taxpayer in its own right.  
The entities in the tax-consolidated group entered into a tax 
sharing agreement and a tax funding agreement. On adoption 
of the legislation, the entities in the tax consolidated group 
entered into a tax sharing agreement which, in the opinion 
of the Directors, limits the joint and several liability of the 
wholly owned entities in the case of a default by the head 
entity.  The entities have also entered a tax funding agreement 
under which the wholly-owned entities fully compensate the 
head entity for any current tax payable assumed and are 
compensated by the head entity for any current tax receivable 
and deferred tax assets relating to unused tax losses or 
unused tax credits that are transferred to it under the tax 
consolidation legislation.

8.  EARNINGS PER SHARE
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing the profit 
attributable to equity holders of the Company, excluding any 
costs of servicing equity other than ordinary shares, by the 
weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding 
during the year, adjusted for bonus elements in ordinary 
shares issued during the year.

Diluted earnings per share adjusts the figures used in the 
determination of basic earnings per share to take into account 
the after income tax effect of interest and other financing 
costs associated with dilutive potential ordinary shares and the 
weighted average number of shares assumed to have been 
issued for no consideration in relation to dilutive potential 
ordinary shares.

 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

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8.  EARNINGS PER SHARE (CONT.)
Classification of securities as ordinary shares 
Ordinary shares have been classified as ordinary shares and 
included in basic earnings per share.

Classification of securities as potential shares
Outstanding performance rights have been classified as 
potential ordinary shares and included in diluted earnings per 
share.

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

(a) Basic earnings 

Profit from continuing 
operations attributable to the 
ordinary equity holders of the 
Company

 (b) Diluted earnings

Profit from continuing 
operations attributable to the 
ordinary equity holders of the 
Company. 

(14,074)

(109,197)

(14,074)

(109,197)

Number

Number

Weighted average number of  
shares used as the denominator

Number for basic earnings per share

9.  CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

Cash at bank and on hand

Restricted cash 

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

188

283

471

$’000

88

1,854

1,942

Cash and cash equivalents includes cash on hand, deposits 
held at call with financial institutions, other short-term and 
highly liquid investments that are readily convertible to known 
amounts of cash and which are subject to an insignificant risk 
of changes in value.

Restricted cash cannot be accessed without consent and 
comprises deposits to cash back environmental bonds, office 
rental security deposits and unclaimed dividends.   At 31 
December 2016 restricted cash included $1.6 million cash 
backing of a bond required as part of the completion of the 
electricity sub-station at Kanmantoo built by Electranet.  In 
2017 the Electranet Bond was replaced by an insurance bond 
which did not require cash backing. 

10.  TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Ordinary shares

294,649,666

188,874,010

Prepayments 

Number for diluted earnings per share

Ordinary shares

294,649,666

188,874,010

Other receivables

GST receivable

Trade receivables

$’000

1,384

1,181

776

1,026

4,367

$’000

585

1,593

813

1,003

3,994

(a) Basic earnings per share

(Loss)/profit from continuing 
operations attributable to the 
ordinary equity holders of the 
Company

(b) Diluted earnings per share

(Loss)/profit from continuing 
operations attributable to the 
ordinary equity holders of the 
Company

Cents

Cents

(4.8)

(57.8)

(4.8)

(57.8)

Trade receivables are for concentrate sales and the Group has 
a single customer under the terms of an offtake agreement.  
Sales are generally denominated in US dollars.  Revenue is 
recognised in accordance with the policy described in Note 4 
using spot exchange rates on the date of the sale, with trade 
receivables subsequently being translated at the exchange 
rate applicable on the date when settled.  Unsettled balances 
at period end are revalued using the appropriate end of period 
exchange rate.

First progress payment is received three days after concentrate 
is delivered to port in minimum tonnage lots.  First provisional 
payment covering 95% of the value is received three days after 
ship loading.  Second provisional payment for the remaining 
5% is received 45 days after ship loading.

 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

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All property, plant and equipment is stated at historical cost 
less accumulated depreciation and accumulated impairment 
losses. Historical cost includes expenditure that is directly 
attributable to the acquisition of the items and costs incurred 
in bringing assets into use.  Subsequent costs are included in 
the asset’s carrying amount or recognised as a separate asset, 
as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic 
benefits associated with the item will flow to the group and 
the cost of the item can be measured reliably. The carrying 
amount of any component accounted for as a separate 
asset is derecognised when replaced. All other repairs and 
maintenance are charged to profit or loss during the reporting 
period in which they are incurred.

The units of production basis is used when depreciating 
mine specific assets which results in a depreciation charge 
proportional to the depletion of the forecast remaining life of 
mine production. Changes in factors such as estimates of 
proven and probable reserves that affect the unit of production 
calculations are applied on a prospective basis. The straight 
line method of depreciation to allocate cost, net of residual 
values, is used for all remaining assets over estimated useful 
lives between 3-10 years, the duration reflects the specific 
nature of the assets.  Freehold land is not depreciated.  The 
assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and 
adjusted if appropriate, at each reporting date.

Mine development includes the Kanmantoo mine rehabilitation 
asset (see Note 2(d)).

Deferred mining costs represent the mining costs which are 
normalised for the impact of strip ratios and copper grades 
over the life of specific pits.

An asset’s carrying amount is written down immediately to its 
recoverable amount if the asset’s carrying amount is greater 
than its estimated recoverable amount (Note 1(d)). 

11.  INVENTORIES

Concentrates

ROM stockpile

Stores and consumables

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

2,662

7,020

3,052

12,734

$’000

807

808

3,376

4,991

Inventory is recognised at the lower of cost and net realisable 
value.

The cost of inventory is determined using the allocation of 
costs between production and development activities.  Costs 
and activities are monitored at each stage of the production 
process and allocated to physical units.  

Net realisable value is based on the estimated amount expected 
to be received when the inventory is completely processed and 
sold.  The estimation of net realisable value of inventories involves 
judgements about the quantity of metal that can be recovered, 
future commodity prices, production costs and selling costs. 

12.  PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Land and building

At cost

Accumulated depreciation

Plant and equipment

At cost

Accumulated depreciation and 
impairment

Motor vehicles

At cost

Accumulated depreciation

Mine development

At cost

Accumulated depreciation and 
impairment

Deferred mining costs

At cost

Total property, plant and 
equipment

$’000

5,524

(379)

5,145

$’000 
restated

5,524

(379)

5,145

73,068

72,896

(56,314)

(55,280)

16,754

17,616

1,253

(711)

542

1,261

(633)

628

158,770

152,456

(130,778)

(119,856)

27,992

32,600

27,258

27,258

12,671

12,671

77,691

68,660

 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

12.  PROPERTY, PLANT AND  
EQUIPMENT (CONT.)

13.  EXPLORATION AND EVALUATION  

EXPENDITURE

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Reconciliations of the carrying amounts for each class of asset 
are set out below:

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000 
restated

Land and Buildings

Carrying amount at beginning  
of period

Disposals

Depreciation

Impairment losses

5,145

-

-

-

Carrying amount at end of period

5,145

Plant and equipment

Carrying amount at beginning  
of period

Additions

Disposals

Depreciation

17,616

172

-

(1,034)

9,096

-

(105)

(3,846)

5,145

35,487

351

(2,310)

(5,247)

Impairment losses 

-

(10,665)

Carrying amount at end of period

16,754

17,616

Exploration, evaluation and 
expenditure

Balance at beginning  
of the period

Additions

Transfers to mine development

Impairment losses

Carrying amount at end  
of period

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

889

803

239

-

(153)

889

803

792

142

(97)

(34)

803

The Group accumulates certain costs associated with 
exploration activities on specific areas of interest where 
the Group has rights of tenure and where exploration and 
evaluation activities in the area of interest have not reached a 
stage that permits a reasonable assessment of the existence of 
economically recoverable reserves.

