Quarterlytics / Technology / Information Technology Services / Telos Corporation

Telos Corporation

tls · NASDAQ Technology
Claim this profile
Ticker tls
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Technology
Industry Information Technology Services
Employees 504
← All annual reports
FY2020 Annual Report · Telos Corporation
Sign in to download
Loading PDF…
Telstra 
Annual 
Report 
2020

We believe it’s people who give 
purpose to our technology

So we’re committed to staying close 
to our customers and providing  
them the best experience

And delivering the best tech

On the best network

Because our purpose is to build  
a connected future so everyone  
can thrive

Our values

Trust each other  
to deliver

Better
together

Find your 
courage

Make the 
complex simple

Show 
you care

B

Telstra Corporation Limited 
ABN 33 051 775 556

Our 2020 reporting suite

We take our reporting 
obligations seriously  
and we provide  
concise and up to date 
information about your 
company online.

In 2020 this information 
includes our Annual 
Report, our Corporate 
Governance Statement 
and our Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report.

Our 2020 Annual Report 

Our Annual Report describes our 
strategy, financial performance and 
remuneration practices. 

The sections of our Annual Report  
titled Chairman and CEO message, The 
importance of connection: responding 
to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises, 
Strategy and performance, Our material 
risks, Outlook, and Full year results and 
operations review comprise our 
operating and financial review (OFR) 
and form part of the Directors’ report. 

Our OFR, Directors’ report and Financial 
report were released to the ASX on  
13 August 2020 in the document titled 
‘Financial results for the year ended  
30 June 2020’ which is available at 
telstra.com/investor.

Our 2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement

Our 2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement (CGS) provides detailed 
information about governance at  
Telstra and together with our  
2020 ASX Appendix 4G (which  
cross references the ASX  
Corporate Governance Principles  
& Recommendations to information  
in our CGS and on our website), is 
available at telstra.com/governance. 

Our Bigger Picture 2020 
Sustainability Report 

Our Bigger Picture 2020 Sustainability 
Report, which provides an in-depth look 
at Telstra’s approach and performance 
in relation to our most material social 
and environmental topics, is available 
at telstra.com/sustainability/report.

FY20 Financial performance 

FY20 highlights 

Chairman and CEO message 

The importance of connection:  
responding to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises 

Strategy and performance 

Our material risks 

Outlook 

Full year results and operations review 

Board of Directors 

Senior management team 

Sustainability 

Governance at Telstra 

Directors’ report 

  •  Message from the People and Remuneration  

Committee Chairman 

  • Remuneration report 

Financial report 

  • Financial statements 

  • Notes to the financial statements 

  • Directors’ declaration 

Shareholder information 

Reference tables 

Glossary 

Indicative financial calendar 

2

3

4

8

10

16

20

22

32

34

36

36

38

42

44

80

81

87

172

178

180

183

184

FY20 Financial performance

Total Income on a reported basis1

$26.2 billion

Earnings Before Interest, Tax,  
Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA)
on a reported basis

$8.9 billion

Underlying EBITDA  
on a guidance basis2

$7.4 billion

Net Profit After Tax (NPAT) 
on a reported basis

$1.8 billion

FY20 performance in line with guidance

Total FY20 dividends 
16 cents per share fully franked

$1.9B returned 
to shareholders

Maintained A-band credit ratings

€500 million (approximately AUD $860 million)
bond issue further strengthened balance sheet

$1.8B reduction
in underlying fixed costs3 since FY16 

FY20 highlights

Our customers

Helped around  
2.6 million customers 
stay connected  
during COVID-19

More than  
4 million customers  
on our new plans

More than  
4.3 million active  
My Telstra app users

Over 2 million  
Telstra Plus members 
and over 4.3 billion 
points redeemed

Our people

All-time-high 
employee 
engagement

New paid  
parental 
leave policy

Australian-first 
pandemic leave 
policy

10,000 people  
now working 
in Agile teams

Our community

2.5 million free calls 
made from Telstra 
payphones during 
the bushfire crisis

Certified  
carbon neutral  
in our operations 
in July 2020

10-year extension  
of CareerTrackers 
program supporting 
Indigenous graduates

Partnered with  
5 major universities  
to build skills for  
the future

Our network

1.   Excluding financial income
2.   FY20 guidance assumed wholesale product price stability and no impairments in and to investments or property, plant and equipment and 

intangible assets, and excluded any proceeds on the sale of businesses, mergers and acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. The guidance also 
assumed the nbn rollout and migration in FY20 was broadly in accordance with the nbn Corporate Plan 2020. Guidance was provided on the basis 
of AASB16 Leases and assumed impacts consistent with management estimates. Capex was measured on an accrued basis and excluded 
expenditure on spectrum and externally funded capex and capitalised leases under AASB16 Leases. Underlying EBITDA excludes net one-off  
nbn Definitive Agreement (DA) receipts less nbn net cost to connect (C2C), one-off restructuring costs and guidance adjustments but includes 
depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use assets. In-year nbn headwind is defined as the net negative recurring EBITDA impact on our business 
based on management best estimates including key input of the nbn Corporate Plan 2020.

3.   Underlying fixed costs excludes one-off nbn DA and nbn net C2C, one-off restructuring costs and guidance adjustments. 

Australia’s best 5G  
– Telstra’s 5G footprint 
covers approximately 
one third of the 
Australian population

$500 million 
investment brought 
forward to increase 
network capacity  
and accelerate our  
5G roll out

Switched on more 
than 700 black spot 
sites, most under the 
Federal Government’s 
Mobile Black Spot 
Program

Continued 
investment  
in our 400,000km 
subsea cable  
network

2

Chairman and CEO message

Chairman and CEO message | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Financial results

Our results showed that through a 
challenging period Telstra continued  
to deliver for our customers, support  
our people and our community, while 
generating long-term shareholder value.

FY20 proved to be an enormously 
challenging year for everyone – for 
governments, businesses, communities, 
and for all of us as individuals. The 
emotional, mental and economic 
stresses as a result of the COVID-19 
pandemic and necessary restrictions 
have been profound. 

It says a lot about the strength of our 
business and strategy that through all 
this we were able to meet guidance, 
maintain the dividend and provide 
guidance for the year ahead. Importantly, 
we have also retained our strong balance 
sheet and A-band credit ratings.

On a reported basis Total Income2 for  
the year decreased 5.9 per cent to  
$26.2 billion and NPAT decreased  
14.4 per cent to $1.8 billion.

Reported EBITDA was $8.9 billion.  
After adjusting for lease accounting on  
a like-for-like basis3, EBITDA decreased 
0.3 per cent to $8.4 billion. 

On a guidance basis4, underlying EBITDA 
declined 9.7 per cent to $7.4 billion. 
Excluding the in-year nbn headwind5 – 
which gives the clearest view of the long-
term business – underlying EBITDA grew 
by approximately $40 million, with growth 
in the first half of the year offset by a 
second half decline.

During the year we reduced our 
underlying fixed costs6 by $615 million,  
or 9.2 per cent. This brought underlying 
fixed cost reductions achieved since 
FY16 to $1.8 billion and put Telstra on 
track to achieve its $2.5 billion net cost 
reduction target in FY22.

The Board resolved to pay a fully-franked 
final dividend of 8 cents per share, 
comprising a final ordinary dividend of  
5 cents per share and a final special 
dividend of 3 cents per share, bringing 
the total dividend for FY20 to 16 cents 
per share. This will see $1.9 billion 
returned to shareholders for the year.

Responding to a challenging year

For all of our progress this year, the 
enormous disruption caused by the 
COVID-19 pandemic made 2020 an 
extraordinarily challenging year and  
one that highlighted the importance of 
connectivity in our society, and the role 
Telstra plays. Forced isolation and social 

distancing measures during the 
pandemic drove a huge acceleration  
in digitisation including in activities  
like telehealth, online learning, remote 
working and e-commerce. 

This experience once again  
underlined the critical importance of 
telecommunications networks. As well  
as being the connective tissue during the 
lockdown period, telecommunications 
and digitisation will be crucial to our 
future prosperity.

Through this extraordinary disruption, 
Telstra was challenged to adapt, to find 
new ways of supporting our customers, 
our people and the country in a time of 
need. We are very proud of the way our 
team responded. The COVID-19 period 
showed the value of our investments 
through our T22 strategy to transform 
Telstra. The reasons we introduced T22 
two years ago – a need to rapidly simplify 
and digitise, to remove customer pain 
points, to remove legacy systems and 
processes – have never been more 
relevant and necessary.

While the progress we made on  
T22 meant we could fast-track our 
digitisation and automation efforts 
during the pandemic and move more 
customer interactions online, one of the 
negative impacts was the reduction in 
our workforce capacity, particularly in 
India and the Philippines, due to strict 
COVID-19 lockdowns.

We understand this was a challenging 
time for many of our customers who 
experienced delays getting in touch with 
us and we are sorry for the disruption 
that caused. Our teams worked incredibly 
hard throughout this time and we thank 
them for their efforts, and our customers 
for their patience. 

These challenges forced us to think 
differently about customer service, 
enabling our Australian call centre 
workforce to work from home, and 
accelerating our digital engagement.  
By providing more customers with the 
capability to resolve their enquiry using 
our digital self-service tools or via 
messaging, we created more capacity  
to support customers who had more 
complex enquiries that were better 
resolved over the phone, or who were  
not as comfortable using digital tools.

Our plan is to continue supporting our 
customers in this way, and this means 
that over time we will need a smaller  
call centre workforce. Our aspiration is 
that by the end of our T22 program all  
in-bound calls from consumer and small 
business customers will be answered in 
Australia. This in turn will enable our 

teams in the Philippines and India  
to continue to support the digital 
experiences we offer. 

Meeting our responsibilities

We continued to think deeply about our 
role and responsibility in the community. 
We believe the obligations we have to our 
customers are not defined only by the 
small print of our contracts but by our 
organisational purpose, values and code 
of conduct.

There is also a growing community 
expectation for businesses to take a 
stand on important social issues and a 
broader acceptance that companies will 
only be successful for their shareholders 
if their customers, employees and 
communities enjoy success too. 

For Telstra, during the COVID-19 
pandemic, that sense of responsibility 
included many things that we did in the 
interests of our people, customers and 
the economy. We introduced a new global 
epidemic and pandemic leave policy for 
our people – with paid leave for our 
casual employees, brought forward capex 
investments, created relief programs for 
small business and consumer customers 
(something we also did during the 
bushfires), provided temporary unlimited 
data allowances for home broadband 
customers and offered additional data  
to mobile customers.

In March, we put all job reductions on 
hold for six months to give our people 
certainty during this difficult time. As we 
approach the end of that pause, it is clear 
that the impacts of COVID-19 will be with 
us for some time. We have therefore 
made the decision to keep our T22 
productivity role reductions on hold for 
permanent Telstra employees in Australia 
and internationally until February next 
year. We know many are doing it tough at 
the moment and we hope this decision 
will give some certainty to our people in 
what is a very challenging time for 
Australia – and many of the countries in 
which we operate.

There will be some roles that finish in  
the interim where projects have come  
to an end or work is no longer required, 
volumes have declined, or fixed term 
contracts end particularly related to our 
involvement in the construction of the 
NBN Network. However, for the majority 
of our teams this will continue to give 
them some certainty at least until the 
new year.

We believe that being a responsible 
business also means speaking up on 
important issues. Not on every issue,  

Dear Shareholders

Companies seldom get to choose the moments that define them.  
The choices they do have are how they act, and react, and the 2020 
Financial Year has been a defining period for Telstra. Through the  
COVID-19 global pandemic, the bushfire crisis, ongoing market  
disruption and our transformation initiatives, we continued to execute  
on our T22 strategy and deliver for our customers and shareholders. 

Your company ended the year with good momentum and growing 
confidence in our ability to deliver our strategic ambitions. As we  
passed the midway point of our T22 strategy to transform Telstra for  
the future, we had delivered, or were on track to deliver, three quarters  
of our T22 objectives.

During the financial year our progress on our T22 transformation was visible across many  
corners of the business: from new consumer products to passing enterprise milestones and 
showing financial strength and stability. We are pleased to have many highlights to share. 

Consumer and Small Business in-market plans have been cut from 1800 to 20. 

Our new loyalty program, Telstra Plus, consulting and professional service business, Telstra 
Purple, and extensive gaming offers were brought to market.

We completed the release of our new set of technologies to power our systems, simplifying our 
store processes and assisting us to retire many of the complex legacy systems that had caused 
delays in the past.

We were number one in major mobile network leadership surveys1 and continued our clear 
leadership on 5G. In fact, Telstra 5G now covers around a third of the Australian population  
– an area that more than 10 million Australians live in, work in or pass through every day.  
With 5G now in selected areas of 53 cities and towns, we exceeded our FY20 target of  
deploying 5G in selected areas of 35 cities and towns. Our accelerated rollout means Telstra  
5G coverage will reach around 75 per cent of the Australian population by June 2021. 

We rolled out Agile at scale and we continued to embed this cross-functional, customer-centric 
way of working across the organisation, with 10,000 people now working in Agile teams. 

Telstra InfraCo became a fully operational standalone infrastructure business unit.

Our employee engagement scores exceeded targets despite the unprecedented disruption that 
included having to move 25,000 of our people in Australia to work from home arrangements 
during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In short, it was a year of considerable progress and more information is available on these 
initiatives in the Strategy and Performance section of this report.

4

5

but those that are relevant to the 
business we conduct and that impact  
our customers and our people. 

lock-in contracts to provide customers 
with flexibility to choose the plan that is 
right for them at the time. 

Climate change is a perfect example  
of where businesses, including Telstra, 
should take meaningful action. The 
business sector is a material contributor 
to greenhouse emissions and rapid 
climate change is creating risks that 
impact our economy, our environment, 
our communities and each of us 
individually. 

Telstra is one of the largest consumers  
of energy in the country. Powering 
networks that cover a continent as big  
as Australia requires more than 5.6 
petajoules of energy each year and in 
FY20 that resulted in nearly 1.2 million 
tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. 
Compounding this is a rise in demand  
as businesses, governments and 
communities increasingly adopt new 
digital technologies. For example, the 
traffic on our network grew by 28 per 
cent this year and is expected to more 
than triple from June 2020 to June 2025.

While Telstra has long focused on 
ensuring our networks are energy 
efficient, we also believed we needed  
to do more. This year we committed  
to becoming carbon neutral in 2020, 
enabling renewable energy generation 
equivalent to 100 per cent of our 
consumption by 2025, and reducing  
our absolute emissions by 50 per cent  
by 2030. 

In July 2020 Telstra received formal 
carbon neutral certification from Climate 
Active – well ahead of our initial plan.  
We achieved this through emissions 
reductions and purchasing credits from 
carbon offset projects to counteract  
our remaining emissions. Two of these 
projects are based in Australia, including 
a project that uses the knowledge of 
traditional landowners to reduce 
greenhouse gases emitted from 
savannah fires, which today make up  
3 per cent of Australia’s total emissions. 
The other projects contribute to solar and 
wind energy generation in India where 
Telstra also has extensive operations.

Facing into challenges

When considering how to be a 
responsible business, how we do things 
is just as important as why we do them. 
This includes how we interact with 
customers and support them to access 
products and services that meet their 
needs – through initiatives such as 
removing excess data charges to help 
prevent customers from incurring high or 
unexpected costs, and introducing no 

6

While we are making progress and a 
positive contribution in many areas,  
we acknowledge that we have also  
let down some of our customers in 
Indigenous communities. Some years 
ago, we became aware of an issue where 
a small number of our partner stores, 
those operated by third parties under a 
licence agreement, sold mobile devices 
and plans to customers that ultimately 
they could not afford or may not have 
been appropriate for their needs.

When we investigated, we found there 
were instances where our processes  
had not been followed by some frontline 
staff and that, in some cases, there had 
been serious misconduct. There were 
examples where we had not fully 
understood some of the cultural and 
customer behaviours unique to these 
communities. 

In our initial response to these 
complaints we failed to recognise  
that many of these customers were 
vulnerable, and our initial remediation 
was based too much on our terms and 
conditions and not on our purpose and 
values. Since 2018 we have been 
progressively implementing what is now 
a comprehensive program to address the 
specific issues, waiving debts, refunding 
customers, introducing new processes, 
and rolling out training and tools to assist 
frontline employees in their interactions 
with vulnerable customers.

We are cooperating with the Australian 
Competition and Consumer Commission 
(ACCC) as they conduct an investigation 
into this issue, and we continue to 
engage with them. Having considered  
all available information at the date of 
this report we have made a provision of 
$50 million for any penalties. Please refer 
to note 7.3.1 to the financial statements 
in the 2020 Annual Report for more 
details. There remains a material 
possibility that the ACCC will commence 
enforcement action against Telstra. 

The lessons we have learned through  
this experience have informed important 
changes in how we do business and are 
helping us re-define our understanding of 
what responsible business looks like in 
the new decade. 

Executive and board renewal

The Board continues to focus on ongoing 
renewal and putting in place the right 
balance of experience, expertise and 
fresh thinking. 

In February, we welcomed experienced 
Board Director Elana Rubin as a non-
executive Director. Elana brings more 
than 20 years’ board experience across 
the financial service sector, including 
superannuation and funds management 
as well as the property, infrastructure 
and government sectors. 

In August 2020, we announced the 
appointment of Bridget Loudon as a  
non-executive Director of the Telstra 
Board. Bridget is an entrepreneur  
and business leader, having founded 
Australia’s number one skilled talent 
platform, Expert360, at age 25, and 
brings a unique perspective to the Board. 

Elana and Bridget will stand for election 
at the Telstra Annual General Meeting 
later this year.

You can read more about the Board’s 
composition in the Board of Directors 
section.

In the management team, Kim Krogh 
Andersen joined from Scandinavian  
telco Telenor Group to lead the Product  
& Technology function following the 
departure of Christian von Reventlow. 
Carmel Mulhern also stepped down as 
the Group General Counsel and Group 
Executive of Legal & Corporate Affairs 
and we welcomed Lyndall Stoyles from 
Caltex as Group General Counsel and 
Group Executive, Sustainability, External 
Affairs and Legal.

Our year ahead

As we move into FY21, a point where  
we are closer to the finish of T22 than  
the start, we look at the year ahead with 
confidence in our ability to deliver our 
strategic ambitions. 

It is clear that COVID-19 will remain with 
us for some time, however we will adapt 
to deal with the challenges this will bring. 
We remain committed to our strategy and 
are confident it will enable us to emerge 
strongly post-COVID-19. 

We still have work to do to truly transform 
Telstra. While we have paused some 
activity, like job reductions, it is still 
necessary to come back to them because 
they are a critical part of continuing to 
reduce our costs and ensuring we are a 
sustainable business for the long term. 
Any decisions that impact our people will 
not be taken lightly and we will continue 
to show respect, fairness and 
transparency during this process. 

We are pleased to provide financial 
guidance for FY21 on a range of metrics7. 
For FY21, Total Income is expected to be 
in the range of $23.2 to $25.1 billion, 
underlying EBITDA in the range of $6.5 to 

Chairman and CEO message | Telstra Annual Report 2020

$7.0 billion, net one-off nbn DA receipts 
(less nbn net cost to connect) in the 
range of $0.7 to $1.0 billion, capital 
expenditure of $2.8 to $3.2 billion,  
and free cashflow after operating  
lease payments of $2.8 to $3.3 billion. 
The in-year nbn headwind for FY21 is 
expected to have a negative impact on 
underlying EBITDA of approximately  
$700 million. To achieve growth excluding 
the in-year nbn headwind in FY21, 
underlying EBITDA will need to be around 
the mid-point of the guidance range.

Guidance for FY21 underlying EBITDA 
assumes an estimated negative impact 
from the COVID-19 pandemic in FY21 of 
approximately $400 million.

We have also adjusted our T22 target for 
Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) to be 
greater than 7 per cent by FY23.

Several things have changed since we  
set our ROIC ambition as part of the 
launch of our T22 strategy. We have 
experienced deeper competition across 
products and a slower return to growth, 
especially in mobile. In addition, AASB16 
was implemented resulting in a 1 per 
cent reduction in ROIC, which previously 
caused us to push out our target by  
a year. In this same period our WACC  
has also reduced by approximately  
1.5 percentage points.

We have invested, and will continue  
to invest, for long-term returns and 
opportunities, especially in mobile and 
our T22 strategy, the benefits of which 
will be realised over time. Our long-term 
ambition is to grow ROIC.

Through all of this we will rely on our 
purpose and values to guide us. 

For more detail on the year ahead  
please refer to our Outlook section.

Thank you 

The Telstra Board and senior management 
team would like to sincerely thank you,  
our shareholders, for your patience and 
support during the year. Thanks also to  
our millions of customers for their ongoing 
support. Without them there would be  
no Telstra. 

Thank you also to every Telstra employee 
who has remained committed, diligent, 
resilient and led by our purpose and 
values, despite incredibly challenging 
circumstances.

We mentioned earlier that companies 
rarely get to choose the moments  
that define them. The choices are in 
how they act and react, and the 2020 
Financial Year has been a defining period 
for Telstra through the actions we have 
taken, the choices we have made and  
the value we have built for the future.

Thanks for being part of it.

John P Mullen 
Chairman

Andrew R Penn 
Chief Executive Officer and  
Managing Director

1. 

2. 
3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

 Based on Ookla data that shows we continue to 
rank first in each quarter of the year in both 
Ookla speed score and average data speeds. 
Telstra was also recognised as Best in Test, 
Best in Voice, and Best in Crowd-Sourced 
Quality awards in the umlaut (formerly P3) 
2019 Australian Mobile Network Benchmark.
 Excluding finance income.
 Reported lease adjusted EBITDA includes all 
mobile handset leases as operating expenses, 
and all rent/other leases below EBITDA.
 FY20 guidance assumed wholesale product 
price stability and no impairments in and to 
investments or property, plant and equipment 
and intangible assets, and excluded any 
proceeds on the sale of businesses, mergers 
and acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. 
The guidance also assumed the nbn rollout and 
migration in FY20 was broadly in accordance 
with the nbn Corporate Plan 2020. Guidance 
was provided on the basis of AASB16 Leases 
and assumed impacts consistent with 
management estimates. Capex was measured 
on an accrued basis and excluded expenditure 
on spectrum and externally funded capex and 
capitalised leases under AASB16 Leases. 
Underlying EBITDA excludes net one-off nbn 
DA receipts less nbn net C2C, one-off 
restructuring costs and guidance adjustments 
but includes depreciation of mobile lease 
right-of-use assets. In-year nbn headwind is 
defined as the net negative recurring EBITDA 
impact on our business based on management 
best estimates including key input of the nbn 
Corporate Plan 2020.
 See note 4. As at 30 June 2020, the in-year nbn 
headwind was ~$830 million.
 Underlying fixed costs excludes one-off nbn DA 
and nbn net C2C, one-off restructuring costs 
and guidance adjustments.
 FY21 guidance assumes no impairments in and 
to investments or non-current tangible and 
intangible assets, and excludes any proceeds 
on the sale of businesses, mergers and 
acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. The 
guidance is based on management best 
estimates of nbn impacts including input from 
the nbn Corporate Plan currently published at 
time of issue of this guidance. Total income 
excludes finance income. Underlying EBITDA 
excludes net one-off nbn DA receipts less nbn 
net C2C, one-off restructuring costs and 
guidance adjustments but includes 
depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use 
assets. Guidance for FY21 underlying EBITDA 
assumes an estimated negative impact from 
the COVID-19 pandemic in FY21 of 
approximately $400 million. This estimate is 
approximately $200 million greater than the 
estimated negative impact from the COVID-19 
pandemic for FY20 underlying EBITDA. In-year 
nbn headwind is defined as the net negative 
recurring EBITDA impact on our business. 
Capex is measured on an accrued basis and 
excludes spectrum and guidance adjustments, 
externally funded capex, and capitalised 
leases. Free cashflow is defined as ‘operating 
cash flows’ less ‘investing cash flows’ less 
‘payments for operating lease liabilities’ and 
excludes spectrum and guidance adjustments.

7

The importance of connection: 
responding to the bushfire and 
COVID-19 crises

This year is one we will always remember: a year scarred by the bushfire crisis and COVID-19 
pandemic. We will proudly remember how our people stepped up and responded to these challenges, 
driven by our purpose and values.

When considering how to be a 
responsible business in the 2020s,  
how businesses do things is just as 
important as why they do them. This 
thinking guided our response to these 
crises, and our investments in our T22 
strategy gave us the capability to move 
quickly. The reasons we introduced T22 
two years ago – a need to rapidly simplify 
and digitise, to remove customer pain 
points, to remove legacy systems and 
processes – are more relevant and 
necessary than ever before. 

It was a year that highlighted the 
importance of connection to loved ones, 
to critical services and to communities, 
and we were passionate about stepping 
up to provide the connectivity that our 
communities needed.

Bushfires

When the bushfires hit in late 2019, our 
people were on the ground supporting 
those who needed us the most. Our 
emergency teams and field technicians 
responded to impacted sites as soon as  
it was safe to do so, delivering backup 
generators, installing temporary mobile 
cells on wheels, and making repairs  
to our network wherever possible.  
We provided vital infrastructure for 
emergency services and community 
evacuation centres. Our team also created 
a custom app to help catalogue damage to 
Telstra infrastructure and get it fixed as 
quickly as possible.

Telstra has a long and proud history  
of standing with the communities we  
are part of in times of crisis and is a 
passionate supporter of rural and regional 
Australia. With connectivity being such a 
vital lifeline, we worked hard to make sure 
our customers and affected communities 
stayed in touch. We made our Telstra 
payphones and Telstra Air Wi-Fi hotspots 
free nationally during January and 
February, with more than 2.5 million calls 
made from our payphones. We made key 
emergency services sites unmetered for 
our mobile customers so they could get 
the latest information on the bushfire 
situation without having to worry about 
the data they were using.

With such devastation around them, 
paying bills became challenging for  
some of our customers. We answered 
more than 55,000 calls from customers 
making enquiries and seeking support 
after the bushfires and we paid the 
mobile phone bills of around 10,000  
fire fighters and SES volunteers over 
December and January.

In total, our investment in supporting 
customers and restoring bushfire 
damage to our own infrastructure,  
which continues into FY21, will be  
around $44 million. 

The bushfires forever changed the  
lives of many Australians and were  
felt by the nation. We shifted our focus  
to rebuilding, though it wasn’t long  
before a new challenge was upon us. 

COVID-19 pandemic

Since the start of the COVID-19 
pandemic, Telstra’s primary focus  
was on protecting the health and  
safety of our employees, helping our 
customers and communities stay 
connected, and contributing to the 
national response. 

Supporting our people
The rise of the unprecedented COVID-19 
pandemic was an unnerving time and  
its presence and impact was a source  
of ongoing uncertainty. It posed risks to 
our health, our livelihoods and our way  
of life. In March 2020, we put further  
job reductions on hold for six months to 
give our people as much certainty and 
security as we could. We were also the 
first major Australian company to 
introduce a new global epidemic and 
pandemic leave policy for our people, 
including paid leave for our casual 
employees. 

After more than six years of our successful 
flexible working policy, All Roles Flex, we 
were able to quickly transition around 
25,000 office-based employees in 
Australia to working from home. 

In order to keep our stores open and  
our technicians on the road, we took 
many steps to help reduce the risk of 

COVID-19 transmission. This included 
closing some of our stores to help the 
rest of the retail network stay fully 
resourced and open, and introducing new 
processes to assess the potential risks 
from COVID-19 at customer properties 
before our technicians visited.

To help better support our customers  
we added thousands of temporary roles 
in Australia while we supported our staff 
and partners outside Australia, including 
those from our contact centres in India 
and the Philippines who were subject to 
lockdown measures. We understand this 
was a challenging time and are sorry for 
the impact it had on our customers, and 
we thank our people for doing what they 
could to help. This included those from 
across the business who volunteered to 
help our contact centres by taking 
customer calls and managing queries. 

Supporting our customers
As we isolated in our homes, staying 
connected through phone and internet 
services became more important than 
ever. 

From March to June 2020, we helped 
around 2.6 million customers stay 
connected during the COVID-19 
pandemic through a range of initiatives. 

We delivered unlimited data for home  
and small business fixed broadband 
customers, extra data for consumer and 
small business mobile customers and 
unlimited local, national and 13/1300 
calls and calls to Australian mobiles for 
eligible pensioners with a Telstra home 
phone plan. 

We also offered discounts for eligible 
customers receiving the JobSeeker 
payment.

For many of our customers who were 
unable to pay their bills, we temporarily 
suspended late payment fees and 
launched a bill assistance hub so 
customers could get information on the 
support measures and apply for relief  
if they were doing it tough because of 
COVID-19. 

The importance of connection: responding to the bushfire and COVID-19 crises | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Telstra CEO Andy Penn visits a restored mobile tower in Jingellic, NSW. Source: James Wiltshire, The Border Mail.

Small business customers could suspend 
their landline and internet services if 
they had to cease trading, and we 
provided free or heavily discounted 
access to specialist online digital 
business tools and discounted mobile 
broadband plans to help them rapidly 
move their business online. 

Our teams also worked around the clock 
to move our Enterprise customers to 
remote working or learning, delivering 
innovative business continuity solutions.

We helped connect 30,000 disadvantaged 
students across the country by providing 
them with internet access to support 
their online learning through state 
education departments and Catholic 
Education.

We also introduced an NBN Co 
broadband offer for eligible low-income 
families at $40 for 12 months, with a 
Smart Modem included. 

Meanwhile, we had teams working 
tirelessly to keep our international 
network connected during a time where 
we experienced 50 per cent spikes in  
the volume of data being transmitted.

Supporting the nation 
It quickly became clear that the 
pandemic was going to have significant 
economic implications and we wanted to 
do what we could to support the nation 
that had supported us for so long. 

That’s why we brought forward $500 
million of capital expenditure from  
the second half of FY21 into the 2020 
calendar year, providing the economy 
with much needed investment. We are 
deploying this investment to increase 
capacity in our network and further 

accelerate the roll out of 5G, among  
other projects supporting the digital 
enablement of our customers’ businesses 
and operations. We also extended all  
our sponsorships expiring in 2020 for 
another 12 months, supporting sporting, 
education, art communities and more.

It was very important to us that we 
supported those suffering from the 
changing social environment, which is 
why the Telstra Foundation donated  
$2 million to help fast track the digital 
enablement of youth mental health 
services provided by Orygen Digital  
and ReachOut. 

We used our tech capability within  
Telstra Purple to help develop a  
brand-new hospital monitoring system  
in two weeks. The Critical Health 
Resource Information System (CHRIS) 
allows healthcare facilities to move 
patients to the nearest available ICU 
hospital, and redeploy vital equipment 
including personal protective equipment, 
respirators and dialysis machines to 
those that need it most. It has now been 
expanded to include hospitals across 
Australia and New Zealand. 

Telstra Health also worked collaboratively 
with hospitals and healthcare 
professionals to support them to 
continue providing care during the 
summer of natural disasters. We saw 
demand for virtual healthcare and other 
digital health solutions increase as a 
result of the pandemic, demonstrating 
the importance of high-quality digital 
health information as well as the 
availability of options for the public to 
access care and advice in a socially 
distanced world.

The new reality

These crises forever changed our 
community and forever changed our 
company. Rather than thinking about 
post-COVID-19 as only a “recovery”  
and considering how to get back to the 
way things were, we see an opportunity 
to grow the economy in the long term  
and build an even stronger company to 
best support our customers, our people 
and deliver returns to our investors.  
The COVID-19 crisis goes on and we must 
continue to adapt and embrace our new 
reality and harness the opportunities 
that come with rapid change. 

Businesses should be thinking about 
tangible ways to drive Australia to 
become a more digitised society and 
economy, so we can do more than just 
bounce back. This requires reform  
in five key areas: digital transition, 
infrastructure, regulation, cyber security, 
and skills. However, a single company,  
a single organisation or a single 
government cannot achieve this on its 
own so we will continue to advocate  
for reform by Australian businesses  
more broadly. 

The principles and initiatives that sit at 
the heart of our T22 program are exactly 
those that helped us respond to these 
crises. Indeed, they are exactly those  
that we will need in order to support  
our customers and be successful in the 
future. We will continue to adapt to the 
needs of our customers while staying 
focused on building a connected future 
so everyone can thrive.

8

9

Strategy and 
performance

We are past the midway point in our T22 
transformation and it’s incredible to see  
how far we’ve come. 

At its heart our T22 strategy is premised  
on radically simplifying our business and 
removing customer pain points, digitising  
and moving customers ato digital channels, 
simplifying our structure and ways of 
working, reducing our costs and establishing 
Telstra InfraCo.

This year challenged our business in some 
areas and accelerated our transformation in 
others. In all, we have completed or are on 
track to complete around three quarters of 
our T22 milestones. 

Strategy and performance | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Our customers’ demand for connectivity 
and digital experiences, and the need  
for simplicity and adaptability, have 
reinforced the importance of our T22 
strategy. This year we accelerated our 
digital transformation by building new 
digital technology solutions and enabling 
our customers to interact with us more 
online. 

This transformation meant that when 
COVID-19 restrictions impacted our 
ability to answer our customers’ calls,  
we were able to provide them with digital 
self-service capabilities as an alternative 
way to connect with us.

The four pillars of the strategy are:

Pillar 1: Radically simplify our 
product offerings, eliminate 
customer pain points and create all 
digital experiences

We launched into FY20 with a set of 
radically simplified plans for our 
consumer and small business customers 
– dropping from 1,800 to 20 in market – 
and we saw our customers respond 
positively to these changes. We now have 
more than 4 million customers on our 
new plans, exceeding our target to 
migrate 3 million Consumer and Small 
Business customers by June 2020.

Many of our customers who moved 
across were excited by no lock-in 
contracts and no excess data charges. 
They told us they loved our simple, 
month-to-month options that give them 
flexibility and peace of mind. 

Twelve months on from launching our 
simplified plans we announced the next 
evolution. We recognised that the way our 
customers use their devices had changed 
and as a result included up to 30 
gigabytes of extra data for a small price 
increase, with 5G now included on 
medium sized plans and above. We also 
offered existing customers a credit to 
offset the increase for 12 months if  
they moved to our new plans before 
September 30, 2020. In addition to this 
offer, which effectively cancels out the 
impact of the price rise for eligible 
customers who choose to move, we also 
committed to not raising the price of  
our new Small, Medium, Large or Extra 
Large plans for 12 months.

Telstra’s multi-brand strategy continued 
to deliver growth in customer numbers, 
particularly in mobile. During FY20 the 
business added 240,000 retail postpaid 
mobile services, including 154,000 from 
Belong.

As well as strong uptake on Telstra 
services, more and more Australians  
are choosing Telstra technology for  
their home and we have now shipped  
2 million Smart Modems and 1.65 million 
Telstra TV units to customers’ homes 
around the country. Telstra consumer 
customers can also access Foxtel’s new 
streaming platform, Binge, in addition to 
our existing streaming line-up of Kayo 
and Foxtel Now.

Partnering with Microsoft, we entered 
the gaming market as the exclusive 
Australian provider of Xbox All Access, 
which includes an Xbox One console and 
access to over 100 games and online 
multiplayer. This is just the beginning of 
Telstra’s gaming journey – we see a big 
opportunity to provide more premium 
content and services to Australia’s active 
gaming community on our incredibly-
fast, low-latency fixed and 5G networks. 

In April 2020 we launched the new My 
Telstra app, which replaced the Telstra 
24x7 app, and had 3.7 million downloads 
before the end of June (new downloads 
plus upgrades from 24x7). With high 
demand for the new app, millions of our 
customers were provided with access to 
new digital services. The app provided 
customers with a new two way in-app 
messaging service, the ability to track 
orders and new trouble-shooting tools. 
We now have more than 4.3 million active 
app users and 6.3 million active digital 
users in total, which includes those 
engaging with Telstra via our website.