Motor vehicles

Carrying amount at beginning  
of period

Additions

Disposals

Depreciation

Carrying amount at end of period

Mine development

Carrying amount at beginning of 
period

Additions

Transfers from exploration

Depreciation

Impairment losses 

Increase provision for 
rehabilitation

Carrying amount at end of period

Deferred Mining Costs

Carrying amount at beginning  
of period

Additions

Impairment losses

628

77

(31)

(132)

542

32,600

3,918

-

(10,921)

-

2,395

27,992

562

401

(161)

(174)

628

83,474

26,755

97

(38,730)

(40,496)

1,500

32,600

12,671

14,587

17,014

9,091

-

(13,434)

Carrying amount at end of period

27,258

12,671

Total property, plant and 
equipment

77,691

68,660

 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

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Deferred tax assets of $2,036,000 (2016: $2,933,000) and 
deferred tax liabilities of $8,289,000 (2016: $7,013,000) 
are expected to be recovered in less than 12 months of the 
balance sheet date.

Deferred tax liability (DTL)

DTL amounts recognised in 
profit or loss

Deferred mining costs

Other

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

8,177

379

8,556

3,801

275

4,076

Amount offset to deferred tax 
assets pursuant to set-off

(8,556)

(4,076)

Net deferred tax liabilities

-

-

Movements in net deferred tax 
balance

Opening balance

4,883

15,577

Credited/(charged) to profit or 
loss

Credited/(charged) directly in 
equity for cash flow hedges

Over/(under) provision in prior 
years

Closing balance

(8,525)

(13,895)

3,284

3,165

358

-

36

4,883

15.  TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES

Trade payables

Other payables and accruals

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

30,092

18,225

48,317

$’000

26,904

9,521

36,425

Information about the Group’s exposure to liquidity risk is 
provided in Note 25.

14.  DEFERRED TAX
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognised for temporary 
differences at the tax rates expected to apply when the 
assets are recovered or liabilities are settled, based on those 
tax rates which are enacted or substantively enacted for 
each jurisdiction. The relevant tax rates are applied to the 
cumulative amounts of deductible and taxable temporary 
differences to measure the deferred tax asset or liability. 

An exception is made for certain temporary differences arising 
from the initial recognition of an asset or a liability. No deferred 
tax asset or liability is recognised in relation to these temporary 
differences if they arose in a transaction, other than a business 
combination, that at the time of the transaction did not affect 
either accounting profit or taxable profit or loss.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when there is 
a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and 
liabilities and when the deferred tax balances relate to the 
same taxation authority.

Deferred tax asset (DTA)

DTA amounts recognised in  
profit or loss

Employee benefits

Rehabilitation provisions

Tax revenue losses 

Property, plant & equipment

Other

DTA/(DTL) amounts recognised 
directly in equity

Derivatives

Share issue expenses

Set-off deferred tax liabilities 
pursuant to set-off provision

Net deferred tax assets

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000 
restated

1,496

4,688

-

1,667

495

8,346

-

210

(8,556)

-

915

1,462

2,758

5,539

1,141

11,815

(3,212)

356

(4,076)

4,883

Deferred tax assets are recognised for deductible temporary 
differences and unused tax losses only if it is probable future 
taxable amounts will be available to utilise those temporary 
differences and losses.   Unused tax losses and offsets 
for which no deferred tax asset has been recognised are 
approximately $154.4 million (tax benefit at the Australian 
tax rate of 30%: $46.3 million).  In addition there is an 
unrecognised temporary difference on plant and equipment 
amounting to approximately $107.1 million (tax benefit at the 
Australian tax rate of 30%: $32.1 million).

 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

Each lease payment is allocated between the liability and 
finance charges so as to achieve a constant rate of interest 
on the liability balance outstanding. The interest element of 
the finance cost is charged to the profit or loss over the lease 
period so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on 
the remaining balance of the liability for each period.

Leases in which a significant portion of the risks and rewards 
of ownership are retained by the lessor are classified as 
operating leases. Payments made under operating leases are 
charged to the profit or loss on a straight line basis over the 
lease period.

Secured

Loan - South Australian 
Government  (a)

Unsecured

Lease liabilities

Promissory note  (b)

Deferred payment  (c)

Total current borrowings

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

4,259

-

544

1,417

1,931

3,892

8,151

443

1,365

1,026

2,834

2,834

(a) 

In June 2016 the Company obtained a medium term 
secured loan facility of $4.0 million provided by the 
South Australian Government Financing Authority.  The 
loan has an interest rate of 4.2% and the accumulating 
balance is repayable at maturity in February 2018 (see 
Note 31 “Subsequent Events”).

(b)  A contractor creditor of the Company has agreed to 

convert a portion of the amount owed for past services 
into an unsecured interest-bearing liability.  

(c)  A contractor creditor of the Company has agreed to 
receive a deferred payment in lieu of a portion of an 
amount owed for past services.  Under the terms of the 
deferral, the face value of the obligation is scaled up or 
down according to the future copper price giving rise to 
an embedded derivative which is measured at fair value 
based on consensus forecast copper pricing.

16.  PROVISIONS – CURRENT

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Rehabilitation provision

Make good provision

Unsettled ship provision

Movement in provisions

Carrying value at the beginning 
of the period

(Reduce) / increase provision 
recognised;

    Rehabilitation provision

    Make good provision

    Unsettled ship provision

Transfer from/(to) non-current 
provisions;

    Rehabilitation provision

Balance at end of period

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

1,801

499

596

2,896

$’000

1,302

708

1,017

3,027

3,027

2,504

-

(209)

(421)

499

2,896

-

148

1,017

(642)

3,027

The rehabilitation provision is based on estimates for 
tenements held and refers to the measures and actions 
required to repair land disturbed by exploration and mining 
activities. The current balance is in respect of the Kanmantoo 
mine and Comet Vale tenement, which are expected to occur 
over the next 12 months.

The make good provision is in respect of the contractual 
requirement to make repairs necessary for mobile equipment 
including vehicles to be returned to their original state.

The unsettled ship provision represents estimated outflows 
for shipments of concentrate that have been invoiced using 
provisional pricing.  Settlement is expected to occur in the first 
quarter of 2018.

17.  BORROWINGS – CURRENT
Borrowings are classified as current liabilities.  Where the 
Group has an unconditional right to defer settlement of the 
liability at least 12 months after the reporting period, that 
part of the deferred settlement is classified as a non-current 
liability.

Leases of property, plant and equipment where the Group 
substantially holds all the risks and rewards of ownership are 
classified as finance leases. Finance leases are capitalised 
at the lease’s inception at the lower of the fair value of the 
leased property and the present value of the minimum lease 
payments. The corresponding rental obligations, net of finance 
charges, are included in current and non-current liabilities. 

 
 
 
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18.  EMPLOYEE BENEFITS  
PAYABLE – CURRENT 

Employee benefits payable

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

6,716

$’000

2,768

The current provision for employee benefits includes:

(a)  Accrued annual leave and long service leave. 

development or during the production phase, based on the net 
present value of estimated future costs.

The costs are estimated on the basis of a closure plan. The 
cost estimates are calculated annually during the life of the 
operation to reflect known developments and are subject 
to formal review at regular intervals. The amortisation or 
‘unwinding’ of the discount applied in establishing the net 
present value of provisions is charged to the statement of profit 
or loss in and shown as a financial cost.

(b)  Deferred salaries (now all current) plus unpaid liabilities 

for payroll related on-costs.