Digital engagement grew substantially  
in the last year and was accelerated 
somewhat due to the impact of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of  
FY20 over 71 per cent of our service 
transactions came via digital channels, 
up from 53 per cent in the prior year. 

Over 5 million transactions were done 
digitally every month. New capabilities 
like asynchronous messaging saw huge 
growth during COVID-19, increasing from 
5 per cent to 45 per cent of human 
contacts during an 8-week period.

For customers who weren’t on our new 
plans, we introduced Data Bill Guard to 
cap excess data charges at $300 and 
help reduce the likelihood of bill shock 
and improve the customer experience.

Telstra Plus passed one year of rewarding 
our customers and reached more than 2 
million enrolled members, a milestone 
that we hit ahead of schedule. We saw 
4.3 billion points redeemed from launch 

to the end of the financial year, which 
showed us that our members were 
excited by the opportunity to engage with 
us and reap rewards. 

Our strategic Net Promoter Score (NPS) 
was up five1 points against FY19. This 
surpassed our FY20 target and showed 
positive sentiment that was also 
reflected in our reputation and brand 
measures. However, our episode NPS 
declined two points for the same period, 
with significant impacts from COVID-19, 
particularly our reduced capacity to 
answer customer calls.

While our NPS is improving, it is not at 
the levels we want it to be. We are also 
tracking behind target on the number  
of services per customer as well as the 
build of our digital systems, which will 
enable us to migrate customers across  
to our new systems at scale. These areas 
will be a focus in FY21. 

Small business customers responded 
well to the release of new services to 
make business growth easier. These 
include Telstra Business Cyber Security 
Services, Telstra Business Tech Services 
and Telstra Business Digital Marketing 
Services. They are also now able to earn 
Telstra Plus points for each eligible dollar 
spent on Telstra services.

We made strong progress rationalising 
the number of products offered to our 
Enterprise customers, down 35 per cent 
from FY18, and we are on track for a 50 
per cent reduction by the end of FY21. 

We started migrating our business 
customers to our new Corporate Mobile 
Plus plans. The plans operate on our new 
digital systems and initial results showed 
a much better customer experience in 
ordering, provisioning and managing a 
range of mobile services. 

At the 2019 Telstra Vantage event we 
launched Telstra Purple, Australia’s 
largest technology services business  
that brought together Telstra Enterprise’s 
business technology services capabilities 
and those of a number of acquired 
companies. Since then Telstra Purple  
has delivered more than 3,000 projects, 
including developing a single data 
strategy empowering Genomics England 
to sequence the future of British 
healthcare, connecting students in more 
than 500 schools in South Australia,  
and helping Intensive Care Units  
across Victoria manage demand during 
COVID-19 through near-real-time data. 

1.  The Statutory Financial Results for the year ended 30 June 2020 and the Statutory Annual Report filed on 13 August 2020 and 28 August 2020 respectively contained a 

typographical error in relation to this figure (previously 4) which has now been corrected.

10

11

We continued to see growth in our 
Internet of Things (IoT) business this  
year with a 21 per cent increase in  
M2M (machine to machine) SIOs.  
We also saw a 600 per cent increase  
in low-powered wide-area network SIOs, 
which are those on our Narrowband-IoT 
and LTE-M networks. This reflected 
increased traction in the utilities sector, 
which also saw Sydney Water speak 
publicly about their proof of concept  
and rollout of our end-to-end IoT Water 
Management solution. 

Telstra Track and Monitor, our enterprise 
asset tracking product, grew its customer 
base by more than 300 per cent this 
financial year. Research conducted by 
Telsyte found Australian organisations 
lose up to $4.3 billion in assets each year, 
showing the huge opportunity for cost 
savings. We also shared how our 
customer SCT Logistics is expecting to 
offset their technology investment with 
savings in as little as three years. 

Continued innovation included the launch 
of Telstra Data Hub, a Microsoft and 
Telstra partnership designed to promote 
enterprise collaboration through secure 
data sharing. In nine months, it moved 
from incubating in Telstra Labs to 
commercialisation. Some of the projects 
underway include optimising rural water 
management with the Queensland 
government and developing digital 
farming solutions with Charles Sturt 
University. 

Pillar 2: Establish a standalone 
infrastructure business unit to drive 
performance and set up optionality 
post the nbn rollout

Telstra InfraCo is now operating as a 
standalone infrastructure business unit. 
At our Investor Day in November 2019,  
we announced our plans to shift Telstra 
InfraCo’s asset boundaries to include 
mobile towers, all fibre, and network 
supporting infrastructure. PSTN, legacy 
fixed, and satellite infrastructure were 
moved back into the networks division  
of Telstra. This move allowed us to 
maximise the value of our infrastructure 
assets and strengthen our financial 
position for our future. 

We announced Telstra InfraCo’s new 
structure: a simple, end-to-end operating 
model that aligns with the consolidation 
of our core infrastructure assets into the 
one Telstra function. 

On 1 April 2020 we marked the first day 
of Telstra InfraCo’s new matrix operating 
model and structure, and from 1 July 
2020 Telstra InfraCo took accountability 
for the new asset boundaries. Telstra 
InfraCo is now accountable for around 
250,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable, 
360,000 kilometres of ducts, 8,000 
mobile towers, masts and poles, 5,000 
exchanges, two data centres, and access 
to 400,000 kilometres of subsea cables.

We also launched a new brand identity to 
establish Telstra InfraCo as a specialist 
infrastructure business unit.

By allocating our infrastructure assets to 
Telstra InfraCo, we created the 
opportunity to commercialise these 
assets more effectively to drive more 
value as well as create optionality for the 
future.

Pillar 3: Greatly simplify our 
structure and ways of working to 
empower our people and serve our 
customers

We are a purpose-led organisation driven 
by our values; one that is also becoming 
simpler and faster to work in.

We have delivered strongly against  
the employee metrics on our T22 
scorecard. We ended FY20 with an 
employee engagement score of 83 per 
cent – 7 points above our target and an 
increase of 16 points from our FY19 
result. Engagement levels began tracking 
upwards in the second quarter as we 
started to see the benefits of our T22 
strategy. These foundations meant we 
were able to respond decisively to the 
COVID-19 pandemic to support our 
people, who told us they felt pride in 
Telstra’s response and the focus on  
their health and wellbeing and keeping 
them informed. 

We also saw an increase in ease of doing 
business within Telstra, up 22 points from 
our 2018 result as measured by our 
Organisational Health Index (OHI). This 
result is testament to the focus we have 
put into acting on our people’s feedback 
following our previous OHI survey, 
particularly in the areas of process 
improvement, role clarity and employee 
involvement in our transformation. 

We have now introduced Agile at scale,  
a way of working in teams that simplifies 
how we get work done. It is just over a 
year since we started rolling it out and  
81 per cent of Agile teams are now at 
level 3 maturity, which is defined as 

whole teams successfully using agile 
processes, and demonstrates the 
progress we’ve made in embedding this 
way of working across the organisation. 
We also guided more than 16,000 of our 
people through Agile Essentials training 
to give them the tools to incorporate agile 
practices into their day-to-day work. 

To support our leaders, we rolled out the 
Leading Transformation program to over 
5,000 people across the organisation  
to enable them to support the 
transformation we are making in how  
we work, lead and function as a team. 

We also signed agreements with five 
Australian universities – RMIT University, 
University of Melbourne, UNSW Sydney, 
University of Sydney, and University of 
Technology Sydney – to jointly develop 
the technology skills and capabilities 
both Telstra and Australia need. To help 
build the pipeline of talent supporting  
our global operations we signed a 
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) 
with Mahindra Ecole Centrale College  
of Engineering in India.

As technology evolves, we need more 
skills in software engineering, data 
analytics, artificial intelligence and cyber 
security. This is why we are recruiting 
more people in these areas, while also 
taking the opportunity to train our 
existing workforce. To help build these 
skills we have developed micro-
credentials with RMIT Online and UTS, 
and Telstra employees have started 
working through these courses.

On 1 July 2019, Telstra formally launched 
an Innovation and Capability Centre (ICC), 
based in Bangalore, to bring together 
talented Telstra and partner employees 
to focus on innovation, experimentation 
and process improvements. Currently  
the centre has people working across 
fields such as our Automation Centre  
of Excellence, Data, Reporting and 
Analytics, and High Performance 
Software Engineering.

We have announced 12,000 indirect  
role reductions and 7,300 direct 
workforce role reductions since we 
launched T22 in June 2018. As at the  
end of June 2020, our direct workforce 
was around 5,700 lower than two years 
ago. This figure includes 1,600 new roles 
recruited, like software engineering and 
cyber security – and some additional 
roles brought on board in response to 
COVID-19 to mitigate workforce offshore 
capacity issues.

Strategy and performance | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Telstra team member Khang Ngo welcomes a customer to our COVID-Safe Sydney Icon store

Our people voted in favour of a new 
Telstra Enterprise Agreement 2019–2021 
and it was approved by the Fair Work 
Commission. This reinforced that we  
met our objective to deliver an agreement 
that’s fair and aligned to the needs of  
our customers, shareholders, and, 
importantly, our people.

To create equality for all new parents  
we changed our Australian parental leave 
policy to remove the distinction between 
primary and secondary carers. Eligible 
parents who have been with us for a year 
or more can now take up to 16 weeks  
of paid parental leave within the first  
12 months after their child’s birth or 
placement. There’s also more flexibility  
in how this leave can be taken. We did 
this because equal and shared parenting 
enables better gender equality in the 
workplace.

Pillar 4: Industry-leading cost 
reduction programs and portfolio 
management

pursue opportunities in FY21 with a view 
to getting closer to monetising $2 billion 
worth of assets.

We continued to make further progress  
in our cost reductions program, reducing 
underlying fixed costs by $615 million in 
FY20, which included an additional $36 
million provision for bad debts. In total, 
we’ve reduced underlying fixed costs by 
$1.8 billion since FY16 and we’re on track 
to achieve our $2.5 billion net cost 
reduction target by FY22. 

We established an unlisted property trust 
to own 36 of Telstra’s exchange properties 
and sold a 49 per cent stake to a Charter 
Hall-led consortium for $700 million. To 
date, we have monetised a total of $1.5 
billion in assets, including the sale and 
lease-back of our Clayton data centre 
complex in August 2020. We continue to 

With Foxtel having faced several years  
of industry disruption and now facing  
the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
we made a non-cash impairment and 
wrote down the value of our 35 per cent 
share in Foxtel from $750 million to 
approximately $450 million. The non-
cash impairment change did not affect 
Telstra’s FY20 results on a guidance 
basis. 

A €500 million (approximately AUD $860 
million) bond issue in April 2020 further 
strengthened our balance sheet. Since 
mid-March we have also secured an 
additional $940 million in bank facilities, 
and we now have a total of $3.8 billion of 
committed bank facilities. The bond issue 

12

13

and the additional bank facilities were 
both well below our current average cost 
of funds.

On 1 April 2020 credit rating agency S&P 
reaffirmed our A – (stable) credit rating 
and on 2 April 2020 Moody’s reaffirmed 
the company’s A2 (stable) credit rating.

Telstra’s continued access to low-cost 
capital and A-band credit rating 
demonstrated the strength of the 
business and attractiveness to global 
capital markets during this very volatile 
time.

Building Australia’s largest, fastest, 
safest, smartest and most reliable 
next generation network

Our purpose is to build a connected 
future so everyone can thrive and to 
deliver on that we continued to work  
on building the largest, fastest, safest, 
smartest and most reliable network  
in Australia. 

We continued to invest in building a 
world-leading 5G network. In FY20 we 
rolled out 5G to around one third of the 
Australian population, made up of 
selected areas of 53 cities and towns. 
More than 10 million Australians now  
live, work or pass through Telstra’s 5G 
footprint every day. 

More than 210,000 5G devices are now 
connected to 5G on Telstra’s mobile 
network. 

5G is already delivering ultrafast speeds, 
which will continue to improve, and as 
the technology matures, will increasingly 
deliver ultra-low latency (less lag 
between a request for data being sent 
and received) and greater bandwidth.  
Our customers are starting to see the 
benefits across a wide range of 
experiences, from more responsive 
gaming to new edge compute use cases 
(use cases where data is stored and 
analysed in the same location it is 
captured, rather than in a centralised 
data warehouse) for Enterprise 
customers. 

We extended our 5G leadership with two 
world firsts and five Australian firsts: 
including making the first Australian 5G 
standalone call, delivering Australia’s 
first live 5G broadcast, and enabling the 
first 5G stadium in Australia. 

We also started running live trials using 
mmWave, a technology that operates on 
higher frequency spectrum and will play 
an important role in delivering on 5G’s 

potential with super-fast speeds and 
much greater capacity.

The launch of our 5G online hubi gave our 
customers easy access to information 
they needed so they could consider 
purchasing a 5G device, including new 
interactive network maps showing our  
5G coverage across the country. This 
included providing accurate information 
on 5G and electromagnetic energy (EME). 

We continue to be proactive, transparent 
and fact-based in our communications 
regarding EME and comply with the 
standards set by regulators. Telstra has 
conducted extensive EME testing and 
analysis on 5G, and test results showed 
EME levels were similar to the existing 
mobile technologies and well below the 
EME safety limits. 5G meets the safety 
standards required by independent 
health authorities here and overseas.

Future 5G capabilities are expected  
to move in lockstep with IoT networks  
to provide ultra-reliable low latency 
communications. By leveraging the 
capabilities of 5G for IoT, we will be able 
to expand the role of connected devices 
to enable new advances both in 
nationwide and hyper-localised settings.

Telstra’s existing IoT networks, LTE-M  
and Narrowband-IoT, that are designed  
to connect devices over long distance 
while using minimal power, are also now 
formally recognised as 5G technologies. 
The global mobile network standards 
body’s (3GPP) acceptance of our existing 
LTE-M and Narrowband-IoT technologies 
as 5G IoT technologies means we can 
continue to support these technologies 
even beyond the lifespan of 4G. This will 
help drive an expansion of connected 
things and allow our customers to 
embrace LTE-M and Narrowband-IoT with 
confidence in their long-term future. 

In FY20 we invested in extending our 
network to provide coverage to more 
people in regional and remote places. 

With our technology partner, Ericsson,  
we deployed world-first technology that 
effectively doubled the range of a 4G 
mobile base station, increasing it to up  
to 200km. We also deployed technology 
that extended the range of our 
Narrowband-IoT network base stations  
to up to 120km, which increased our 
Narrowband-IoT network footprint to 
nearly four million square kilometres 
across the country. These are big wins  
for our regional and remote customers.

In partnership with the Queensland 

Government, the Torres Strait Regional 
Authority and the Commonwealth 
Department of Agriculture, we’ve 
committed to delivering high-speed 
internet access for mobile device users 
across 14 of the region’s islands by 2021. 
Currently, many islands across the Torres 
Strait have patchy outdoor coverage, or 
only have 3G services. This expansion 
project will not only support essential 
services like police, health and education 
providers, but it will also help stimulate 
local business by creating opportunities 
for tourism.

By June 2020 we had delivered more than 
700 black spot sites to provide mobile 
coverage to some Australians for the first 
time. This included 693 under the Federal 
Government Mobile Black Spot Program 
and another 17 under the state programs. 
In addition, as part of our wider 
commitment to the mobile black spot 
program Telstra has also completed a 
further 215 small cells for remote 
communities at our sole expense.

As part of our program to continually 
upgrade our network to the latest 
technology and expand our 4G and 5G 
coverage, we announced the eventual 
switch-off of our 3G technology. When 
this happens, the spectrum that is used 
to carry data and voice calls over our  
3G mobile network technology will be 
repurposed to help grow 5G. This will not 
happen until June 2024 – four and a half 
years from the October 2019 
announcement.

Delivering more for our customers on 
Australia’s best mobile network saw 
Telstra recognised as Best in Test, Best in 
Voice, and Best in Crowd-Sourced Quality 
awards in the umlaut (formerly P3) 2019 
Australian Mobile Network Benchmark.

We continued to invest in our connection 
to the rest of the world. In FY20 we 
strengthened our investment in the 
Southern Cross Cable Network’s existing 
cable infrastructure while planning for 
future growth. We acquired a 25 per cent 
equity interest in the existing network, 
making it an important addition to other 
investments in our subsea cable 
infrastructure. 

Maintaining cables 4,000 metres below 
the surface of some of the roughest 
oceans in the world isn’t a simple task. 
We’ve partnered with leading geospatial 
specialist, Fugro to operate a fleet of 
maritime submersible robots out of a 
new Remote Operations Centre based in 
Perth. Using our satellite infrastructure, 

Strategy and performance | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Fugro can now maintain assets without 
having to take manned vessels on rough 
seas to get close to the monitoring 
equipment.

New digital platforms

Our strong progress on T22 would  
not have been possible without the 
successes we’ve had on our digitisation 
journey. Several big steps in FY20 brought 
us closer to providing our customers with 
an intuitive, seamless digital experience 
which in turn will continue to make 
things easier for our people. 

We continued to replace our legacy tools 
and complex manual processes with  

fully automated, world class digital 
applications. 

In rolling out these new digital systems, 
including the My Telstra app, our  
frontline teams now have access to  
more technologies on our new digital 
stack that provide straight-through 
provisioning for orders, speeding up order 
time and improving the experience they 
can offer customers. 

This acceleration of new digital product 
launches will allow us to cease the sale 
of mobile plans and nbn plans on our 
legacy systems in 2021.

We also launched a bill explainer tool, 
which was key to our ambition of 
providing digital services for our 

customers. This tool has already helped 
thousands of customers by providing a 
clear and easy to understand way to 
navigate their bill. 

Telstra Enterprise achieved its target of 
4,000 active customers using the digital 
self-service tool, Telstra Connect. This 
result, driven by COVID-19 impacts, was 
an important step forward to achieving  
a key deliverable of our T22 strategy: 
providing market leading digital 
experiences for our customers. As some 
of our overseas partners became unable 
to work due to the pandemic it was 
critical to move customers to a digital 
self-service platform to do things like 
track orders, raise incidents or service 
requests and monitor their network.

T22

Strategic 
pillars

Enabled  
by our up  
to $3b 
investment 
program

Delivering

Radically simplify 
our product 
offerings, eliminate 
customer pain 
points and create  
all digital 
experiences

Establish a 
standalone 
infrastructure 
business unit to 
drive performance 
and set up 
optionality post the 
nbn rollout

Greatly simplify our 
structure and ways 
of working to 
empower our  
people and serve 
our customers

Industry leading 
cost reduction 
program and 
portfolio 
management

New digital platforms

Australia’s largest, fastest, safest, smartest and most reliable next generation network

Market 
leading 
customer 
experience

Simplified 
products, 
business 
and 
operating 
model

Extended 
network 
superiority 
and 5G 
leadership

Achieve 
Global High 
Performance 
Norm in 
employee 
engagement

Net cost 
productivity 
of $2.5b by 
FY22

Post-nbn 
ROIC > 7%1

1.   Post-nbn defined as FY23 on AASB16 basis. Targeted outcome reduced from >10% in August 2020.

i.  Telstra.com.au/5g

14

15

Our material risks | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Transformation and market forces

People and culture

Two years ago, Telstra launched the  
T22 strategy. More than halfway into  
the transformation program, we have 
made good progress in addressing 
customer pain points, digitising customer 
experiences, simplifying our structure 
and ways of working, and setting up 
Telstra InfraCo as a standalone business 
unit. We have successfully taken new, 
simplified and easy-to-understand 
customer plans to market in the 
consumer and small business segments 
and have seen very promising take-up of 
these plans by our customers. Similarly, 
we are transforming the way our 
enterprise customers engage with us and 
developing new offerings that give them 
greater control.

Notwithstanding this progress, the 
COVID-19 pandemic has created 
uncertainty that may accelerate several 
macro market trends. These include the 
acceleration of shifts to digital business 
models leveraging automation, and 
balancing resiliency and efficiency of 
supply chains and business models. 
Broader macroeconomic factors may  
also increase the potential for customers 
in some segments to reduce their spend 
on our products. 

To manage these risks, we regularly 
monitor business performance and 
forecasts against changes in the  
external environment, and stress test  
our approach against various market 
scenarios. We have also performed 
several assessments to monitor our 
reliance on key suppliers and their level 
of resilience to ensure we are taking 
steps to mitigate against the risk of 
suffering downstream impacts if their 
business continuity is impacted.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on 
Telstra internally poses the risk that the 
implementation of our transformation 
agenda is impacted or delayed. It is 
essential that we continue to effectively 
manage our risks as they relate to our 
transformation objectives. We continue 
to have a strong focus on maintaining 
effective governance and leadership of 
these programs to ensure we identify, 
escalate and manage transformation 
risks, including to our digitisation 
program.

To mitigate the risks associated with this 
transformation, we have robust internal 
processes to monitor and report on our 
key programs of work and the risks 
relating to those programs. We also 
ensure our people have access to the 
right tools.

In order to successfully deliver T22, it is 
vital that we continue to attract, develop 
and retain a skilled and engaged 
workforce capable of delivering our 
strategic objectives. Pillar 3 of T22 seeks 
to build an agile, enabled culture focused 
on simplicity and accountability, and to 
build a workforce that can pivot 
dynamically in response to industry 
changes. It is also focused on maintaining 
a purpose and values-led culture that 
reflects the expectations and standards 
of the broader community in line with our 
commitment to responsible business 
practices, which we have identified as a 
priority as part of our sustainability 
strategy.

The challenges of maintaining our  
culture are heightened by the COVID-19 
pandemic’s impact on the way our 
business operates and its impact on  
our people. We have recognised the risks 
associated with these developments,  
as well as the broader risks of failing to 
develop a culture of simplicity, change 
and accountability. 

We have several mechanisms to manage 
our people and culture risks, including 
our employee engagement surveys, 
monitoring our capability coverage in  
key talent segments, and ensuring we 
have critical role succession coverage. 
We remain focused on establishing our 
new operating model and enabling our 
organisational change teams to train  
and uplift the capability of our people.  
We have also invested heavily in our  
Early Career Strategy for our more junior 
employees, and our Learning Strategy  
for all employees.

Health, safety, wellbeing, 
environment

Telstra’s operating environment, core 
business activities and infrastructure 
pose a level of inherent health, safety, 
wellbeing, environment and protective 
security (HSWE) risks. These include 
direct risks faced by our employees, 
partners and members of the public,  
and more indirect environmental risks 
resulting from our infrastructure, 
facilities and products and services. 

We recognise that failure to manage 
these risks effectively could cause harm 
to our people, partners, communities or 
the environment. In turn, this poses 
potential consequences to our 
community and stakeholder reputation, 
as well as regulatory and litigious action. 

We continue to actively monitor and 
manage safety outcomes across a 
diverse portfolio of risk, including to the 
physical safety in our varied workplaces, 
the security of our people and places of 
work, our people’s mental health and 
wellbeing (including the wellbeing risks 
associated with transformation) and the 
potential for harm to our environment 
and the communities in which we work. 

We continue to evolve our approach to 
apply learnings and respond to emerging 
risks, such as those experienced during 
the challenging summer 2019-20 
Australian bushfire season and impacts 
of the COVID-19 pandemic to our 
operations, the way we work in the 
community and our people’s health and 
wellbeing, particularly through ongoing 
changes to restrictions and lockdowns.

Network and technology resilience

One of Telstra’s competitive advantages 
is the scale, speed and resilience of our 
network. The importance of our 
communities having access to seamless 
and high-quality connectivity has been 
highlighted recently by the changed 
nature of work and education due to the 
COVID-19 pandemic and the 2019–20 
summer bushfires. 

Given so many Australian consumers and 
businesses depend on our network and 
its quality, we recognise the high impacts 
that may arise as a result of network 
congestion and outages. Such events can 
be disruptive and frustrating for both 
consumers and businesses, and 
significant for us in terms of reputation 
and the trust people have in our brand.

The resilience of our network can be 
undermined by natural disasters, 
unforeseen spikes in demand, malicious 
actors and their activity, human error, 
failure in our equipment, or failure in the 
underlying electricity grid that supplies 
power to our network. Increasingly,  
we are cognisant of the impact and 
increasing frequency of extreme weather 
events arising from climate change.  
We raise and assess such risk scenarios 
through our mature risk management 
approach and respond to them through  
a range of strategies and processes that 
seek to prevent, respond to, and recover 
from service and network disruptions.  
We have several indicators in place  
to dynamically monitor network 
performance and resilience, and we 
proactively track risk remediations and 
improvements in our network over time  
to progressively reduce our risk exposure. 

Our material risks

While Telstra has long operated in a rapidly evolving 
environment, the challenges and pressures of the ongoing 
global COVID-19 pandemic and climate change-induced 
extreme weather events are accelerating the pace of 
change. The importance of continuing to identify, measure 
and monitor the most material risks to our business is 
more heightened than ever, and is crucial in enabling us to 
manage our challenges and take the right opportunities. 
Failure to effectively manage our material risks could 
affect the success of our strategy, as well as adversely 
impact customer experience and outcomes, our reputation, 
financial position and capacity to pay dividends.

The following describes the material risks that could affect 
Telstra, including any material exposure to environmental 
or social risks, and how we seek to manage them.

These are not listed in any order of significance, nor are 
they all encompassing. They reflect the most significant 
risks identified at a whole-of-entity level through our risk 
management process.

16

17

Our material risks | Telstra Annual Report 2020

is not new. What is new is society’s 
increased cyber-dependency, which 
allows crime, protests, espionage and 
errors to happen at an unprecedented 
pace, scale and reach. 

We design, build and manage the  
security for our global network in three 
main ways: 

Technology – we use a range of 
technologies and security controls to 
minimise the likelihood and impact of 
unauthorised access to our networks  
and systems. These include logging and 
monitoring capabilities to pre-empt and 
proactively prepare for internal and 
external threats and industry-standard 
infrastructure configuration. We 
continuously invest in our security 
capabilities, including maintaining and 
enhancing our existing technologies to 
continue to stay ahead of new security 
threats. We also deploy new technologies 
to ensure we can adapt to the range of 
changing security threats. 

Process – our approach to cyber security 
risk management ensures appropriate 
ownership, oversight and ongoing risk 
management is applied to IT systems, 
data and risks. Cyber security subject 
matter experts provide oversight, and  
our risk and internal audit functions 
independently assure the process.  
We also have security processes that 
include technical reviews of projects  
and solutions; and due diligence of  
third parties, to test the presence and 
effectiveness of security controls at 
critical points.

People – cyber security is as much  
about people as it is about technology. 
We deliver programs designed to foster  
a strong cyber security culture. We invest 
in our people to prepare them against a 
range of different cyber threats. We have 
mandatory annual training for all 
employees and contractors and run 
regular drills on our employees to test  
its effectiveness.

We have also recently announced a 
Cleaner Pipes initiative, which focuses on 
further reducing instances of customer 
data being compromised through 
malware, ransomware and phishing. 

We regularly update our privacy 
statement and procedures, ensuring we 
are compliant with our legal obligations 
and consider society’s expectations in 
relation to collection, storage and use of 
our customers’ personal information. 
Please refer to the Corporate Governance 
Statement for more detail on how Telstra 
manages privacy. 

We also continue to work with the 
Australian Government as it executes its 
2020 Cyber Security Strategy, with our 
CEO Andrew Penn chairing the Industry 
Advisory Panel.

Climate change

Telstra has publicly acknowledged 
climate change as one of the most 
important issues of the decade, and – as 
one of the largest consumers of power in 
the country – our responsibility in leading 
from the front in terms of climate action. 
As evidenced by the recent devastating 
bushfires, the threat of more and 
increased extreme weather events 
resulting from climate change is real and 
poses a significant challenge to society 
and business. 

As part of our response we committed  
to being carbon neutral in our operations 
from 2020, enabling renewable energy 
generation equivalent to 100 per cent of 
our consumption by 2025, and reducing 
absolute emissions by at least 50 per 
cent by 2030. 

While we are proud of these 
commitments, we acknowledge the risks 
of inaction and the broader challenge 
climate change poses. These include the 
ongoing threat of further extreme 
weather events and ensuing damage to 
lives and infrastructure, risks associated 
with the transition to a lower carbon 
economy and the reputational issues 
companies such as Telstra face for not 
showing leadership.

This year we have begun to align our 
reporting with the recommendations of 
the Taskforce on Climate Related 
Financial Disclosures (TCFD) which can 
be found in the climate change and 
energy section of our FY20 Sustainability 
Report.

Major regulatory change and 
stakeholder engagement

As the leading provider in a heavily 
regulated industry, Telstra’s products and 
services and the way we deliver them are 
subject to constant scrutiny from a range 
of regulators and agencies. We continue 
to maintain proactive relationships with 
all relevant regulators, consumer and 
community groups, and policy makers in 
an effort to ensure fair, balanced and 
socially appropriate policy and regulatory 
decisions are made. 

We recognise the importance of 
transparent and timely communications 
with our stakeholders, including 
customers, shareholders, investors and 
regulators, as well as the risks associated 
with not doing so, which may impact our 
ability to execute our strategy. This 
includes helping inform the community 
about the safety and benefits of new 
technology, such as 5G. We also 
recognise the importance of our 
relationships with partners and 
suppliers, and the need to ensure their 
actions meet our standards and our 
customers’ standards in order to protect 
our reputation and deliver good customer 
experiences. 

The key regulatory matters currently 
relevant to Telstra relate to regulatory 
compliance, responsible business 
practices, NBN Co regulation and policy, 
consumer safeguards and service 
standards, spectrum allocation, and 
universal service policy. These and other 
regulatory and policy matters may 
directly impact our strategy and business 
model as well as raise the risk of 
additional regulatory cost and complexity 
being imposed on our business. We have 
a strong framework to manage this risk 
and proactively engage with regulators, 
government bodies, industry and 
customer groups and other stakeholders. 

Further detail about our risk management 
framework and how we manage our  
risks is provided in our 2020 Corporate 
Governance Statement available at  
www.telstra.com/governance.

Further information about our 
sustainability related risks is provided in 
our FY20 Sustainability Report, available 
at www.telstra.com/sustainability/report.

Our technology and its resilience may be 
undermined by several factors including 
poor change management controls, data 
quality, or single points of failure. Failure 
to have an effective technology strategy 
could lead to a number of consequences, 
including poor technology architecture, 
which may drive increased complexity 
and cost in our business. The digitisation 
of our systems and processes is a key 
enabler of our T22 strategy that aims to 
simplify our products and achieve our 
efficiency goals. As technology continues 
to evolve, we are conscious of emerging 
risks in relation to artificial intelligence 
and machine learning, and have 
governance programs in place to 
consider these risks. 

We continue to implement a cross-
company resilience approach which 
manages end-to-end resilience of key 
products and services, including all 
elements that can potentially impact a 
customer service – including disruptions 
to network, IT, technology, cyber, business 
continuity and suppliers.

Responsible Business

Telstra has continued to work to ensure 
that our business practices are in line 
with our purpose and values and the 
expectations of the broader community. 
We recognise that there has never been  
a more important time for businesses  
to think deeply about the role they play  
in society. Through our response to  
last summer’s bushfire crisis, our 
commitment to addressing climate 
change and our response to COVID-19, 
we have attempted to do our part not 
only for our customers and employees 
but also the community. 

We know that our responsibility to  
do the right thing goes well beyond 
exceptional events and to the core of  
our operational practices, particularly 
those that have the potential to impact 
customers in vulnerable circumstances. 
We acknowledge that we have not  
always got this right. (Read about an 
investigation into our sales, complaint 
handling and debt collection practices  
in the Chairman and CEO message). 

The risks of not getting this right are 
extensive, including on the community’s 
trust in us as a responsible corporate 
citizen, on our reputation with 
stakeholders and in terms of the 
potential regulatory and financial 
implications. 

We are committed to ensuring that  
we can fulfil those responsibilities in 
conducting our business through a range 
of measures, including those which relate 
to fair sales practices, providing products 
and plans which meet our customers’ 
needs, a well-considered approach to 
hardship and the inculcation of a broader 
culture that supports our people to act 
responsibly and in line with stakeholder 
and societal expectations.

Privacy and cybersecurity 

We treat the protection of our customers’ 
data and networks very seriously and put 
data privacy, information and cyber 
security at the forefront of everything we 
do. The threat represented by cybercrime 

18

19

Outlook | Telstra Annual Report 2019

Outlook

As we enter financial year 2021, our local and global economies and the communities we are a 
part of face significant challenges. The continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic creates 
volatility and risk, and this is likely to have an impact on confidence, employment and growth.

While Telstra has shown strength and stability since the 
beginning of this pandemic, we acknowledge that our 
business and our customers will not be immune from 
further disruption and difficulty. The COVID-19 pandemic 
will continue to impact our business into FY21, for example 
through reduced income from international roaming, the 
potential of increased bad debt as some customers face 
hardship, and reduced professional services revenue.

We provided financial guidance for FY21 on a range of 
metrics1. For FY21, Total Income is expected to be in the 
range of $23.2 to $25.1 billion, underlying EBITDA in the 
range of $6.5 to $7.0 billion, net one-off nbn DA receipts 
(less nbn net cost to connect) in the range of $0.7 to  
$1.0 billion, capital expenditure of $2.8 to $3.2 billion,  
and free cashflow after operating lease payments of  
$2.8 to $3.3 billion. The in-year nbn headwind for FY21 is 
expected to have a negative impact on underlying EBITDA 
of approximately $700 million. To achieve growth excluding 
the in-year nbn headwind in FY21, underlying EBITDA will 
need to be around the mid-point of the guidance range.

Guidance for FY21 underlying EBITDA assumes an 
estimated negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic  
in FY21 of approximately $400 million.

The principles and initiatives that sit at the heart of our  
T22 strategy have helped us respond to the crises we have 
seen in FY20 and these will also enable us to deal with a 
future that is increasingly hard to predict. Having passed 
the midpoint of our strategic transformation, some of our 
key priorities as we head towards the end of T22 will be 
ongoing simplification, completing our digitisation program, 
maturing our new operating model and delivering the full 
$2.5 billion in underlying fixed cost reductions.

In FY21 we will focus on further rationalising the number  
of products we offer our Enterprise customers, delivering 
growth in the volume of data on our networks while keeping 
associated costs flat, and further reducing the number of 
times our customers need to call us. 

Globally the telco sector has struggled to deliver strong 
returns on invested capital (ROIC) over the last decade. 
Increased investment driven by demand for more coverage, 
speed, capacity and resilience has driven up capital 
expenditure as a percentage of sales across the industry. 
At the same time average revenues have been broadly flat, 
which has led to falling ROIC globally. We saw this trend 
play out in FY20 and anticipate it will continue in FY21.  
We have also adjusted our T22 target for Return on Invested 
Capital (ROIC) to be greater than 7 per cent by FY23.

Notwithstanding this, telcos have followed a cyclical 
pattern through the generations of mobile technologies. 
Revenues have generally grown through the first half of a 
technology’s deployment and declined as technology and 
networks mature. Telstra is well positioned to capitalise if 
this trend continues, through our leadership in 5G at the 
beginning of this cycle. 

We will extend our leadership in 5G by continuing to grow 
our network, giving around 75 per cent of Australia access 
to Telstra 5G’s faster speeds and lower latency by June 
2021. Additional advancements in 5G during FY21 will 
include further access to mmWave spectrum in Australia 
and second and third generation 5G chipsets and handset 
devices, which will bring faster and better experiences for 
our customers. We will continue to develop products and 
services which utilise the unique capabilities of 5G, 
particularly in the enterprise market. 