20.  BORROWINGS – NON-CURRENT

The entire amount of employee benefits payable of $6.7 million 
(2016: $2.8 million) is presented as current since the Group 
does not have an unconditional right to defer settlement for any 
of these obligations.  However, based on past experience the 
Group does not expect all employees to take the full amount of 
accrued leave or require payment within the next 12 months.

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

Current leave obligations 
expected to settle after 12 months

1,820

1,449

19.  PROVISIONS – NON CURRENT

Secured

South Australian Government 
loan  (see Note 17)

Convertible notes  (a)

Less: transaction costs on 
convertible notes

Unsecured

Lease liabilities

Promissory note  (see Note 17)

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Total non-current borrowings

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

-

-

-

-

128

1,260

1,388

1,388

4,086

5,000

(621)

8,465

515

1,213

1,728

10,193

Rehabilitation provision

Movement in provisions

Carrying value at the beginning 
of the period

Discount on unwind of 
rehabilitation provision

Transfer (to)/from current 
provisions

Expenditure charged to provision

(Reduce)/increase provision 
recognised

Balance at end of period

$’000

13,826

$’000 
restated

10,219

10,219

6,660

1,189

1,180

(499)

(543)

3,460

13,826

642

(226)

1,963

10,219

The rehabilitation provision is based on estimates for 
tenements held and refers to the measures and actions 
required to remediate land disturbed by exploration and 
mining activities.  Close down and restoration costs include the 
dismantling and demolition of infrastructure and the removal 
of residual materials and remediation of disturbed areas.  
Close down and restoration costs are provided for in the 
accounting period when the obligation arising from the 
related disturbance occurs, whether this occurs during mine 

Borrowings are initially recognised at fair value, net of 
transaction costs incurred.  Borrowings are subsequently 
measured at amortised cost. Any difference between the 
proceeds, net of transaction costs, and the redemption 
amount is recognised in the statement of profit or loss over 
the period of the borrowings using the effective interest 
method. Fees paid on the establishment of loan facilities, 
which are not an incremental cost in relation to the actual 
draw-down of the facility, are recognised as prepayments and 
amortised on a straight-line basis over the term of the facility. 

(a) 

In December 2016 $5.0 million of convertible notes 
were issued with a maturity date of December 2019.  
Accounting standards require the conversion feature of 
the instrument to be periodically measured at fair market 
value as affected by future changes in the Hillgrove share 
price.  Since issuing the notes, the Hillgrove share price 
rose from 4.2 cents to 8.2 cents at 30 June 2017 and 
remained around this level when all of the notes were 
converted or redeemed in their entirety in December 
2017.  The fair value revaluation of the convertible notes, 
which were trading above the redemption price, resulted 
in a net $5,569k increase in the liability before its final 
transfer into equity, which was recognised as an expense 
in the profit or loss during 2017.

 
 
 
 
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

20.  BORROWINGS – NON-CURRENT (CONT.)

Convertible Notes - movement schedule 

Opening balance – 1 January 2017

Fair value revaluation (see Statement of Profit & Loss)

Conversion to equity (see note 22)

Payment for redemptions

Closing balance – 31 December 2017

2017

$’000

5,000

5,569

(10,508)

(61)

-

21.  EMPLOYEE BENEFITS PAYABLE – NON CURRENT

Long service leave

Deferred Salaries

22.  SHARE CAPITAL

Issued and paid up capital for 568,929,118 fully paid shares  
(31 December 2016: 206,767,2471)  

Ordinary Shares Issued – movements during the period

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

609

-

609

$’000

331

596

927

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

234,334

217,538

Opening balance

Shares issued to creditor

Exercise of options

Conversion of notes

Less – transaction costs

Balance at end of period

31 Dec 2017

No. of shares

31 Dec 2016

No. of shares

206,767,247

188,109,342

9,405,467

18,657,905

187,792,770

164,963,634

-

-

-

-

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

217,538

658

5,634

10,508

(4)

$’000

216,272

1,271

-

-

(5)

568,929,118

206,767,247

234,334

217,538

Ordinary shares are classified as equity.  Incremental costs directly attributable to the issue of new shares or options are shown in 
equity as a deduction, net of tax, from the proceeds.

Terms and conditions
Holders of ordinary shares are entitled to receive dividends as declared and are entitled to one vote per share at shareholders 
meetings. In the event of winding up the Company, ordinary shareholders rank after all other shareholders and creditors and are 
fully entitled to any net proceeds of liquidation.

Capital risk management
The Group’s objectives when managing capital are to safeguard its ability to continue as a going concern, so it can provide 
returns for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders and to maintain an optimal capital structure to reduce the cost of 
capital. In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may adjust the amount of dividends paid to shareholders, 
return capital to shareholders, issue new shares or sell assets.

 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

23.  RESERVES

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Nature and purpose of reserves
Employee share option reserve
(i) 

Employee share options reserve

Other financial assets 
revaluation reserve

Cash flow hedges

Foreign currency translation

Movements:

Employee share options reserve 

$’000

3,305

-

-

(177)

3,128

$’000

2,795

The employee share option reserve is used to recognise the 
fair value of share performance rights issued to employees but 
not exercised. 

-

(ii)   Cash flow hedge reserve

7,662

(177)

10,280

The cash flow hedge reserve represents the effective portion of 
changes in the fair value of the derivatives that are designated 
and qualify as cash flow hedges, net of taxes. The amounts are 
recognised in the profit or loss in the same periods the hedged 
item is recognised in the profit or loss. 

Balance 31 December 2016

2,795

2,490

Share based compensation 
expense

Balance 31 December 2017

Other financial assets 
revaluation reserve

Balance 31 December 2016

Transfer to retained earnings 

Balance 31 December 2017

Cash flow hedge reserve

510

3,305

305

2,795

-

-

-

(1,238)

1,238

-

Balance 31 December 2016

7,662

15,047

(iii) 

Foreign currency translation reserve

Exchange differences arising on translation of the foreign 
controlled entity are recognised in Other Comprehensive 
Income as described in Note 1(c)(ii) and accumulated in 
the foreign currency translation reserve within equity. The 
cumulative amount is reclassified to profit or loss when the net 
investment is disposed of.

24.  RETAINED EARNINGS

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

At beginning of the period

(209,635)

(99,200)

Profit attributable to 
members of the parent entity

(14,074)

(109,197)

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Gain arising on changes in fair 
value of hedging instruments 
entered into for cash flow 
hedges

Cumulative (gain)/loss arising on 
changes in fair value of hedging 
instruments reclassified to profit 
or loss

Deferred tax (Note 14)

Balance 31 December 2017

-

(1,994)

Transfer from reserves

-

(1,238)

Retained profits at end of 
the period

(223,709)

(209,635)

(10,946)

(8,556)

3,284

-

3,165

7,662

No dividend was paid during the current period (31 December 
2016: Nil). The Company has $21.3 million of franking credits 
available for future periods (31 December 2016: $21.3 million).

 
 
 
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

25.  FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
The Group’s activities expose it to a variety of financial risks: market risk, credit risk and liquidity risk. The Group’s overall risk 
management program focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimise potential adverse effects on 
the financial performance of the Group. Risk management is carried out by senior management under direction of the Board of 
Directors. The Board provides principles for overall risk management, as well as policies covering specific areas.

Copper and Gold – Commodity price and foreign exchange risk management

(a)  Market risk
(i) 
The Group has exposure to copper and gold commodity prices arising from sales contracts that commit the Group to supply 
copper concentrate in future years. The prices for copper concentrate supplied under these contracts will be determined at the 
time of delivery with respect to the price of copper, gold and silver which is quoted in US dollars. The copper price component 
represents greater than 90% of the copper concentrate sales value and gold represents about 9%.

In the past, the Group has entered into copper commodity swaps contracted in Australian dollars to hedge both the US dollar 
copper price risk and AUD/USD exchange rate risk.  The Group has used these derivative financial instruments to provide more 
predictable cash flows from sales revenues during times when the Group had significant third party secured debt.

In August 2016, the Board made a decision to close out all of its remaining derivative positions yielding cash proceeds which, in 
combination with restricted cash balances, allowed the Group to retire its secured debt at the time.   Since this early close out, 
the Group has managed commodity price and foreign exchange risk on a ship-by-ship basis.  The gains realised from the close 
out of the cash flow hedges were allocated to a reserve account and were being allocated to profit and loss over the originally 
designated hedge time periods as specified by the contract maturity dates.  By 31 December 2017 all of the deferred gains have 
been allocated to profit and loss.

During 2017, the Group’s metal offtaker Freepoint Metals LLC agreed to vary  the normal offtake terms and provide short term 
fixed copper pricing to the Group on market competitive cost margin terms.   These arrangements protected the Group from 
downside price risk, however they are not tradeable instruments nor able to be cancelled or settled/converted into cash.   As a 
consequence hedge accounting is not applicable to the fixed price arrangements.

As at 31 December 2017, the Group had a total of 12,000 tonnes of copper metal at agreed fixed prices ranging from AUD 8,204 
per tonne up to AUD 9,094 per tonne (average price of AUD 8,740).

As shown in Note 17 “Current Borrowings”, at reporting date the Group has an interest-free liability to a mine contractor.  The 
underlying face value of the liability is $1,350,000 and during 2016 the final amount payable was subject to a discount/premium 
referable to spot AUD copper prices.  As at 31 December 2017 the final value of the liability has been determined and is no 
longer subject to variation from movement in the copper price.

Interest rate risk management

(b) 
The Group’s main interest rate risk arises from borrowings. Borrowings issued at variable rates expose the Group to cash flow 
interest rate risk. Borrowings issued at fixed rates expose the Group to fair value interest rate risk.

As at the reporting date, the Group had the following borrowings:

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Weighted average interest rate

Book value $’000

Borrowings

4.3%

4.9%

7,608

13,531

The percentage of total borrowings which are at variable rates is 35% (31 December 2016: 22%). 

An analysis by maturities is provided in (c) below. 

Details of borrowings have been provided in Note 17 and 20. At 31 December 2017, if interest rates had increased/decreased 
by 100 basis points from the year end rates with all other variables held constant, pre tax profit for the year would have been 
decreased/increased by $27,000 (31 December 2016: $25,000). 

 
 
 
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25.  FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (CONT.) 
(c)  Foreign exchange risk
The Group sells copper concentrate and sales invoices are denominated in USD.  

The Group previously entered into AUD-denominated copper commodity derivatives to hedge both the USD copper price risk 
and the AUD/USD exchange rate risk, with the foreign exchange exposure being the USD of the unhedged portion of future 
sales.   From August 2016 when the derivatives were closed out, copper concentrate sales were unhedged, but the potential 
impact of foreign exchange risk on the unhedged revenue stream was not material.   During 2017, the fixed pricing arrangements 
implemented with Freepoint on a ship by ship basis include conversion from USD into AUD to the extent of the aggregate of the 
early drawdown values for each ship.  Provisional and final invoicing is settled at spot foreign exchange rates.   

At 31 December 2017 the Group has USD-denominated trade receivables of US$1,079,157 (31 December 2016: US$423,649).  
Offsetting this, the Group has unsettled ship provisions for final invoices which are also recorded in USD.   At 31 December 2017 
the Group has USD-denominated ship provisions of US$465,000 (31 December 2016: US$735,889).  The table below details 
the Group’s foreign exchange sensitivity on its net USD-denominated trade receivables and final invoice ship provisions.

31 December 2017

Impact on profit or loss

31 December 2016

Impact on profit or loss

Increase ($‘000)

Decrease ($‘000)

Increase ($‘000)

Decrease ($‘000)

Impact of 10% increase/decrease in A$/US$ 
exchange rate on US$ denominated trade 
receivables

(72)

79

39

(43)

The Group and parent entity also hold bank accounts denominated in US$ and IDR (Indonesian Rupiah) which had carrying 
values of $NIL and $8,102 respectively at 31 December 2017 (31 December 2016: $200 and $522 respectively). The foreign 
exchange risk on these cash balances is not material. 

(d)  Credit risk
Credit risk is managed on a group basis. Credit risk can arise from cash and cash equivalents, deposits with banks and financial 
institutions, derivative financial instruments and receivables. The Group holds its cash with Westpac Banking Corporation and 
Macquarie Bank which are considered to be appropriate financial institutions. 

The Group has trade receivables of A$1,383,535 (31 December 2016: A$585,336). The maximum exposure to credit risk at the 
reporting date is the carrying amount of the financial assets. 

GST refunds are receivable from a government agency and are deemed to have no significant credit risk.

For banks, financial institutions and third party debtors, management assesses the credit quality of the counterparty, taking into 
account its financial position, past experience and other relevant factors. 

(e)  Liquidity risk
Prudent liquidity risk management implies maintaining sufficient cash and marketable securities, the availability of funding 
through an adequate amount of committed credit facilities and the ability to close out market positions. Liquidity risk is managed 
on a Group basis. The Group manages liquidity risk by continuously monitoring forecast and actual cash flows and matching the 
maturity profiles of financial assets and liabilities. 

The Group monitors its cash flow on a weekly basis to ensure adequate funds are in place to maintain uninterrupted production . 
The Group and the parent entity had no undrawn borrowing facilities at the reporting date.

 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

25.  FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT (CONT.) 
(e)  Liquidity risk (cont.)
Maturities of financial liabilities
The tables below analyse the Group’s financial liabilities into relevant maturity groupings based on the remaining period at the 
reporting date to the contractual maturity date. The amounts disclosed in the table are the contractual undiscounted cash flows 
and includes future interest on borrowings.

31 December 2017 ($’000)

Trade and other payables

Borrowings

Total

31 December 2016 ($’000)

Trade and other payables

Borrowings

Total

Less than  
1 year

48,317

8,151

56,468

36,425

3,304

39,729

1 to 2 year(s)

2 to 3 years

3 to 4 years

4 to 5 years

More than  
5 years

-

1,388

1,388

-

6,339

6,339

-

-

-

-

5,328

5,328

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

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26.  SUBSIDIARIES
The consolidated financial statements incorporate the assets, liabilities and results of the following subsidiaries in accordance 
with the accounting policy described in Note 1(b)(i).

Name of controlled entity

Hillgrove Copper Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Copper Holdings Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Exploration Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Mining Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Operations Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Wheal Ellen Pty Ltd

Kanmantoo Properties Pty Ltd

Mt Torrens Properties Pty Ltd

SA Mining Resources Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Indonesia Pty Ltd

Hillgrove Singapore Holdings Pte Ltd

Hillgrove Singapore No 2 Pte Ltd

Hillgrove Singapore No 3 Pte Ltd

Hillgrove Singapore No 4 Pte Ltd

PT Akram Resources 

PT Fathi Resources

PT Hillgrove Indonesia 

Country of 
incorporation

Class of share

Equity holding  
31 Dec 2017 (%)

Equity holding  
31 Dec 2016 (%)

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore

Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

Ordinary

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

 80

 80

100

100

 80

 80

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

100

 80

 80

100

100

 80

 80

100

The proportion of ownership interest is equal to the proportion of voting power held.

Transactions with non-controlling interests
There were no transactions with non-controlling interests during the period.