We will further improve our productivity so that we are  
able to continue to invest in world-leading infrastructure, 
technology and products for our customers. In FY21 we 
have set ourselves a target to reduce our costs by a further 
$400 million, as we move closer to delivering our target of 
$2.5 billion in underlying fixed cost reductions from FY16  
to FY22. 

In FY20, NBN Co announced changes to its business 
triggered by the reported completion of the initial  
rollout – a significant milestone for the Australian 
telecommunications industry. However, Telstra will 
continue to experience a strong financial headwind from 
the nbn as customers continue to migrate from our legacy 
technologies. In FY21 this headwind is expected to be 
approximately $700 million. Sustainable nbn access pricing 
will remain critical to the success of Australia’s broadband 
market, and Telstra will continue to advocate for nbn 
access price reductions. 

During FY20, we fine-tuned the scope of assets and the 
internal arrangements between Telstra InfraCo and the  
rest of Telstra. In FY21 we will continue to take important 
steps in maximising the value of our infrastructure assets, 
increasing our optionality, and maintaining our network 
differentiation.

We go into FY21 in a strong position with a keen awareness 
of the challenges our community, our economy, our 
customers and our people face. We will continue to be 
guided by our purpose and our values, and focus on 
creating long term shareholder value.

1.  FY21 guidance assumes no impairments in and to investments or non-current tangible and intangible assets, and excludes any proceeds on the sale of 

businesses, mergers and acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. The guidance is based on management best estimates of nbn impacts including input from 
the nbn Corporate Plan currently published at time of issue of this guidance. Total income excludes finance income. Underlying EBITDA excludes net one-off 
nbn DA receipts less nbn net C2C, one-off restructuring costs and guidance adjustments but includes depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use assets. 
Guidance for FY21 underlying EBITDA assumes an estimated negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic in FY21 of approximately $400 million. This 
estimate is approximately $200 million greater than the estimated negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic for FY20 underlying EBITDA. In-year nbn 
headwind is defined as the net negative recurring EBITDA impact on our business. Capex is measured on an accrued basis and excludes spectrum and 
guidance adjustments, externally funded capex, and capitalised leases. Free cashflow is defined as ‘operating cash flows’ less ‘investing cash flows’ less 
‘payments for operating lease liabilities’ and excludes spectrum and guidance adjustments.

20

21

Full year results and  
operations review

Summary financial results

Revenue (excluding finance income)

Total income (excluding finance income)

Operating expenses

Share of net profit/(loss) from equity accounted entities

EBITDA

Depreciation and amortisation

EBIT

Net finance costs

Income tax expense

Profit for the period

Profit attributable to equity holders of Telstra Entity

Capex1

Free cashflow

Earnings per share (cents)

FY20

$m

23,710

26,161

16,951

(305)

8,905

5,338

3,567

771

957

1,839

1,819

3,233

4,034

15.3

FY19

$m

25,259

27,807

19,835

12

7,984

4,282

3,702

630

923

2,149

2,154

4,140

3,068

18.1

%

(6.1)

(5.9)

(14.5)

n/m

11.5

24.7

(3.6)

22.4

3.7

(14.4)

(15.6)

(21.9)

31.5

(15.5)

1.   Capex is defined as additions to property, plant and equipment and intangible assets including capital lease additions, excluding expenditure on spectrum, measured 

on an accrued basis. Capex excludes externally funded capex.

Full year results and operations review | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Reported results

Telstra delivered FY20 results in line  
with guidance as we continued to deliver 
for customers, supported our people  
and the community, while generating 
long-term shareholder value through a 
challenging period.

On a reported basis, total income 
declined 5.9 per cent and NPAT declined 
14.4 per cent. Underlying EBITDA 
declined 9.7 per cent on a guidance basis 
while underlying EBITDA excluding the  
in-year nbn headwind increased by 
approximately $40 million. The underlying 
EBITDA decline included an estimated 
net negative impact from COVID-19 of 
approximately $200 million across 
international roaming, financial support 
for customers, delays in NAS professional 
services contracts, and additional bad 
debt provisions.

We have made good progress on our  
T22 strategy with nearly three quarters of 
the measures used to monitor progress 
against now either completed or on track 
for delivery. Digital engagement grew  
with over 71 per cent of our service 
transactions occurring via digital 
channels by the end of FY20, a new 
Telstra InfraCo organisational structure 

and operating model was implemented, 
and we continued to make progress on 
our $2 billion asset monetisation target 
to strengthen our balance sheet. We are 
now past the halfway point in delivering 
T22 and while we expect to see 
challenging conditions continue in  
FY21, our strategy means we are well 
positioned to respond to whatever lies 
ahead.

Progress on T22, including our focus to 
rapidly simplify and digitise, remove 
customer pain points, and remove legacy 
systems and processes, helped reduce 
underlying fixed costs by $615 million or 
9.2 per cent. This brought the total 
underlying fixed cost reductions to $1.8 
billion since FY16 and we remain on track 
to achieve our FY22 target of $2.5 billion.

Our multi-brand strategy continued to 
deliver growth, particularly in mobile 
where we added 240,000 retail postpaid 
handheld mobile services including 
154,000 from Belong, 171,000 retail 
prepaid handheld unique users, and 
347,000 Wholesale services. We 
continued our clear leadership in 5G with 
more than 10 million people now living, 
working or passing through the 53 cities 
and towns in our 5G footprint every day, 

and approximately one third of  
the population is covered with 5G.  
Telstra has always been a leader in 
telecommunications technology and we 
are the clear leader in Australia in 5G, as 
well as being at the forefront globally.

The Telstra Board resolved to pay a fully 
franked final dividend of 8 cents per 
share, comprising a final ordinary 
dividend of 5 cents and a final special 
dividend of 3 cents. The total dividend for 
FY20 is 16 cents per share, fully franked. 
Telstra also provided financial guidance 
including assumptions on a range of 
metrics for FY21, giving the market clarity 
on its expectations for the year ahead.

Other information
The new accounting standard AASB16 
Leases (“AASB16”) was adopted from  
1 July 2019.

Consistent with information presented 
for internal management reporting 
purposes, the result of each segment is 
measured based on its EBITDA 
contribution which differs from our 
EBITDA. Refer to note 2.1.1 in the 
Financial Report for further detail.

Commentary reflects statutory and 
management accounts reporting.

Total income3

Underlying EBITDA4

Net one-off nbn DA receipts less nbn net cost to connect

Restructuring costs

Capex

Free cashflow after operating lease payments

FY20

$26.1b

$7.4b

$1.5b

$0.2b

$3.2b

$3.4b

FY20 Guidance2

$25.3b to $27.3b

$7.4b to $7.9b

$1.3b to $1.7b

~$0.3b

$2.9b to $3.3b

$3.3b to $3.8b

FY20

FY20

FY20

FY19

Guidance versus reported results1

Reported results 
$m

Adjustments  
$m

Guidance basis 
$m

Guidance basis 
$m

Total income

Underlying EBITDA4

Free cashflow5

26,161

8,905

4,034

(20)

(1,496)

(619)

26,141

7,409

3,415

27,804

8,203

3,186

1.   This guidance assumed wholesale product price stability and no impairments in and to investments or property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, and 

excluded any proceeds on the sale of businesses, mergers and acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. The guidance also assumed the nbn rollout and migration in 
FY20 was broadly in accordance with the nbn Corporate Plan 2020. Guidance was provided on the basis of AASB16 Leases and assumed impacts consistent with 
management estimates. Capex was measured on an accrued basis and excluded expenditure on spectrum and externally funded capex and capitalised leases under 
AASB16 Leases. Refer to the Guidance versus reported results schedule. The adjustments within the tables in this schedule have been reviewed by our auditors.

2.   FY20 guidance revised on 2 September 2019 after nbn co released the nbn Corporate Plan 2020.
3.   Total income excludes finance income.
4.   Underlying EBITDA excluded net one-off nbn DA receipts less nbn net cost to connect, guidance adjustments including one-off restructuring costs, but included 

depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use assets.

5.   FY20 free cashflow defined as operating cash flows less investing cash flows less operating leases (reported in financing cash flow under AASB16 Leases).

Change

Results on a guidance basis1

22

23

Full year results and operations review | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Income for Telstra Enterprise decreased 
by 3.3 per cent to $7,970 million as 
growth in international was more than 
offset by a decline in domestic. Telstra 
Enterprise domestic income decreased 
by 5.5 per cent largely due to declines in 
Data & IP legacy calling and legacy fixed 
products. However, NAS and mobility 
revenues were broadly stable. Telstra 
Enterprise international income grew by 
3.6 per cent mainly due to growth in 
higher margin Data & IP, increased traffic 
from Australia and targeted one-off 
transactions.

Networks and IT
Networks and IT is responsible for the 
overall planning, design, engineering 
architecture and construction of Telstra 
networks, technology and information 
technology solutions. It primarily 
supports the revenue generating 
activities of other segments. Networks 
and IT income increased by 24.3 per cent 
to $87 million.

Telstra InfraCo
Telstra InfraCo is a standalone 
infrastructure business unit within 
Telstra. It is responsible for key network 
assets including data centres and 
exchanges, most of our fibre network, the 
copper and hybrid fibre coaxial networks, 
international subsea cables, poles, ducts 
and pipes. From 1 July 2020, Telstra 
InfraCo’s asset accountabilities will also 
include our whole fibre network 
(including mobile backhaul) and mobile 
towers, but exclude PSTN and legacy 
fixed, and satellite related assets.

Telstra InfraCo income excluding internal 
access charges decreased by 10.6 per 
cent to $2,733 million due to expected 
declines from Telstra Wholesale legacy 
fixed products and commercial works  
for nbn co. This was partly offset by 
increased recurring nbn DA receipts  
in line with the progress of the nbnTM 
network rollout and receipts for access  
to passive infrastructure, and an increase 

in wholesale mobility. Including internal 
access charges, income decreased by 
10.6 per cent to $4,423 million.

All Other
Certain items of income and expense 
relating to multiple reportable segments 
are recorded by our corporate areas and 
included in the All Other category. This 
category also includes Product and 
Technology Group, Global Business 
Services (GBS) and New Business 
(including Telstra Health). Income 
decreased by 5.1 per cent mainly due to 
declines in ISA ownership receipts and 
nbn commercial works (sales of assets 
component), partly offset by an increase 
in Per Subscriber Address Amount (PSAA) 
receipts in line with the progress of the 
nbnTM network rollout.

Product performance

Product revenue breakdown

5%

3%

7%

14%

9%

14%

9%

43%

FY20

Mobile

Fixed

Data & IP

NAS

19%

4%

3%

7%

FY19

21%

Global connectivity

EBITDA  
contribution margins1

42%

Mobile

Retail Fixed (including  
nbn cost to connect)

Data & IP

NAS

Global connectivity

FY20

FY19

Change

$m

$m

10,084

10,545

4,591

2,052

3,379

1,706

5,223

2,358

3,477

1,700

%

(4.4)

(12.1)

(13.0)

(2.8)

0.4

FY20 %

2H20 %

1H20 %

FY19 %

34.7

1.8

62.2

17.5

26.6

33.7

(1.9)

63.7

19.2

25.8

35.6

5.2

60.8

15.7

27.3

35.6

18.1

65.6

10.4

21.4

1.   The data in this table includes minor adjustments to historic numbers to reflect changes in product hierarchy.

Mobile

Fixed

Data & IP

NAS

Global connectivity

Media

Other

FY20

FY19

Change

Key product revenue

On 13 August 2020, the Directors of 
Telstra Corporation Limited resolved  
to pay a final fully franked dividend of  
8 cents per ordinary share, comprising  
a final ordinary dividend of 5 cents per 
share and a final special dividend of  
3 cents per share. Shares will trade 
excluding entitlement to the final 
dividend from 26 August 2020 with 
payment to be made on 24 September 
2020.

The total dividend for FY20 is 16 cents 
per share, fully franked, including 10 
cents ordinary and 6 cents special. The 
ordinary dividend represents a 99 per 
cent payout ratio on FY20 underlying 
earnings1 while the special dividend 
represents a 66 per cent payout ratio of 
FY20 net one-off nbn receipts2. The FY20 
ordinary dividend is higher than the range 
indicated in our capital management 
framework to pay a fully franked ordinary 
dividend of 70 to 90 per cent of 
underlying earnings. In determining the 
FY20 final ordinary dividend, the Board 
has taken into account a number of 
factors including the objectives and 
principles of the capital management 
framework, the impacts we have 
estimated resulting from COVID-19, and 
our free cashflow which is higher than 
accounting earnings due to lower in-year 
capex. Our FY20 underlying earnings 
were $1,224 million while net one-off  
nbn receipts were $1,075 million 
compared with underlying earnings of 
$1,970 million and net one-off nbn 
receipts of $1,129 million in FY19.

1.   “underlying earnings” is defined as net profit  

after tax from continuing operations excluding net 
one-off nbn receipts (as defined in footnote 2) and 
guidance adjustments (as defined in footnote 3).
2.   “net one-off nbn receipts” is defined as net nbn 

one off Definitive Agreement receipts (consisting  
of PSAA, Infrastructure Ownership and Retraining) 
less nbn net cost to connect less tax.
3.   Guidance adjustments include one-off 

restructuring costs, impairments in and to 
investments or property, plant and equipment  
and intangible assets, proceeds on the sale of 
businesses, mergers and acquisitions and 
purchase of spectrum.

Segment performance

We report segment information on the same basis as our internal management 
reporting structure as at reporting date. Segment comparatives reflect organisational 
changes that have occurred since the prior reporting period to present a like-for-like 
view. 

Income related to recurring nbn Infrastructure Services Agreement (ISA) amounts  
and nbn commercial works are included in Telstra InfraCo. One-off nbn Definitive 
Agreement (nbn DA) and ISA amounts are included in All Other, and non-nbn 
commercial works are included in Telstra Enterprise.

Segment total income

10%

11%

8%

0%

31%

FY20

51%

8%

0%

30%

FY19

51%

Telstra Consumer and Small Business 

Telstra Enterprise

Networks and IT

All Other

Telstra InfraCo ex internal access charges

%

(6.7)

(3.3)

24.3

(5.1)

Total external income

$m

$m

Telstra Consumer and Small Business

13,326

14,281

Telstra Enterprise

Networks and IT

All Other

Telstra InfraCo including internal access charges

7,970

8,243

70

2,156

87

2,045

4,423

4,948

(10.6)

Internal access charges

Total

(1,690)

(1,891)

26,161

27,807

10.6

(5.9)

Telstra Consumer and Small Business
Telstra Consumer and Small Business provides telecommunication products, services 
and solutions across mobiles, fixed and mobile broadband, telephony and Pay TV/IPTV 
and digital content to consumer and small business customers in Australia.

Income in this segment decreased by 6.7 per cent to $13,326 million, impacted by an 
8.4 per cent decline across fixed products including ongoing standalone fixed voice 
and a 5.2 per cent decline in mobile services revenue as declining Average Revenue 
Per User (ARPU) more than offset customer net additions. Network Applications and 
Services (NAS) revenue in Small Business continued to grow, increasing by 13.8 per 
cent primarily due to growth in unified communications.

Telstra Enterprise
Telstra Enterprise is responsible for sales and contract management for medium and 
large business and government customers in Australia and globally. It also provides 
product management for advanced technology solutions and services, including Data 
& IP networks and NAS products such as managed network, unified communications, 
cloud, industry solutions and integrated services.

24

25

On a reported basis, total income 
(excluding finance income) declined  
by 5.9 per cent to $26,161 million. On a 
guidance basis, total income (excluding 
finance income) was $26,141 million, in 
line with guidance. Competitive pressure, 
legacy product and service declines, and 
the nbnTM network rollout continued to 
negatively impact income. Remediation 
and customer initiatives in response to 
bushfires, floods and COVID-19 were also 
reflected by a decline in performance. The 
decline has been partly offset by 
improving profitability in NAS and global 
connectivity, and positive signs in  
mobile with continued growth in customer 
services and an increase in postpaid 
Transacting Minimum Monthly 
Commitment (TMMC). More detail on each 
of the products are outlined below on a 
reported basis unless otherwise stated.

Mobile
Mobile revenue declined by 4.4 per cent  
to $10,084 million largely due to declines 
in postpaid and prepaid ARPU and lower 
hardware volumes. Retail customer 
services increased by 437,000 bringing 
the total to 18.8 million. We now have 8.5 
million postpaid handheld retail customer 
services, an increase of 240,000 including 
154,000 from Belong and a strong 
contribution from Enterprise as customers 
adapt their operations.

Postpaid handheld revenue decreased  
by 4.6 per cent to $5,048 million as net 
adds were offset by an 8.2 per cent ARPU 
decline from $54.77 to $50.29. Excluding 
the international roaming decline, ARPU 
decreased by 6.8 per cent due to impacts 
of FY19 price competition washing 
through the base, lower out of bundle 
revenue, modest dilution from an increase 
in Belong customer mix, and accounting 
for new plans which allocate more 
revenue to hardware. However, there was 
a positive contribution from plans sold in 
FY20 with TMMC around $2 higher in FY20 
compared with FY19.

Prepaid handheld revenue declined by  
6.8 per cent to $773 million as a 171,000 
increase in unique users was more than 
offset by lower ARPU. Revenue stabilised 
in 2H20 as the average voucher size 
increased.

Mobile broadband revenue decreased by 
4.9 per cent to $640 million as an increase 
in ARPU was offset by a 469,000 reduction 
in customer services, which included the 
deactivation of 365,000 $0 services in 
1H20. Revenue showed signs of stabilising 
in 2H20, with demand increasing as more 
people began working and studying from 
home, however ultimately declined as 
lower prepaid customer services offset 
gains in postpaid.

26

Internet of Things (IoT) revenue grew  
by 3.0 per cent to $209 million while 
increasing customer services by 652,000. 
We launched our consumer Telstra 
Locator Cat-M1 Tag which uses our LTE 
network, launched further solutions in 
areas of Track and Monitor, Smart 
Metering and Connected Building, and 
won recognition for our Telstra Locator 
and water management solutions.