 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

27.  COMMITMENTS
(a)  Non-cancellable operating lease expense  

commitments

Future operating lease commitments not provided for in the 
financial statements and payable:

(b)  Reconciliation of operating profit after income  
tax to net cash provided by operating activities 

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

Operating profit after income tax 

(14,074)

(109,197)

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Add / (less) items classified as 
investing / financing activities

Net loss on sale of fixed assets 

Net interest expense

Add / (less) non-cash items

Depreciation and amortisation

Impairment asset write downs

Fair value adjustment – 
convertible notes

Employee share options 

Unrealised FX (gains) / losses

Unrealised (gain) / losses on 
financial derivatives

Discount on unwind of 
rehabilitation provision

Movement in deferred liability to 
contractor

Shares in lieu of interest

Deferred income amortisation

Net cash generated by 
operating activities before 
change in assets and liabilities 

Changes in operating assets 
and liabilities 

(Increase) / decrease in 
receivables, prepayments and 
inventories

Increase / (decrease) in trade 
creditors and accruals 

(Increase) / decrease in net 
deferred tax assets

Increase / (decrease) in 
provisions and employee benefits

(Increase) / decrease in 
deferred mining costs

Net cash generated by 
operating activities 

18

1,817

11,814

153

5,569

511

-

(32)

3,174

44,694

68,475

-

305

(808)

(7,662)

(3,648)

1,189

1,180

905

654

(201)

(324)

-

(152)

693

3,667

(8,116)

1,045

14,484

11,736

4,883

10,748

3,285

2,927

(14,587)

(9,091)

642

21,032

Within one year

One year or later and no later 
than five years

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

34

56

90

33

-

33

The group leases its Unley offices under non-cancellable 
operating leases expiring within five years of the reporting date. 
The lease has been extended to 2020. The lease has varying 
CPI escalation clauses and renewal rights. On renewal, the 
terms of the lease are renegotiated.

(b)  Exploration expenditure commitments
In order to maintain current rights of tenure to exploration 
tenements, the Group is required to perform exploration work 
to meet the minimum expenditure requirements under the 
various exploration licences which are held.  These obligations 
are expected to be fulfilled in the normal course of operations.  
Mining interests may be relinquished or joint ventured to 
reduce this amount.  The SA State Government has the 
authority to defer, waive or amend the minimum expenditure 
requirements.  Eligible exploration expenditure includes an 
appropriate allocation of overhead costs.

Within one year

One year or later and no later 
than five years

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

300

300

600

$’000

641

-

641

(c)  Capital commitments
At 31 December 2017 there were no contracted capital 
commitments (31 December 2016: Nil). 

28.  NOTES TO THE STATEMENT  

OF CASH FLOWS
(a)  Reconciliation of cash
For the purposes of the statement of cash flows, cash includes 
cash on hand and at bank and short term deposits at call. 
Cash as at the end of the financial year as shown in the 
statement of cash flows is reconciled to the related items in 
the Statement of Financial Position as set out in Note 9.

 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

29.  KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL  

DISCLOSURES

(a)  Key management personnel compensation

31.  EVENTS AFTER THE  
REPORTING PERIOD 

Since the balance date the Company has successfully 
completed the following initiatives:

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31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

Short-term employee benefits

1,376,075

1,331,888

Post-employment benefits

Share based payments

104,719

313,646

101,695

160,066

1,794,440

1,593,649

Further detail regarding key management personnel 
compensation can be found in the Remuneration Report.

30.   RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS 
(a)  Parent entities 
The parent entity within the Group is Hillgrove Resources 
Limited.

(b)  Subsidiaries
Interests in subsidiaries are set out in Note 26.

(c)  Key management personnel
Disclosures relating to key management personnel are set out 
in Note 29.

(d)  Related parties
Loans to controlled entities are eliminated on consolidation.

The parent Company is the banker for the Group and 
re-allocated via loan account all costs that related to the 
controlled entities. Some assets and liabilities previously 
recognised in the parent Company, mainly consisting of 
property, plant, equipment and exploration related assets, 
have also been transferred to the controlled entities via loan 
account. All these transactions were recorded at carrying 
value.

(a)  $4m copper pre-pay facility
On 16 February 2018, the Company agreed a fully secured 
$4m copper pre-pay facility with Freepoint Metals & 
Concentrates LLC.  The facility provided the Company with 
general working capital enabling it to:

 ■ Reduce its copper price risk exposure, during 2018 by 

fixing the price of an additional 5,000 tonnes of copper at 
$8,885/tonne, and

 ■ Take advantage of transactions such as buying back future 
liabilities at a discount and to continue to advance growth 
projects.

The key terms of the facility were:

 ■ Freepoint advanced Hillgrove $4.0 million, which will 
convert to a prepayment of $800 per tonne on 5,000 
tonnes of future copper sales;

 ■ Hillgrove will repay the facility from the sale of these 5,000 
tonnes during the period from July 2018 to December 
2018;

 ■ The facility is secured by a security package which 

includes the mortgages over the real property which was 
previously used to secure the SA Government Loan; and

 ■ The facility will incur interest at 7% pa. 

(b)  Repayment of SA Government $4m Loan
On 16 February 2018, the Company repaid the SA 
Government $4.3m loan. The loan was one of a number of 
initiatives from key stakeholders to assist Hillgrove overcome 
a cash shortfall during a major cutback at the Kanmantoo 
Copper Mine during a significant downturn in the copper 
market (refer market release 28 June 2016).

(c)  Buy out of a mining contractor deferred liability 
On 16 November 2016, the Company announced it had 
reached agreement with a mining contractor to defer payment 
of $1.35 million of its outstanding creditor balance until after  
1 July 2017, when the Company would pay an amount based 
on a sliding scale copper price.  Based on current copper 
prices, this liability had the potential to increase significantly; 
so on 27 February 2018, the Company paid $1.93 million in 
full settlement of this future liability. 

 
 
 
 
 
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

31.  EVENTS AFTER THE  

REPORTING PERIOD (CONT.)
Indonesian Projects

(d) 
On 28 February 2018, Hillgrove received notices from the 
Indonesian Department of Mines, which state the tenements 
for its two Indonesian assets at Bird’s Head in West Papua 
and Sumba Island have been terminated due to the non-
performance  
of obligations including the non-payment of dead rents. 

Hillgrove is taking advice to review its position and decide 
whether it will appeal the decision.

The projects were on care and maintenance and the carrying 
value of both projects was fully impaired in 2015.

32.   CONTINGENT LIABILITIES
Guarantees

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

Electranet performance bond to 
support the build, own, operate 
and maintain agreement for 
installation of transmission 
infrastructure at the Kanmantoo 
site

Security bonds on rental properties

1,162

16

1,178

1,641

16

1,657

The consolidated entity has obligations to restore land 
disturbed under exploration and mining licences.  The 
maximum obligation to the SA State Government in respect of 
the Kanmantoo copper mine has been assessed at a value of 
$9.2 milion and is secured by the SA Government on a first 
ranking basis against the assets of the consolidated entity.  

The Directors are of the opinion that further provisions are not 
required in respect of these matters, as it is not probable that 
a future sacrifice of economic benefits will be required or the 
amount is not capable of reliable measurement.

The consolidated entity had no other contingent liabilities at  
31 December 2017.

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33.  SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS
Options and Performance Rights Plan (OPRP)
Share based compensation benefits are provided by the 
Options and Performance Rights Plan (OPRP). The securities 
issued under this plan are referred to as performance rights 
throughout the financial statements.

The Options and Performance Rights Plan (OPRP) is designed 
to provide long-term incentives for senior managers and 
above (including Executive Directors) to deliver ongoing 
improvements in shareholder returns. 

Under the plan, participants are granted rights which vest 
and can be exercised three years after offer (for the 2014 
offer) and two years after offer (for the 2016 and 2017 offers), 
subject to the achievement of certain pre-set performance 
measures and service conditions. Participation in the plan is at 
the Board’s discretion and no individual has a contractual right 
to participate in the plan or to receive any guaranteed benefits.

Rights granted under the plan carry no dividend or voting 
rights. When exercisable, each performance right is 
convertible into one fully paid ordinary share in Hillgrove 
Resources Limited. The granting and exercise price of the 
rights is nil.  The ability for rights to vest and be automatically 
exercised under the OPRP is dependent on the following:

a)   The satisfaction of all the Performance Conditions (KPI’s);

b)   The invitee achieving an Annual Performance Appraisal 

Rating of 50% of more;

c)   The invitee complying with all Company policy and 

procedures (e.g. no disciplinary action against the invitee 
between offer and vesting); and

d)  The invitee meeting the Service Condition (continued 

employment) for the rights.

Collectively the above conditions are referred to as the Vesting 
Conditions.

Fair value of performance rights granted in the year
The assessed fair value at grant date of performance rights 
granted to individuals is allocated equally over the period 
from grant date to vesting date. Fair values at grant date are 
independently determined using a Binominal Approximation or 
Black-Scholes (as appropriate). Both models take into account 
the exercise price, the term, the impact of dilution, the share 
price at grant date, the expected price volatility of the underlying 
share, the expected dividend yield and the risk-free interest rate 
for the term of the performance rights. Expected volatility is based 
on the Group’s three year rolling daily standard deviation using 
Hillgrove’s closing share price for the six years prior to the grant.

 
 
 
66

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

33.  SHARE-BASED PAYMENTS (CONT.) 
Movements in performance rights during the year

31 December 2017

31 December 2016

Number of  
performance rights

Weighted average 
exercise price ($)

Number of  
performance rights

Weighted average 
exercise price ($)

Balance at beginning of year

Granted during the year

Forfeited during the year

Exercised during the year

Expired during the year

Balance at end of year

Exercisable at end of year

9,410,500

12,640,000

(30,000)

-

(832,500)

21,188,000

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

1,813,750

8,548,000

(220,000)

-

(731,250)

9,410,500

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Performance rights outstanding at the end of the year
At the end of the year there are 21,188,000 performance 
rights outstanding that have been offered under the OPRP. 
The exercise price of these performance rights are Nil (31 
December 2016: Nil), and the weighted average remaining 
contractual life at the end of the period was 1.5 years (31 
December 2016: 1.4 years).

Expenses arising from share-based payment 
transactions
Total expenses arising from share-based payment transactions 
recognised during the period as part of employee benefit 
expense were as follows:

34.  PARENT ENTITY INFORMATION
Set out below is the supplementary information about the 
parent entity.

Parent

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

Loss after income tax

(21,735)

(116,582)

Total comprehensive income

(21,735)

(119,746)

Balance Sheet

Total current assets

Total assets

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

Total current liabilities

$’000

$’000

Total liabilities

335

19,031

5,020

5,278

854

28,769

924

10,586

Performance rights issued under 
the OPRP

510

305

Net assets

13,753

18,183

Shareholders Equity 

Contributed equity 

234,333

217,538

Employee share options reserve

3,305

2,795

Retained profits

Total equity

(223,885)

(202,150)

13,753

18,183

Significant accounting policies
The accounting policies of the parent entity are consistent 
with those of the consolidated entity, as disclosed in Note 1. 
Investments in subsidiaries are accounted for at cost, less any 
impairment.

Contingent liabilities

Security bond on rental 
properties

31 Dec 2017

31 Dec 2016

$’000

$’000

16

16

 
 
 
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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2017

35.  STANDARDS AND INTERPRETATIONS IN ISSUE 
Mandatory standards adopted in the current reporting period
The Group has adopted all of the new and revised Standards and Interpretations issued by the Australian Accounting Standards 
Board that are relevant to its operations and effective for the current annual reporting period.  The adoption of these mandatory 
standards has not had a significant impact on the Group’s accounting policies or the amounts reported during the year.

Early adoption of standards
There were no standards adopted early.

Standards and interpretations in issue but not yet adopted
At the date of authorisation of the financial statements, the standards and interpretations listed below were in issue but  
not yet effective.

Standard/Interpretation

AASB 9 (2014) ‘Financial Instruments’, and the relevant 
amending standards.  

AASB 15 ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’ and AASB 
2014-5 ‘Amendments to Australian Accounting Standards 
arising from AASB 15’

AASB 16 ‘Leases’

AASB 15 Revenue from Contracts with Customers
The Australian Accounting Standards Board has issued AASB 15, 
Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which has a mandatory 
application date of 1 January 2018. The new standard is based on 
the principle that revenue is recognised when control of a good or 
service transfers to the customer.  Control is deemed to have been 
transferred when contractual performance obligations have been 
fulfilled.  This potentially changes the timing and quantum  
of revenue recognition. 

The offtake agreement requires the Group to deliver copper concen- 
trate to port of shipping and to organise and pay for shipping to the 
final destination port.  Under AASB 15, the Group has assessed 
these to be the performance obligations in the offtake agreement.

Revenue is currently recognised when concentrates have been 
delivered to port and sold to the offtake customer at which 
point control and ownership are transferred. Under AASB 15, 
the Group will continue to recognise revenue at this point as 
the first performance obligation will have been satisfied. The 
second performance obligation will be met when concentrates 
are delivered to the destination port and at this point associated 
revenue will be recognised. The revenue associated with the 
second performance obligation would be recognised at a later 
point than is currently recognised. However, this is not expected 
to have a material impact on the results of the Group.

Revenue is currently recorded on a gross basis, with treatment 
charges recorded as an expense (as disclosed in note 6). The 
Group is currently assessing whether this remains the most 
appropriate treatment, or whether revenue should be recorded on 
a net basis (i.e. excluding treatment charges). This assessment 
would effect the amount of revenue but not effect recorded profit.

The Group has provisional pricing arrangements which are 
finalised on final assay and weights. The treatment under AASB 
118 is expected to be materially consistent under AASB 15.

Effective for annual reporting  
periods beginning on or after

Expected to be initially applied  
in the financial year ending

1 January 2018

31 December 2018

1 January 2018

1 January 2019

31 December 2018

31 December 2019

On the basis of the above, the new standard is not expected to 
materially impact the Group’s net profit after tax. The Group will 
adopt the standard effective 1 January 2018.

AASB 9 Financial Instruments
AASB 9 addresses the classification, measurement and 
derecognition of financial assets and financial liabilities, 
introduces new rules for hedge accounting and a new impairment 
model for financial assets.  The majority of the Group financial 
assets are in the form of cash and cash equivalents, trade and 
other receivables.  Accordingly, the Group does not expect the 
new guidance to have a significant impact on the classification 
and measurement of its financial assets and liabilities, its offtake 
pricing arrangements or its results on adoption of the new 
impairment model.

AASB 16 Leases
AASB 16 will result in almost all leases being recognised 
on the statement of financial position, as the distinction 
between operating and finance leases is removed. Under 
the new standard, an asset (the right to use the leased item) 
and a financial liability to pay rentals are recognised. The 
only exceptions are short-term and low-value leases. The 
accounting for lessors will not significantly change. Information 
on the undiscounted amount of the Group’s operating lease 
commitments at 31 December 2017 under AASB 117 is disclosed 
in note 27. The Group has not yet determined to what extent 
its operating lease commitments will result in the recognition 
of an asset and a liability for future payments although the 
commitments, which are not substantial, may be covered by 
the exception for short-term and low-value leases and some 
commitments may relate to arrangements that will not qualify as 
leases under AASB16.