Wholesale services revenue increased 
10.0 per cent to $221 million. Wholesale 
customer services including IoT 
increased by 347,000 bringing the total  
to 1.6 million as plans offered by Mobile 
Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) on the 
Telstra mobile network continued to rise 
in popularity.

Mobile hardware revenue decreased by 
3.3 per cent to $3,002 million largely due 
to lower handset sales.

Mobile EBITDA contribution margin 
declined by 0.9 percentage point to 34.7 
per cent largely due to lower services 
revenue, partly offset by lower costs and 
improved hardware margin.

Fixed
Fixed revenue declined by 12.1 per cent 
to $4,591 million impacted by nbn 
migration alongside ongoing voice and 
legacy decline.

Retail bundles and standalone data 
revenue declined by 1.9 per cent to 
$3,226 million due to a 4.4 per cent ARPU 
decline from $75.07 to $71.75 caused by 
migration to in-market plans and a higher 
Belong mix. There were 80,000 retail 
bundles and standalone data net 
subscriber additions including 79,000 
additions from Belong bringing total 
bundles and standalone data customers 
to 3.8 million.

Retail standalone voice revenue 
decreased by 31.1 per cent to $607 
million with lower customer services 
driven by standalone voice line 
abandonment and migration to nbn and 
bundles. ARPU decreased by 2.2 per cent 
from $43.62 to $42.64. There were 
452,000 retail standalone voice net 
subscriber losses taking total standalone 
voice customers to 960,000.

We continue to lead the nbn market with 
a total of 3.2 million nbn connections, an 
increase of 620,000. Our nbn market 
share is now 46 per cent (excluding 
satellite). The Telstra Smart Modem is 
now being utilised by 71 per cent of our 
fixed data consumer base, providing a 
better experience on the nbn with strong 
Wi-Fi connectivity and enhanced back  
up speeds.

Other retail fixed revenue, which includes 
hardware, once off revenue (activation 
fees), Platinum, and fixed interconnect, 
decreased by 18.6 per cent to $201 
million.

Retail Fixed (including net one-off nbn 
cost to connect) EBITDA contribution 
margin declined by 16.3 percentage 
points to 1.8 per cent due to high margin 
revenue reduction, growing network 
payments to nbn co, legacy decline and 
nbn migration costs, partly offset by fixed 
cost reduction.

Data & IP
Data & IP revenue decreased by 13.0 per 
cent to $2,052 million reflecting declines 
in legacy volumes associated with the 
nbnTM network rollout, and competitive 
pricing pressures in data access and 
connectivity.

To provide greater visibility of our ongoing 
and legacy products, we have split Data & 
 IP into four areas – data access and 
connectivity, legacy calling, connectivity 
services, and wholesale products.

Data access and connectivity revenue, 
which includes private networks and 
internet connections on Telstra fibre, nbn, 
legacy copper and other fixed 
technologies, optical and legacy data, 
declined 5.5 per cent to $1,151 million 
due to legacy copper terminations partly 
offset by growth in fibre and nbn 
customer services. ARPU declined due to 
price competition and an ongoing 
technology shift enabling alternate and 
lower cost solutions.

Legacy calling revenue, which includes 
ISDN, declined 30.3 per cent to $431 
million due to the termination of ISDN 
customer services in line with the 
planned exit of this product by 2022,  
and migration of associated voice 
services to NAS.

Connectivity services revenue, which 
includes professional media solutions, 
security solutions and the Telstra 
Programmable Network (TPN), decreased 
by 9.6 per cent to $103 million due to a 
decline in monitored security solutions. 
This was partly offset by growth in TPN 
which enables real time on-demand 
connectivity to clouds, data centres and a 
partner ecosystem through one portal.

Wholesale products revenue declined 
10.0 per cent to $367 million due to 
ethernet pricing pressures and a decline 
in transmission.

Data & IP EBITDA contribution margin 
declined by 3.4 percentage points to  
62.2 per cent reflecting declining revenue 
on high margin legacy products with a 
moderate decline in cost.

Network Applications and Services (NAS)
NAS revenue declined by 2.8 per cent to 
$3,379 million reflecting a continued 
focus on profitable revenue growth, lower 
nbn commercial works and a decline in 
discretionary spending on professional 
services observed during COVID-19. 
Excluding low margin hardware sales  
and nbn commercial works, revenue 
increased by 3.8 per cent.

Managed network services revenue 
decreased by 4.0 per cent to $622 million 
due to lower professional services 
revenue as many businesses went into 
hibernation or scaled back discretionary 
projects in 2H20, and a shift to lower 
priced cloud based managed data 
network technologies, partly offset by 
managed security growth. 

Unified communications revenue 
increased by 5.7 per cent to $1,067 
million reflecting new collaboration and 
calling service growth, and migration 
from legacy calling services.

Cloud services revenue increased by  
0.9 per cent to $434 million as growth  
in public cloud annuity products was 
broadly offset by lower spend by 
customers on professional services.

Industry solutions revenue decreased  
by 11.6 per cent to $1,047 million largely 
due to an expected decline in revenue 
from contracts outside of the nbn DAs  
in line with the maturity of the nbnTM 
network rollout. Excluding nbn 
commercial works, revenue declined  
by 8.7 per cent.

Integrated services revenue increased  
by 1.5 per cent to $209 million mainly 
from a rise in consulting and project 
management and other service 
management, partly offset by a decline  
in managed IT services.

NAS EBITDA contribution margin 
increased by 7.1 percentage points to 
17.5 per cent due to a focus on profitable 
revenue growth, growth in unified 
communications and significant cost 
reduction.

Global connectivity
Global connectivity represents the 
international business of Telstra 
Enterprise. Revenue increased by 0.4 per 
cent on a reported basis and decreased 
by 4.6 per cent in constant currency (CC) 
terms with growth in more profitable 
Data & IP products offset by declining 
fixed legacy voice revenues.

Fixed legacy voice revenue decreased by 
24.1 per cent (CC) due to continued 
market decline and strategic focus on 
profitable revenue. Data & IP revenue 
grew by 1.7 per cent (CC) from existing 

Full year results and operations review | Telstra Annual Report 2020

and new capacity due to investment in 
cable, and one-off benefits from targeted 
early customer contract terminations. 
NAS and other revenue decreased by  
4.6 per cent (CC) but with improved 
profitability due to reduction in lower 
margin equipment sales.

Global connectivity EBITDA contribution 
margin (CC) increased by 5.2 percentage 
points to 26.6 per cent reflecting 
continued focus on higher profit revenue, 
productivity and one-off benefits.

Media
Media revenue excluding cable 
decreased by 8.9 per cent to $726 million 
mainly due to the performance of Foxtel 
from Telstra and decline in mobility from 
lower digital subscriptions. Foxtel from 
Telstra revenue declined by 5.9 per cent 
to $625 million and had 98,000 
subscriber exits reflecting a broader 
industry transition from Broadcast to 
IPTV. There are now 1.7 million Telstra TV 
devices in the market, an increase of 
114,000. Sports Live Pass users 

increased by 370,000 to 3.4 million 
across AFL, NRL, Netball and FFA with 
most users receiving the service as part 
of their mobile subscription.

Other
Other revenue includes recurring revenue 
related to nbn co access to our 
infrastructure (nbn DA), late payment 
fees and revenue from Telstra Health.

Other income includes gains and losses 
on asset and investment sales (including 
assets transferred under the nbn DAs), 
income from government grants under 
the Telstra Universal Service Obligation 
Performance Agreement (TUSOPA), 
income from nbnTM network 
disconnection fees (PSAA), subsidies and 
other miscellaneous items. The decrease 
in other income of 3.8 per cent is largely 
due to a 45.8 per cent decline in ISA 
income to $210 million in line with the 
progress of the nbnTM network rollout, 
partly offset by PSAA receipts which 
grew by 6.9 per cent to $1,721 million 
reflecting nbn migrations in the period.

27

Expense performance

Underlying fixed costs declined by 9.2 per cent or $615 million. In June 2018, we announced we would target a $2.5 billion annual 
reduction in underlying fixed costs by FY22 compared with restated underlying fixed costs of ~$7.9 billion in base year FY16. We 
have now achieved $1.8 billion of annual cost out since FY16 and remain on track to achieve our FY22 target.

Operating expenses1

Sales costs

  – nbn payments

  – other

Fixed costs

  – underlying2

  – other3

Underlying

One-off nbn DA and nbn cost to connect

Restructuring

Other guidance adjustments4

Reported lease adjusted5

Lease adjustments6

Reported

+$380m

-$409m

FY20
$m

8,802

1,731

7,071

7,916

6,083

1,833

FY19  
$m

8,831

1,351

7,480

8,666

6,698

1,968

16,718

17,497

468

259

–

17,445

(494)

16,951

503

801

584

19,385

450

19,835

$m
(29)

380

(409)

(750)

(615)

(135)

(779)

(35)

(542)

(584)

(1,940)

(944)

(2,884)

Change
%
(0.3)

28.1

(5.5)

(8.7)

(9.2)

(6.9)

(4.5)

(7.0)

(67.7)

n/m

(10.0)

n/m

(14.5)

$17,497m

-$615m

+$259m

$17,445m

+$468m

-10.0% 
Reported 
lease 
adjusted 
basis

-$135m

-9.2% 
cost out

$16,718m

-4.5% 
Underlying 
basis

FY19 
underlying

Sales costs 
– nbn 
payments

Sales costs 
– other

Fixed costs 
– underlying2

Fixed costs 
– other3

FY20 
underlying

Restructuring

One-off nbn 
DA and nbn 
cost to 
connect

FY20  
reported  
lease  
adjusted

1.   Sales and fixed costs exclude costs associated with one-off nbn DA and nbn cost to connect.
2.   Fixed costs – underlying was ~$7.9b in FY16 on a restated basis and targeted to decline by our net cost productivity target of $2.5b by FY22. Underlying fixed costs are 

costs excluding other fixed costs (as defined in footnote 3).

3.   Fixed costs – other includes items supporting revenue growth including relevant NAS costs, mobile handset lease, and product impairment.
4.   Other guidance adjustments in FY19 include $493 million asset impairment and $91 million M&A expenses.
5.   ‘Reported lease adjusted’ includes all mobile handset leases as operating expenses, and all rent/other leases below EBITDA.
6.   Refer to note 4 of the Guidance versus reported results schedule.

Total operating expenses declined by 
14.5 per cent to $16,951 million on a 
reported basis and declined by 10.0 per 
cent to $17,445 million on a reported 
lease adjusted basis largely due to the 
$615 million reduction in underlying fixed 
costs from our productivity program, a 
$542 million decrease in restructuring 
costs associated with T22 initiatives, and 
guidance adjustments of $584 million in 
FY19 including a $493 million impairment 

of our legacy IT assets. Sales costs, which 
are direct costs associated with revenue 
and customer growth, decreased by 0.3 
per cent to $8,802 million due to a $409 
million decline in other sales costs as a 
result of lower hardware costs, partly 
offset by a $380 million increase in nbn 
access payments. Other fixed costs 
decreased by 6.9 per cent while one-off 
nbn DA and nbn cost to connect declined 
7.0 per cent in line with the progress of 

the nbnTM network rollout. On an 
underlying basis, total operating 
expenses declined by 4.5 per cent as 
underlying fixed cost reduction exceeded 
increased nbn access payments.

Our progress on achieving our 
productivity target is reported through 
the above operating expenses table. The 
detail below provides commentary on the 
operating expenses as disclosed in our 
statutory accounts.

Full year results and operations review | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Operating expenses on a reported basis

Labour

Goods and services purchased

Net impairment losses on financial assets

Other expenses

Total

FY20

$m

4,058

9,107

202

3,584

FY19

$m

5,279

9,138

184

5,234

16,951

19,835

Change

%

(23.1)

(0.3)

9.8

(31.5)

(14.5)

Labour
Total labour expenses decreased by  
23.1 per cent or $1,221 million to $4,058 
million. Salary and associated costs 
declined by $457 million due to lower 
headcount, redundancy costs decreased 
by $485 million due to the level of 
redundancies in FY19, and labour 
substitution costs declined by $232 
million from a reduction in labour 
outsourcing.

Total full time staff equivalents (FTE) 
decreased by 2.7 per cent or 810 to 
28,959 including the additional FTE 
recruited to assist with customer service 
in response to COVID-19.

Goods and services purchased
Total goods and services purchased 
decreased by 0.3 per cent or $31 million 
to $9,107 million.

Cost of goods sold, which includes 
mobile handsets and accessories, 
tablets, cellular Wi-Fi, broadband 
modems and other fixed hardware 
decreased by 7.5 per cent or $281 million 
to $3,490 million mainly due to lower 
handset and NAS equipment sales in 
2H20 from slower trading activity.

Network payments increased by 13.0 per 
cent or $364 million to $3,155 million, 
including a $380 million increase in nbn 
access payments as customers migrate 
across to nbn services. Offshore network 
payments were $33 million lower mainly 
due to improved network optimisation 
which resulted in network cost savings.

Other goods and services purchased 
declined by 4.4 per cent or $114 million 
to $2,462 million mainly due to a 
reduction in Foxtel service fees as a 
result of a decline in Foxtel from Telstra 
subscribers.

Net impairment losses on financial 
assets
Total net impairment losses on financial 
assets increased by 9.8 per cent or  
$18 million to $202 million including  
an additional $36 million allowance for 
doubtful debts to reflect risks and 
uncertainties brought about by COVID-19.

AASB16. Excluding depreciation of  
right-of-use assets, depreciation and 
amortisation increased by 0.9 per cent  
or $39 million. Review of asset service 
lives during FY20 resulted in a $37 million 
decrease in depreciation expense and  
an $87 million decrease in amortisation 
expense.

Foreign currency impacts
For the purposes of reporting our 
consolidated results, the translation  
of foreign operations denominated in 
foreign currency to Australian dollar 
(AUD) increased our expenses by $93 
million across labour, goods and services 
purchased, and other expenses. This 
foreign exchange impact was offset by  
a $102 million sales revenue increase 
resulting in a favourable EBITDA 
contribution of $9 million.

Net finance costs
Net finance costs increased by 22.4  
per cent or $141 million to $771 million. 
Interest on borrowings decreased by $93 
million due to a reduction in our average 
gross borrowing cost from 4.9 per cent  
to 4.6 per cent and lower debt on issue. 
The increase in net finance costs came 
from a combination of the adoption of 
AASB16 which required interest costs  
to be recognised for leases previously 
classified as operating leases, a 
reduction in interest capitalised due to  
a decrease in capital expenditure, and 
other non-cash financing items largely 
relating to contracts with customers as 
set out in note 4.3.2(b). 

Other expenses
Total other expenses decreased by  
31.5 per cent or $1,650 million to $3,584 
million.

Service contracts and other agreements 
expenses declined by 7.4 per cent or 
$117 million due to productivity and cost 
reduction programs. Other impairment 
expenses declined by 78.8 per cent or 
$479 million to $129 million largely due  
to a $493 million impairment of our 
legacy IT assets in FY19. Other expenses 
decreased by 34.7 per cent or $1,054 
million primarily due to a $1,093 million 
decline in leasing costs following the 
adoption of AASB16.

Share of net profit/(loss) from equity 
accounted entities
Our investment in NXE Australia Pty 
Limited was impaired and a loss of $308 
million was recognised in our share of net 
loss from joint ventures and associated 
entities. The impairment reflected the 
challenges of disruption in the industry 
and the impact of COVID-19 as global 
sports were put on hold, pubs temporarily 
closed, and advertisers forced to 
carefully reconsider their investments.

Depreciation and amortisation
Depreciation and amortisation increased 
by 24.7 per cent or $1,056 million to 
$5,338 million largely due to a $1,017 
million increase in depreciation of right-
of-use assets following the adoption of 

28

29

Financial position

Summary statement of cash flows

Net cash provided by operating activities 

Net cash used in investing activities

 – Capital expenditure (before investments)

 – Other investing cash flows

Free cashflow

Net cash used in financing activities

Net increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

FY20

FY19

Change

$m

$m

7,010

6,683

(2,976)

(3,615)

(3,442)

(4,370)

466

4,034

755

3,068

(4,138)

(3,088)

(104)

604

(1)

499

(20)

620

4

604

%

4.9

17.7

21.2

(38.3)

31.5

(34.0)

n/m

(2.6)

n/m

(17.4)

Capital expenditure and cash flow
Free cashflow generated from operating 
and investing activities was $4,034 
million representing an increase of  
$966 million or 31.5 per cent, positively 
impacted by a $928 million decline in 
capital expenditure (including spectrum 
payments) and a $1,015 million benefit 
from operating leases being reclassified 
as financing cashflow following the 
adoption of AASB16. This was partly 
offset by a $657 million increase in 
working capital investment largely due  
to increases in handset receivables  
from the exit of mobile lease plans and 
introduction of longer repayment options, 
and restructuring.

Net cash provided by operating activities 
increased by 4.9 per cent or $327 million 
to $7,010 million mainly due to an $853 
million decrease in payments to suppliers 
and employees, a $202 million reduction 
in income taxes paid, and from operating 
leases being reclassified as a financing 
cashflow. This was partly offset by a 
decline in group revenue, an increase in 
working capital investment largely due  
to increases in handset receivables and 
restructuring, and a decrease in one-off 
nbn receipts in line with the progress of 
the nbnTM network rollout.

Net cash used in investing activities 
decreased by 17.7 per cent or $639 
million to $2,976 million primarily 
reflecting lower capital expenditure  
for the period.

Net cash used in financing activities 
increased by 34.0 per cent or $1,050 
million to $4,138 million. This was  
largely due to a $1,925 million increase  

in repayment of borrowings and a $993 million increase in payments for the principal 
portion of lease liabilities following the adoption of AASB16, partly offset by an $807 
million increase in proceeds from borrowings, a $698 million increase in proceeds 
from the sale of exchanges in a controlled trust, and a $356 million decline in 
dividends paid.

Our accrued capital expenditure for the year on a guidance basis was $3,233 million 
or 14.2 per cent of sales revenue.

On a guidance basis free cashflow after operating lease payments was $3,415 million, 
in line with guidance. Performance against guidance has been adjusted for free 
cashflow associated with M&A (-$39 million), operating lease payments (-$1,015 
million) and spectrum ($435 million).

Debt issuance

10 year Euro bond

3 year bilateral loan facility

Short term commercial 
paper and revolving bank 
facilities (net)

Other loans

Total

$m

856

150

515

Debt repayments

10 year Euro bond

Bilateral loan facility

1 year AUD floating rate note

AUD private placements

174

1,695

Other loans

Total

$m

(1,499)

(800)

(300)

(60)

(122)

(2,781)

Debt position 
Our gross debt position was $17,343 million comprising borrowings of $15,829 
million, lease liabilities of $3,298 million less net derivative assets of $1,784 million. 
Gross debt increased by 13.1 per cent or $2,012 million due to the adoption of 
AASB16 which resulted in our leases previously classified as operating leases  
(Telstra as a lessee) being included in gross debt. Gross debt excluding lease 
liabilities decreased by $995 million reflecting a cash reduction of $1,086 million 
partly offset by a non-cash increase of $91 million. The cash reduction comprised 
debt issuance of $1,695 million less debt repayments of $2,781 million.

The net increase in debt from lease liabilities was $3,007 million comprising $3,644 
million on transition to AASB16 and non-cash additions of $356 million offset by  
$993 million in lease payments shown as a financing cash outflow. The lease liability 
includes the reclassification of $291 million previously included within borrowings 
under previous lease accounting requirements.

Net debt increased by 14.4 per cent or $2,117 million to $16,844 million, comprising 
the increase in gross debt and a $105 million decrease in cash balances.

30

Full year results and operations review | Telstra Annual Report 2020

FY20
Actual

FY20 
Comfort 
zone

Statement of financial position
Our balance sheet remains in a strong 
position with net assets of $15,147 
million.

equipment due to lower capital 
expenditure, and a $294 million decline  
in intangible assets mainly due to lower 
software additions.

Financial 
settings

Debt 
servicing1

Gearing2

Interest 
cover3

1.9x

1.5x to 2.0x

52.7% 50% to 70%

11.7x

>7x

1.   Debt servicing ratio is calculated as net debt/
EBITDA (comfort zone recalibrated in FY20 to 
reflect adoption of AASB16).

2.   Gearing ratio is calculated as net debt/total net 

debt plus equity.

3.   Interest cover is calculated as EBITDA/net interest 

on borrowings.

Financial settings for FY20 reflect the 
adoption of AASB16 (FY19 settings have 
not been restated). The comfort zone for 
debt servicing has been recalibrated to 
reflect the capitalisation of operating 
leases onto the statement of financial 
position and the increase in EBITDA 
under this new reporting framework.  
We remain within our comfort zones for 
our credit metrics on a post AASB16 
basis. Our debt servicing is 1.9 times  
(30 June 2019: 1.8 times), gearing ratio  
is at 52.7 per cent (30 June 2019: 50.3  
per cent) and interest cover is 11.7 times 
(30 June 2019: 10.5 times).

Current assets decreased by 10.5 per 
cent to $6,534 million. Trade and other 
receivables and contract assets declined 
by $271 million while prepayments 
declined by $192 million, of which $161 
million was due to the adoption of 
AASB16. Assets classified held for sale 
decreased by $121 million which reflects 
assets held for sale in FY19, including 
three data centres within the Telstra 
Enterprise segment. We subsequently 
sold of one of the data centres but did 
not receive the consents required for sale 
of the remaining two (see note 3.10).

Non-current assets increased by 7.3 per 
cent to $37,869 million. Right-of-use 
assets increased by $3,030 million due to 
the adoption of AASB16 while trade and 
other receivables and contract assets 
increased by $648 million largely due to 
the exit of mobile lease plans and 
introduction of longer repayment options. 
This was partly offset by a $401 million 
decline in investments accounted for 
using the equity method including a $308 
million impairment of our investment in 
NXE Australia Pty Limited, a $337 million 
decrease in property, plant and 

Current liabilities increased by 5.7 per 
cent to $10,094 million. Lease liabilities 
increased by $611 million due to the 
adoption of AASB16 which resulted in the 
recognition of operating leases onto the 
statement of financial position while 
borrowings increased by $541 million 
primarily from an increase in commercial 
paper and drawn bank facilities. This was 
partly offset by a $548 million decline in 
trade and other payables mainly due to 
volume and timing of handset orders with 
large suppliers.

Non-current liabilities increased by  
3.5 per cent to $19,162 million. Lease 
liabilities increased by $2,687 million due 
to the adoption of AASB16 partly offset 
by a $1,965 million decline in borrowings. 
The decline in borrowings was largely 
from reclassification to current liabilities 
of debt maturing within the next 12 
months, reclassification of lease 
liabilities under previous lease 
accounting and early repayment of 
bilateral loan facilities partly offset by 
debt issuance during the year, foreign 
currency and other valuation impacts. 

30 Jun 2020

30 Jun 2019

Change

Summary statement of financial position

Current assets

Non-current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Total equity

Return on average assets (%)

Return on average equity (%)

$m

6,534

37,869

44,403

10,094

19,162

29,256

15,147

15,147

8.0

12.5

$m

7,303

35,286

42,589

9,553

18,506

28,059

14,530

14,530

8.8

14.8

%

(10.5)

7.3

4.3

5.7

3.5

4.3

4.2

4.2

(0.8)pp

(2.3)pp

31

Board of Directors

John P Mullen

Andrew R Penn

Eelco Blok

Roy H Chestnutt

Craig W Dunn

Peter R Hearl

Elana Rubin

Nora L Scheinkestel

Margaret L Seale

Niek Jan van Damme

John P Mullen 
Age 65, BSc

Non-executive Director since July 2008, 
Chairman effective 27 April 2016 and last re-
elected in 2017. Chairman of the Nomination 
Committee and previously Chairman of the 
Remuneration Committee (2009-2016). 

John has extensive experience in international 
transportation and logistics, with more than 
two decades in senior positions with some of 
the world’s largest transport and infrastructure 
companies. He has lived or worked in 13 
countries over this time. From 2011 to 2017 
John was Chief Executive Officer of Asciano, 
Australia’s largest ports and rail operator. Prior 
to this, John spent 15 years with DHL Express, 
a US$20b company employing over 140,000 
people in 220 countries, serving as the global 
Chief Executive Officer from 2005 to 2009. 

Prior to DHL, John spent ten years with the TNT 
Group, with four years from 1991 to 1994 as 
Chief Executive Officer of TNT Express 
Worldwide based in the Netherlands.

Other listed company directorships (past three 
years): Chairman, Brambles Limited (Joined 
2019, Chair from 2020). Former – Director, 
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P (2017–
2020).

Other directorships and not-for-profit 
appointments: Chairman, Toll Holdings (Private – 
since 2017). Chair, Australian National Maritime 
Museum (Joined 2016 and Chair from 2019). 
Member, UNICEF Task Force on Workplace 
Gender Discrimination and Harassment  
(2018–2019). UNSW Business School Advisory 
Council Member (from 2005). Former – Chairman 
of the US National Foreign Trade Council in 
Washington (2008–2010).

Andrew R Penn
Age 57, MBA (Kingston), AMP (Harvard), FCCA, 
HFAIPM

Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director 
since 1 May 2015.

Andy Penn became the CEO and Managing 
Director of Telstra, Australia’s largest 
telecommunications company, on 1 May 2015. 

At Telstra Andy is leading an ambitious  
change program transforming Telstra to  
be positioned to compete in the radically 
changing technology world of the future  
with 5G at its core.

Andy has had an extensive career spanning  
40 years across 3 different industries – 
telecommunications, financial services and 
shipping. He joined Telstra in 2012 as Chief 
Financial Officer. In 2014 he took on the 
additional responsibilities as Group Executive 
International.

Prior to Telstra, Andy spent 23 years with the 
AXA Group, one of the world’s largest insurance 
and investment groups. His time at AXA 
included the roles of Chief Executive Officer 
2006-2011 AXA Asia Pacific Holdings, Chief 
Financial Officer, Chief Executive Asia and 
Chief Executive Australia and New Zealand. At 
AXA, Andy was instrumental in building one of 
the most successful Asian businesses by an 
Australian company that was sold to its parent 
in 2011 for more than A$10bn.

Other directorships and appointments: 
Member of the Council of Trustees of the 
National Gallery of Victoria; Board Director of 
the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association 
(GSMA) (from 2018), Chairman of the Australian 
Government’s Cyber Industry Advisory Panel, 
created to guide development of Australia’s 
2020 Cyber Security Strategy; Patron, on behalf 
of Telstra, of the National and Torres Straights 
Islanders Arts Awards (NATSIAA), Life Governor 
of Very Special Kids (from 2003) and an 
Ambassador for the Amy Gillet Foundation.  
He serves on the advisory boards of both  
The Big Issue Home for Homes and Juvenile 
Diabetes Research Foundation.

Eelco Blok 
Age 63, MS, BBA

Non-executive Director appointed 15 February 
2019 and elected 15 October 2019. Member of 
the Nomination Committee. 

Eelco has almost 35 years of telecommunications 
experience at Dutch-based landline and mobile 
telecommunications company, KPN, where he 
was CEO for seven years until April 2018. 

Eelco started his career in Finance at KPN 
before becoming responsible for several 
businesses including Carrier Services, 
Corporate Networks and Network Operations. 
In 2006 he was appointed a member of the 
KPN Board of Management, where he was 
consecutively responsible for the Fixed 
Division, Business Market – Wholesale – 
Operations and Mobile International.  
He was appointed CEO in April 2011.

From 2011 to 2017 Eelco was co-chairman of 
the Dutch National Cyber Security Council an 
advisory body of the Dutch government. He 
was also a Director for the international 
association GSMA from 2017 to April 2018.

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Member of the Supervisory 
Boards of Post NL (from 2017) and Signify NV 
(from 2017). Director, OTE Group (from 2019). 

Other directorships and appointments: 
Director, Koninklijke VolkerWessels N.V  
(from 2019). Advisor, Reggeborgh Groep BV 
(from 2018). Member, Dutch Sports Council,  
an advisory Board of the Dutch Government 
(from 2019).

Roy H Chestnutt
Age 61, BSc, BA, MBA 

Non-executive Director appointed 11 May 2018 
and elected on 16 October 2018. Member of 
the Audit & Risk Committee and the 
Nomination Committee. 

Roy has more than 30 years of direct 
telecommunications experience. Most recently 
he was Executive Vice President, Chief 
Strategy Officer for Verizon Communications 
and has held leadership positions with other 
leading firms including Motorola, Grande 
Communications, Sprint-Nextel and AirTouch. 
Roy’s last six years with Verizon, included 
almost five as head of strategy responsible for 
the development and implementation of 
Verizon’s overall corporate strategy, including 
business development, joint ventures, 
strategic investments, acquisitions and 
divestitures. 

Roy has been a Director for international 
industry association GSMA and is a former 
chair of the Chief Strategy Officers Group 
including 25 global strategists from the  
world’s leading wireless carriers. He is also a 
senior advisor at Blackstone and VMware Inc, 
and a board member for Saudi Telecom and 
Digital Turbine. 

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Director, Boingo Wireless, Inc 
(from 2019), Saudi Telecom (from 2018) and 
Digital Turbine Inc (from 2018). 

Other directorships and appointments:  
Non-executive Partner, Delta Partners.

Craig W Dunn
Age 56, BCom, FCA

Non-executive Director appointed 12 April 
2016 and last re-elected in October 2019. 
Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee and 
member of the Nomination Committee.

Craig is a highly regarded business leader with 
more than 20 years’ experience in financial 
services, pan-Asian business activities and 
strategic advice for government and major 
companies. Craig was Chief Executive Officer 
and Managing Director of AMP from 2008 to 
2013 and held various roles at AMP in a 13-
year career including Managing Director of 
AMP Financial Services, Managing Director  
for AMP Bank and head of Corporate Strategy 
and M&A. 

Previously he was at Colonial Mutual Group 
from 1991 to 2000, including Managing 
Director for EON CMB Life Insurance in 
Malaysia and senior roles in Group Strategy, 
M&A and Finance. He has also served as a 
member of the Federal Government’s Financial 
System Inquiry in 2014 and the Consumer and 
Financial Literacy Taskforce. 

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Director, Westpac (from 2015). 

Other directorships and appointments:  
Chair, ISO Blockchain Standards Committee 
(from 2017) and The Australian Ballet (Joined 
2014, Chair from 2015).

Peter R Hearl
Age 69, B Com (UNSW), MIML ANZ, FAICD, 
Member – AMA

Non-executive Director since 15 August 2014, 
last re-elected in October 2017. Chairman of 
the People and Remuneration Committee and 
member of the Nomination Committee. 

Peter is an experienced company director  
with substantial international experience as  
a senior executive in the fast moving consumer 
goods sector. Peter served in senior executive 
roles with Yum! Brands Inc from 1997 to 2008, 
including global Chief Operations and 
Development Officer for Yum! Brands from 
2006 until 2008 and President of Pizza Hut 
from 2002 to 2006. He previously worked for 
PepsiCo Inc in Sydney and London reaching 
regional vice-president level, as well as in 
various roles with Exxon in the United States 
and Australia. 

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Director, Santos Ltd (from  
2016). Former – Director, Treasury Wine 
Estates (2012–2017).

Other directorships and appointments: 
Chairman-Elect, Endeavour Group Ltd 
(Woolworths drinks and hotels business 
proposed for demerger in 2020) (from 2019). 
Member, UNSW’s Australian School of 
Business Alumni Leaders Group, Trustee of The 
Stepping Stone Foundation (from 2020) and 
member of the Stepping Stone Foundation’s 
Investment Committee (from 2018). Previously 
honorary Chairman of the US-based UNSW 
Study Abroad-Friends and US Alumni Inc. 

Elana Rubin
Age 62, BA (Hons), MA, FFin, FAICD, FAIM 

Non-executive Director appointed 14 February 
2020. Member of the People and Remuneration 
Committee and the Nomination Committee.

Elana has more than 20 years Board 
experience across the financial service  
sector, including superannuation and funds 
management as well as the property, 
infrastructure and government sectors.  
Her executive career spanned industrial 
relations, social and economic policy and 
superannuation.

Elana is adept at working in consumer facing 
organisations with a strong customer focus 
and can balance commercial interests with the 
complex requirements of regulated sectors.

Elana has strong risk management and 
regulatory experience, having worked in highly 
regulated sectors including as Chair of 
AustralianSuper, one of Australia’s largest and 
innovative super funds, and Chair of Victorian 
WorkCover Authority, a highly regarded 
regulator and personal injury insurer.

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Chair, Afterpay Limited (Joined 
2017, Chair from 2020). Director, Slater and 
Gordon Limited (from 2018). Former – Director, 
Mirvac Limited (2010–2019).

Nora L Scheinkestel
Age 60, LLB (Hons), PhD, FAICD

Non-executive Director since August 2010,  
last re-elected in October 2019. Member of the 
Audit & Risk Committee (previously Chairman 
Audit & Risk Committee 2012-2019), the 
Nomination Committee and the People and 
Remuneration Committee.

Nora is an experienced company director with 
a background as a senior banking executive in 
international and project financing. She has 
served as Chairman and Director in a range of 
companies across various industry sectors and 
in the public, private and government arena. 
She is also an Associate Professor in the 
Melbourne Business School at Melbourne 
University and a former member of the 
Takeovers Panel. In 2003, Nora was awarded a 
centenary medal for services to Australian 
society in business leadership.

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Chairman, Atlas Arteria Limited 
(Joined 2014, Chair from 2015). Director, Atlas 
Arteria International Limited (from 2015), 
AusNet Services Ltd (from 2016), Brambles 
Limited (from 2020). Former – Director, 
Stockland Group (2015–2018) and OceanaGold 
Corporation (2018–2019). 

Other directorships and appointments: 
Trustee, Victorian Arts Centre Trust (from 2017).

Board of Directors | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Margaret L Seale
Age 59, BA, FAICD 

Non-executive Director since May 2012  
and last re-elected in 2018. Member of the 
Audit & Risk Committee and the Nomination 
Committee. 

Margie is an experienced company director 
and has served and is serving on the boards  
of companies across a range of industries.  
She previously worked in senior executive roles 
in Australia and overseas, including in the 
consumer goods, health and global publishing 
sectors, and sales and marketing, and in the 
successful transition of traditional business 
models to digital environments. 

Immediately prior to her non-executive career, 
Margie was Managing Director of Random 
House Australia and New Zealand and 
President, Asia Development for Random 
House globally. She is currently a non-
executive director of Scentre Group Limited 
and Westpac Banking Corporation. Margie has 
previously served on the boards of Australian 
Pacific (Holdings) Pty Limited, Penguin 
Random House Australia Pty Ltd (as a  
non-executive director and then Chair), the 
Australian Publishers’ Association, Bank of 
Queensland Limited, Ramsay Health Care 
Limited, the Council of Chief Executive Women 
(chairing its Scholarship Committee), the 
Powerhouse Museum and the Sydney Writers’ 
Festival. She has been on the Advisory Council 
of J P Morgan, Australia and New Zealand, and 
the Advisory Board for the Australian Public 
Service Commission Centre for Learning  
and Leadership. In 2015, Margie founded 
philanthropic literary travel company Ponder & 
See, which funds writers’ festivals and writers. 

Other listed company directorships (past  
three years): Director, Westpac Banking 
Corporation (from 2019) and Scentre Group 
Limited (from 2016). Former – Director, Ramsay 
Health Care Limited (2015–2018) and Bank of 
Queensland Limited (2014–2018).

Niek Jan van Damme
Age 59, Drs.

Non-executive Director appointed 16 October 
2018. Member of the People and Remuneration 
Committee and the Nomination Committee. 