 
 
DIRECTORS’ DECLARATION

In the Directors’ opinion:

(a)  

the financial statements and notes set out on pages 40 to 67 are in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, 
including:

(i)  

(ii)  

complying with Accounting Standards, the Corporations Regulations 2001 and other mandatory professional 
reporting requirements; and

giving a true and fair view of the consolidated entity’s financial position as at 31 December 2017 and of its 
performance for the financial period ended on that date; and

(b)  

there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Company will be able to pay its debts as and when they become due  
and payable.

Note 1(a) confirms that the financial statements also comply with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by 
the International Accounting Standards Board.

The Directors have been given the declarations by the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer required by 
section 295A of the Corporations Act 2001.

This declaration is made in accordance with a resolution of the Directors. 

Dated at Adelaide this 14th day of March 2018

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Mr John Gooding  
Chairman 

Mr Steve McClare 
Managing Director

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
to the Members of Hillgrove Resources Limited

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Independent auditor’s report
To the members of Hillgrove Resources Limited

Report on the audit of the financial report

Our opinion

In our opinion:

The accompanying financial report of Hillgrove Resources Limited (the Company) and its controlled
entities (together the Group) is in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including:

(a)

giving a true and fair view of the Group's financial position as at 31 December 2017 and of its
financial performance for the year then ended

(b)

complying with Australian Accounting Standards and the Corporations Regulations 2001.

What we have audited
The Group financial report comprises:













the consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 December 2017

the consolidated statement of changes in equity for the year then ended

the consolidated statement of cash flows for the year then ended

the consolidated statement of profit or loss and other comprehensive income for the year then
ended

the notes to the consolidated financial statements, which include a summary of significant
accounting policies

the directors’ declaration.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under
those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial
report section of our report.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for
our opinion.

Independence
We are independent of the Group in accordance with the auditor independence requirements of the
Corporations Act 2001 and the ethical requirements of the Accounting Professional and Ethical
Standards Board’s APES 110 Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (the Code) that are relevant
to our audit of the financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities
in accordance with the Code.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, ABN 52 780 433 757
Level 11, 70 Franklin Street, ADELAIDE SA 5000, GPO Box 418, ADELAIDE SA 5001
T: +61 8 8218 7000, F: +61 8 8218 7999, www.pwc.com.au

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
to the Members of Hillgrove Resources Limited (cont.)

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Material uncertainty related to going concern

We draw attention to Note 1 in the financial report, which indicates that as at 31 December 2017 the
Group’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by $48.9 million and it is reliant on the ongoing
support of its major creditors. These conditions, along with other matters set forth in Note 1, indicate
that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as a
going concern. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

Our audit approach

An audit is designed to provide reasonable assurance about whether the financial report is free from
material misstatement. Misstatements may arise due to fraud or error. They are considered material if
individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of
users taken on the basis of the financial report.

We tailored the scope of our audit to ensure that we performed enough work to be able to give an
opinion on the financial report as a whole, taking into account the geographic and management
structure of the Group, its accounting processes and controls and the industry in which it operates.

Materiality



For the purpose of our audit we used overall Group materiality of $890,000, which represents approximately
0.7% of the Group’s revenue.

 We applied this threshold, together with qualitative considerations, to determine the scope of our audit and
the nature, timing and extent of our audit procedures and to evaluate the effect of misstatements on the
financial report as a whole.

 We chose Group revenue as the materiality benchmark rather than profit before tax due to the recent
volatility in profit before tax. Revenues are reflective of the Group’s operating activities in continued
challenging market conditions, are relatively stable and provide a level of materiality which, in our view, is
appropriate for the audit having regard to the expected requirements of users of the Group’s financial report.

 We utilised a 0.7% threshold based on our professional judgement, noting it is within the range of commonly

acceptable thresholds.

 
 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
to the Members of Hillgrove Resources Limited (cont.)

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Audit Scope







Our audit focused on subjective judgements made by the Group; for example, significant accounting
estimates involving assumptions and inherently uncertain future events.

The Group’s accounting records are held and managed at their operating mine in Kanmantoo and the
corporate head office, located in Adelaide. We performed audit procedures at both locations.

The Kanmantoo mining operation was the focus of the audit as it is the Group’s only operating mine site. The
Group has overseas subsidiaries in Indonesia which hold its two Indonesian assets at Bird’s Head in West
Papua and Sumba Island which are both on care and maintenance. As the Indonesian entities have no
operational assets and are not material to the Group, we have performed limited audit procedures over these
subsidiaries from the corporate head office.

Key audit matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgement, were of most significance in
our audit of the financial report for the current period. The key audit matters were addressed in the
context of our audit of the financial report as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do
not provide a separate opinion on these matters. Further, any commentary on the outcomes of a
particular audit procedure is made in that context. We communicated the key audit matters to the
Audit and Risk Committee.

In addition to the matter described in the Material uncertainty related to going concern section, we
have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our
report.

Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

Carrying value of Kanmantoo Cash
Generating Unit
(Refer to note 12)

Large impairment charges were recorded in the
consolidated statement of profit and loss and other
comprehensive income for the financial years ended 31
December 2016 ($68.5 million) and 31 December 2015
($112.9 million), the majority of which related to the
Kanmantoo Cash Generating Unit (“CGU”).

In the current year, given the existence of impairment
indicators the Group assessed the recoverability of the
carrying value of its Kanmantoo CGU. The Group also
considered whether there was objective evidence that
the conditions leading to the asset impairment were no
longer present and whether the Group should consider

We performed the following procedures, amongst
others:







Assessed the appropriateness of the CGU
identification in accordance with the requirements
of Australian Accounting Standards.

Compared the cash flow forecasts used in the
discounted cash flow model to those in the latest
Board approved budgets and evaluated the Group’s
ability to forecast future results by comparing
budgets with reported actual results for the
previous financial year.

Tested the mathematical accuracy of the
discounted cash flow model, and assessed the
completeness of cash flows included within the
model based on our understanding of operations

 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
to the Members of Hillgrove Resources Limited (cont.)

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Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

a reversal of prior impairment charges.

from the audit.

The assessment of the carrying value of the Kanmantoo
CGU was considered a key audit matter due to the
financial significance of the balance ($77.7 million) and
the judgemental assumptions included in the Group’s
discounted cash flow model, particularly:









long term copper and gold prices

reserve estimates and production and
processing volumes

operating costs, foreign exchange rates and
inflation rates; and

discount rate.















Compared long term copper and gold pricing data
used in the discounted cash flow model to
independent industry forecasts.

Compared foreign exchange and inflation rate
assumptions in the discounted cash flow model to
independent economic forecasts.

Evaluated the sensitivity of the CGU carrying value
to changes in the discount rate by varying the rate
used in the discounted cash flow model.

Assessed the reasonableness of the production and
processing volumes generating the cash inflows by
comparing these volumes to the overall mine
reserve estimates.

In relation to reserve estimates we assessed the
competence of the Group’s expert and considered
the movements in reserves over the year.

Assessed the Group’s judgement that there was not
sufficient objective evidence to consider reversing
previous impairment charges in line with the
requirements of Australian Accounting Standards.

Evaluated the accuracy and adequacy of the
disclosures made in the financial report, including
those regarding the key assumptions in light of the
requirements of Australian Accounting Standards.

Rehabilitation provision
(Refer to note 16 and 19)

We performed the following procedures, amongst
others:

As a result of its mining and processing operations, the
Group is obligated to restore and rehabilitate the
environment disturbed by these operations.
Rehabilitation activities are governed by a combination
of legislative requirements and Group policies. At 31
December 2017 the balance sheet included provisions
for such obligations of $15.6m.





Compared the actual rehabilitation costs incurred
against the Group’s forecasts to check that
rehabilitation estimates take into account current
experience;

Assessed the nature, timing and extent of
rehabilitation work to be performed by inspecting
mine and rehabilitation plans.

 
 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
to the Members of Hillgrove Resources Limited (cont.)

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Key audit matter

How our audit addressed the key audit matter

This was a key audit matter due to the judgement
applied by the Group in assessing the nature and extent
of the rehabilitation work to be performed, estimating
the future cost and timing of performing this work and
applying assumptions such as the discount rate and
inflation for future cash outflows associated with
rehabilitation activities. We also focused on this matter
because a prior period error was identified and
adjusted in the comparative financial information.









Tested the mathematical accuracy of the Group’s
rehabilitation estimate, and assessed the
completeness of cash flows based on our
understanding of rehabilitation obligations.

Considered the appropriateness of the discount
rates and inflation rates utilised in calculating the
closing provision by comparing them to market
information.

Assessed the Group’s determination of the prior
period error, including appropriateness of
recorded adjustments.

Considered the adequacy of disclosures made in
the financial statements and their appropriateness
under Australian Accounting Standards, including
disclosure of the prior period error.

Other information

The directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the
information included in the Group’s annual report for the year ended 31 December 2017, including the
Chairman and Managing Director's Statement, Kanmantoo Copper Mine, Exploration, Mineral
Resource and Ore Reserves, Sustainability: Environment, Safety and Community, and Director’s
Report but does not include the financial report and our auditor’s report thereon.

Our opinion on the financial report does not cover the other information and accordingly we do not
express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the financial report, our responsibility is to read the other information
identified above and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent
with the financial report or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially
misstated.

If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this
other information, we are required to report that fact. We have nothing to report in this regard.

Responsibilities of the directors for the financial report

The directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation of the financial report that gives a
true and fair view in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards and Corporations Act 2001 and
for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of the
financial report that gives a true and fair view and is free from material misstatement, whether due to
fraud or error.

 
 
INDEPENDENT AUDITOR’S REPORT 
to the Members of Hillgrove Resources Limited (cont.)

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In preparing the financial report, the directors are responsible for assessing the ability of the Group to
continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the
going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the Group or to cease
operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial report

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial report as a whole is free
from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that
includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an
audit conducted in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards will always detect a material
misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material
if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic
decisions of users taken on the basis of the financial report.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial report is located at the
Auditing and Assurance Standards Board website at:
http://www.auasb.gov.au/auditors_responsibilities/ar1.pdf. This description forms part of our
auditor's report.

Report on the remuneration report

Our opinion on the remuneration report

We have audited the remuneration report included in pages 28 to 37 of the directors’ report for the
year ended 31 December 2017.

In our opinion, the remuneration report of Hillgrove Resources Limited for the year ended 31
December 2017 complies with section 300A of the Corporations Act 2001.

Responsibilities

The directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation and presentation of the
remuneration report in accordance with section 300A of the Corporations Act 2001. Our responsibility
is to express an opinion on the remuneration report, based on our audit conducted in accordance with
Australian Auditing Standards.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Andrew Forman
Partner

Adelaide
14 March 2018

 
 
 
75

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SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION FOR LISTED  
PUBLIC COMPANIES
As at the reporting date the most recent Shareholder information available for 
disclosure is as follows:

(a)  Voting rights and classes of equity securities
As at 26 February 2018, the Company has 568,929,118 listed fully paid ordinary 
shares. Each fully paid share carries on a poll, one vote.

The company also has 22,188,000 unquoted performance rights on issue which are 
held by 14 holders which do not carry voting rights.

(b)  The number of shareholders holding less than a  
marketable parcel of ordinary shares was 1,972  
as at 26 February 2018.

(c)  Distribution schedule of Fully Paid Ordinary Shares  

as at 26 February 2018

Size of holding

1  -  1,000

1,001  -  5,000

5,001  -  10,000

10,001  -  100,000

100,001 and over

Number of shareholders

488

1,471

436

880

238

3,513

(d)  Securities exchange listing
Quotation has been granted for all the ordinary shares of the Company on all 
Member Exchanges of the Australian Securities Exchange Limited.  
The ASX code is HGO.

(e)  Company Secretary
Mr Paul Kiley is the Company Secretary.

(f)  On-market buy-back
There is no current on-market buy-back.

(g)  Substantial shareholders as at 26 February 2018
An extract of the Company’s register of Substantial Shareholders (who hold 5.0% or 
more of the issued capital) in accordance with Form 604 Notices is set out below:

Name

Ariadne Australia Limited

Munro Family Super Fund

Supervised Investments Australia

Issued capital

26.1%

6.1%

5.1%

 
 
 
 
 
SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION (CONT.)

(g)  Substantial shareholders as at 26 February 2018 (cont.)

Twenty largest listed shareholders
The twenty largest shareholders hold 66.7% of the total ordinary shares issued and 
Key Management Personnel  hold 9.0% of the total ordinary shares. The names of 
the 20 largest shareholders as at 26 February 2018 are listed below:

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Shareholder

1

2

Ariadne Capital Pty Ltd

J P Morgan Nominees Australia

3 Mr Raymond Edward Munro

4

5

6

7

8

9

Portfolio Services Pty Ltd 1

BNP Paribas Nominees Pty Ltd

Bell Potter Nominees Pty Ltd

Portfolio Services Pty Ltd 2

Portfolio Services Pty Ltd 3

Portfolio Services Pty Ltd 4

10 Cosell Pty Ltd

11 Mr Malcolm Neil Nichols

12 WeyitinTrading Pty Ltd

13 Mr Anthony Gordon Breuer

14 Emeco Pty Ltd

15 Rossdale Superannuation Pty Ltd

16  HSBC Custody Nominees

17 Mr Lachlan Wallace

18 W Donnelly Services Pty Ltd 

18 Sighet Pty Ltd

20 Helen Ma Pty Ltd

No. of ordinary  
shares held

% of issued 
shares

64,837,374

60,098,850

31,250,000

27,482,196

25,759,373

23,071,761

17,546,894

16,369,055

16,169,704

14,000,000

11,719,616

10,127,346

10,005,559

9,405,467

8,364,400

7,218,156

7,119,197

7,076,667

6,975,241

5,079,775

11.4%

10.6%

5.5%

4.8%

4.5%

4.1%

3.1%

2.9%

2.8%

2.5%

2.1%

1.8%

1.8%

1.7%

1.5%

1.3%

1.3%

1.2%

1.2%

0.9%

379,676,631

66.7%

(h) 

Interests in mining tenements

Tenement

ML 6345

EML 6340

EL 5628

ELA 86/11

ML 755

IUP 322/2009 (1)

IUP 40/2010 (1)

Location

Percentage

Kanmantoo, South Australia

Kanmantoo, South Australia

Kanmantoo, South Australia

Aclare South Australia

Armidale, New South Wales

Sumba, Indonesia

Bird’s Head, Indonesia

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

80%

80%

(1)  Refer Events Subsequent to Reporting Date - the Company has received notices advising 
its Indonesian tenements have been terminated, and is considering appealing these 
notices.

(n)  Other information
Hillgrove Resources Limited, incorporated and domiciled in Australia,  
is a publicly listed Company limited by shares.

 
 
 
HILLGROVE RESOURCES LIMITED ACN 004 297 116
Adelaide Office
Ground Floor, 5-7 King William Road, 
Unley SA 5061, Australia
P.O. Box 372, Unley SA 5061, Australia

T: +61 8 7070 1698
W: www.hillgroveresources.com.au