Mr van Damme has almost 20 years direct 
telecommunications experience, with the first 
part of his career focusing on brand and 
category management in a range of businesses 
including consumer goods and retail. Most 
recently he was a member of the Deutsche 
Telekom Board of Management, where he was 
responsible for fixed line and mobile 
communications in Germany. Niek Jan has held 
leadership positions with other leading firms 
including Ben Nederland, later T-Mobile 
Netherlands, a challenger mobile brand, where 
he was the Chairman of the Managing Board. 

At Deutsche Telekom he led the merger of 
mobile and fixed line business, laying the 
foundation for making Deutsche Telekom the 
leading operator in converged services. He also 
led a major network modernisation program 
with the establishment of a new IP core, and 
high 4G network investments.

32

33

Senior  
management  
team

We welcomed two new 
appointments to our senior 
management team over the 
past 12 months.

Andrew Penn 
Chief Executive Officer 

Andy is leading an ambitious change 
program transforming Telstra to be 
positioned to compete in the radically 
changing technology world of the  
future with 5G at its core. Andy has  
had an extensive career spanning  
40 years across 3 different industries  
– telecommunications, financial services 
and shipping. He joined Telstra in 2012  
as Chief Financial Officer. In 2014 he  
took on the additional responsibilities  
as Group Executive International.  
Andy became the CEO and Managing 
Director of Telstra, Australia’s largest 
telecommunications company, on 1 May 
2015. Further detail about Andy can be 
found in the Board of Directors section. 

Vicki Brady
Chief Financial Officer and Group 
Executive, Strategy & Finance 

The Strategy and Finance team guides 
the company’s financial performance and 
reporting, leads the development of and 
progress against its corporate strategy, 
and oversees its risk and internal audit 
capabilities, with the aim of delivering 
shareholder value over the long term.

Michael Ackland
Group Executive, Consumer & Small 
Business 

Consumer and Small Business brings 
together Telstra’s core domestic activities 
covering consumer, business, sales,  
fixed and mobiles, and services over  
the NBN Network. The team manages  
all sales and service activities, across  
all channels for our consumer and  
small business customers.

Kim Krogh Andersen
Group Executive, Product & Technology 

Michael Ebeid AM
Group Executive, Enterprise 

Product and Technology (P&T)  
drives Telstra’s end-to-end product 
accountability, profitability, and 
experience. The team oversees Telstra’s 
overall product and technology roadmap 
and strategy, and manages the lifecycle 
and economics of these products. P&T is 
also the thought-leader and incubator of 
emerging technologies. Through Telstra 
Labs, our home for innovation, we push 
technology to be more human, turn big 
ideas into commercialised opportunities, 
and glimpse into what the future holds.

Alex Badenoch
Group Executive, Transformation, 
Communications & People 

On 1 February 2020, the Communications 
and Transformation and People teams 
came together to form the 
Transformation, Communications and 
People function. The team oversees the 
overall T22 transformation program, 
leads the delivery of our T22 Pillar 3 
milestones and our broader Human 
Resources function. It is also responsible 
for Telstra’s internal and external 
communications function, ensuring our 
employees are kept informed and 
enhancing Telstra’s reputation. 

David Burns
Group Executive, Global Business 
Services 

Global Business Services (GBS) is 
creating a radically simplified business 
model and bringing together support 
services, service operations and 
enablement functions which were 
previously delivered separately 
throughout the company. GBS creates 
value by driving a consistent and 
relentless approach to improving 
customer experience, efficiency, and 
service levels through a radically 
simplified model.

Enterprise is responsible for revenues  
of $8 billion from delivering connectivity, 
platforms, applications and tailored 
industry solutions to Telstra’s enterprise 
and government customers. It is also 
responsible for Telstra’s international 
operations and the largest subsea cable 
network in the Asia Pacific region. 

Nikos Katinakis
Group Executive, Networks & IT 

Networks and IT is responsible for 
managing and operating all of Telstra’s 
technology and security infrastructure, 
and ensuring Telstra delivers next 
generation network technologies to 
create the largest, smartest, safest and 
most reliable networks in the world, as 
well as delivering new digital platforms 
and capabilities to enable digital 
experiences for our customers.

Lyndall Stoyles
Group General Counsel and Group 
Executive, Sustainability, External 
Affairs & Legal 

The Sustainability, External Affairs and 
Legal team is responsible for providing 
advice to Telstra’s Board, CEO and senior 
management as well as providing legal 
counsel, policy advice, stakeholder 
management and community programs 
across government relations, regulatory 
and compliance, sustainability and 
regional affairs. This team was formerly 
known as Legal and Corporate Affairs. 
The Communications team shifted to the 
Transformation, Communications and 
People function on 1 February 2020.

Brendon Riley
CEO, Telstra InfraCo 

Telstra InfraCo is responsible for driving 
greater efficiency in the operation of 
Telstra’s key fixed and mobile 
infrastructure assets as well as driving 
growth in the wholesale market, while 
creating more optionality for the future. 
Brendon Riley is also responsible for the 
Telstra Health business, which is 
separate to Telstra InfraCo.

34

35

Directors’ 
Report

Sustainability

Our goal is to embed social and environmental 
considerations into our business in ways that create 
value for the company and our stakeholders. 

Our Sustainability Strategy responds to the topics that are most material 
for our business, the areas in which we have the expertise to make a 
meaningful impact, and where we see opportunities to use innovative, 
tech-based solutions to help address societal challenges and 
opportunities. We want everyone to thrive in a digital world.

Our 2020 Bigger Picture Sustainability Report, available online at  
telstra.com/sustainability/report, provides a transparent overview of  
our progress and performance this year. The report also details the  
work we are undertaking in support of the United Nations’ Sustainable 
Development Goals (SDGs) and includes disclosures aligned to the 
Taskforce on Climate related Financial Disclosures (TCFD).

This year we announced a significant 
acceleration of our response to climate 
change, implementing three key goals:

1.  To achieve carbon neutrality in our 

operations from this year

2.  To be renewable leaders by enabling 

renewable energy generation equivalent 
to 100 per cent of our consumption  
by 2025

3.  To reduce our absolute emissions by  

at least 50 per cent by 2030

Responsible business

Digital futures

Environmental solutions

We will be a sustainable,  
globally trusted company  
that people want to  
work for and with.

We will foster strong,  
inclusive communities that  
are empowered to thrive  
in a digital world.

We will use technology to  
address environmental challenges  
and help our suppliers, customers  
and communities do the same.

Governance at Telstra

We are committed to excellence in corporate governance, transparency and accountability. This is 
essential for the long term performance and sustainability of our company, and to protect and 
enhance the interests of our shareholders and other stakeholders.

Our governance framework plays an 
integral role in supporting our business 
and helping us deliver on our strategy. It 
provides the structure through which our 
strategy and business objectives are set, 
our performance is monitored, and the 
risks we face are managed. 

It includes a clear framework for decision 
making and accountability across our 
business and provides guidance on the 
standards of behaviour we expect of  
each other.

We comply with the fourth edition of the 
ASX Corporate Governance Council’s 
Corporate Governance Principles and 
Recommendations, which we have early 
adopted this year.

Our 2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement, which provides 
detailed information about 
governance at Telstra, is 
available on our website at 
telstra.com/governance.

36

Shareholders

Telstra Board

Audit & Risk 
Committee

People & 
Remuneration 
Committee

Nomination 
Committee

Chief Executive Officer

Our People

Our governance framework 
includes:

• open, clear and timely 
communications with  
our shareholders

• a skilled, experienced,  

diverse and independent  
Board, with a Board Committee 
structure suited to our needs

• clear delegation, decision 
making and accountability 
frameworks

• robust systems of risk 

management and assurance

• Telstra Values, Code of Conduct 
and policy framework which 
explain what we stand for as an 
organisation and how we  
will conduct ourselves as  
we work together to deliver  
our strategy.

2
37

Directors’ Report

Directors’ Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

In accordance with a resolution of the Board, the Directors 
present their report on the consolidated entity (Telstra Group) 
consisting of Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra) and the 
entities it controlled at the end of, or during the year ended, 
30 June 2020. Financial comparisons used in this report are of 
results for the year ended 30 June 2020 compared with the 
results for the year ended 30 June 2019.

The historical fi nancial information included in this Directors’ 
Report has been extracted from the audited Financial Report 
accompanying this Directors’ Report.

Principal activity

Our principal activity during the fi nancial year was to provide 
telecommunications and information services for domestic and 
international customers. There has been no signifi cant change 
in the nature of this activity during the year.

Review and results of operations

Information on the operations and fi nancial position for the 
Telstra Group is set out in the Operating and Financial Review 
(OFR), comprising the Chairman and CEO’s message, The 
importance of connection: responding to the bushfi re and 
COVID-19 crises, Strategy and performance, Our material risks, 
Outlook and Full year results and operations review sections 
accompanying this Directors’ Report.

Dividend

The objectives of our Capital Management Framework are to 
maximise returns for shareholders, maintain fi nancial strength 
and retain fi nancial fl exibility. The objectives of the Capital 
Management Framework are supported by the following 
principles:

• committed to balance sheet settings consistent with an A 

band credit rating 

• pay a fully-franked ordinary dividend of 70 to 90 per cent of 

our underlying earnings, which is calculated as net profi t after 
tax excluding net one-off nbn receipts and guidance 
adjustments

•  target capex/sales ratio of around 14 per cent excluding 
spectrum (capex is measured on an accrued basis and 
excludes expenditure on spectrum and guidance adjustments, 
externally funded capex and capitalised leases)

• maintain fl exibility for portfolio management and to make 

strategic investments.

In addition to the ordinary dividend, we intend to return in the 
order of 75 per cent of net one-off nbn receipts to shareholders 
over time via fully-franked special dividends.

Minor updates have been made to the concepts of ‘underlying 
earnings’ and ‘guidance adjustments’ to align with our approach 
to FY21 guidance. Underlying earnings now exclude net one-off 
nbn receipts, one-off restructuring costs and guidance 
adjustments. Guidance adjustments include impairments in 
and to investments or non-current tangible and intangible 
assets, proceeds on the sale of businesses, mergers and 
acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. “Net one-off nbn 
receipts” is defi ned as the net nbn one-off Defi nitive Agreement 
receipts (consisting of Per Subscriber Address Amount, 
Infrastructure Ownership and Retraining) less nbn net cost to 
connect less tax. The dividend is subject to no unexpected 
material events, and is subject to Board discretion having 
regard to fi nancial and market conditions, business needs and 
maintenance of fi nancial strength and fl exibility consistent 
with our Capital Management Framework. 

On 13 February 2020, the Directors resolved to pay an interim 
fully franked dividend for the fi nancial year 2020 of 8 cents per 
ordinary share, comprising an interim ordinary dividend of 5 
cents per share and an interim special dividend of 3 cents per 
share. 

Dividends paid during the year were as follows:

Dividend

Date 
resolved

Date 
paid

Fully franked 
dividend 
per share 

Total dividend 
($ million)

Total fi nal dividend for the year ended 30 June 2019

15 Aug 2019

26 Sept 2019

8.0 cents

Total interim dividend for the year ended 30 June 2020

13 Feb 2020

27 Mar 2020

8.0 cents

951

 952

On 13 August 2020, the Directors resolved to pay a fi nal fully 
franked dividend of 8 cents per ordinary share ($951 million), 
comprising a fi nal ordinary dividend of 5 cents per share and a 
fi nal special dividend of 3 cents per share. The record date for 
the fi nal dividend will be 27 August 2020, with payment to be 
made on 24 September 2020. Shares will trade excluding 
entitlement to the fi nal dividend on 26 August 2020.

Further information regarding FY20 dividends is set out in the 
Chairman and CEO message and the Full Year Results and 
Operations Review accompanying this Directors’ Report.

The Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) continues to operate for 
the fi nal dividend for the fi nancial year 2020. The election date 
for participation in the DRP is 28 August 2020.

Events occurring after the end of the fi  nancial year

The Directors are not aware of any matter or circumstance 
that has arisen since the end of the fi nancial year that, in their 
opinion, has signifi cantly affected, or may signifi cantly affect 
in future years, Telstra’s operations, the results of those 
operations or the state of Telstra’s affairs, other than 

• the fi nal dividend for the fi nancial year 2020 and that the 
DRP will continue to operate in respect of that dividend

• disposal of Clayton data centre property 

Refer to note 7.6, Events after reporting date, of the 2020 
Financial Report for details.

Signifi  cant changes in the state of affairs

There were no signifi cant changes in the state of affairs of our 
company during the fi nancial year 2020.

Business strategies, prospects and likely developments

The OFR sets out information on Telstra’s business strategies 
and prospects for future fi nancial years, and refers to likely 
developments in Telstra’s operations and the expected results 
of those operations in future fi nancial years. Information in the 
OFR is provided to enable shareholders to make an informed 
assessment of the business strategies and prospects for future 
fi nancial years of the Telstra Group. Detail that could give rise to 
likely material detriment to Telstra (for example, information that 
is commercially sensitive, is confi dential or could give a third 
party a commercial advantage) has not been included. Other 
than the information set out in the OFR, information about other 
likely developments in Telstra’s operations and the expected 
results of these operations in future fi nancial years has not 
been included.

Details of Directors and executives

Changes to the Directors of Telstra Corporation Limited during 
the fi nancial year and up to the date of this report were:

• Elana Rubin was appointed as a non-executive Director 

effective 14 February 2020

• on 11 August 2020 the Board announced the appointment of 

Bridget Loudon to the role of non-executive Director, effective 
14 August 2020. 

Information about our Directors and Senior Executives is 
provided as follows:

• names of our current Directors and details of their 

qualifi cations, experience, special responsibilities, periods 
of service and directorships of other listed companies are 
set out in the Board of Directors section accompanying this 
Directors’ Report

• details of Director and Senior Executive remuneration are 

set out in the Remuneration Report, which forms part of the 
Directors’ Report.

38
3

4
39

Board and Committee meeting attendance

Details of the number of meetings held by the Board and its Committees during fi nancial year 2020, and attendance by Board 
members, are set out below:

Board

Audit and Risk

Nomination

Remuneration

Committees1

a

16

16

16

16

16

16

7

16

16

16

b

16

16

16

15

16

16

7

15

16

16

a

–

–

–

6

6

–

–

6

6

–

b

(2)

(6)

–

6

6

–

(1)

6

6

–

a

6

–

6

6

6

6

2

6

6

6

b

6

(5)

6

6

6

6

2

6

6

6

a

–

–

–

–

–

5

1

5

–

5

b

(2)

(4)

–

–

–

5

1

4

–

5

John P Mullen3

Andrew R Penn

Eelco Blok

Roy H Chestnutt

Craig W Dunn3

Peter R Hearl3

Elana Rubin2

Nora L Scheinkestel

Margaret L Seale

Niek Jan van Damme

Total number of meetings held

16

6

6

5

Column a: number of meetings held while a member.
Column b: number of meetings attended.
1.   Committee meetings are open to all Directors to attend. Where a Director has attended a meeting of a Committee of which he or she was not a member, this is 

indicated by ( ).

2.   Elana Rubin was appointed as a non-executive Director effective from 14 February 2020.
3.   From time to time the Board also establishes ad hoc committees to support the Board in carrying out its responsibilities. During fi nancial year 2020, the Board 

established a special purpose Board committee to oversee a review into Telstra’s sales, complaint handling and debt collection practices (including the matters 
being investigated by the ACCC referred to in note 7.3, Other provisions, of the 2020 Financial Report and Facing into challenges in the Chairman and CEO 
message). The members of the Committee were John Mullen, Craig Dunn and Peter Hearl and the Committee met 9 times during the year.

Director shareholdings in Telstra

Company Secretary

Sue Laver BA, LLB (Hons) (Monash), GAICD, FGIA
Sue was appointed Company Secretary of Telstra Corporation 
Limited effective 1 February 2018.

Sue is a senior legal and governance professional with over 
20 years’ experience advising senior management and boards. 
Sue reports to the board and her duties include continuous 
disclosure compliance, corporate governance and 
communication with Telstra’s 1.4 million shareholders.

Sue joined Telstra in 1997 and has served in senior legal 
roles throughout the company including as Deputy Group 
General Counsel, and General Counsel roles across the 
company including: Dispute Resolution, HR, Finance, 
Risk and Compliance, Media and Telstra Country Wide. 

She holds a Bachelor of Law (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts 
from Monash University.

Details of Directors’ shareholdings in Telstra as at 13 August 
2020 are shown in the table below:

Director

John P Mullen

Andrew R Penn2

Eelco Blok

Roy H Chestnutt

Craig W Dunn

Peter R Hearl

Elana Rubin

Nora L Scheinkestel

Margaret L Seale

Niek Jan van Damme

Number of shares held1

101,159

1,757,235

75,000

70,000

73,173

100,000

51,728

150,265

310,540

74,000

1.   The number of shares held refers to shares held either directly or indirectly by 
Directors as at 13 August 2020 or, if earlier, as at the date of cessation as a 
Director. Shares in which the Director does not have a relevant interest, including 
shares held by the Directors’ related parties (including relatives), are excluded. 
Refer to the Remuneration Report tables for total shares held by Directors and 
their related parties directly, indirectly or benefi cially as at 30 June 2020. The 
numbers above include 175,000 shares held by a related party of Margaret 
Seale. In this case, the Director has a relevant interest.
2.   Andrew Penn also holds 941,835 Performance Rights.

Directors’ Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Directors’ and offi  cers’ indemnity and insurance

(a) Constitution
Telstra’s constitution provides for it to indemnify, to the 
maximum extent permitted by law:

• certain offi cers of Telstra and its related bodies corporate 

(“Telstra Offi cers”), for any liability and legal costs they incur 
in that capacity; and

• Telstra Offi cers and certain employees asked by Telstra to be 
an offi cer of a company that is not related to Telstra, for any 
liability they incur as an offi cer of that company, as if that 
liability had been incurred in the capacity as a Telstra Offi cer.

Telstra’s constitution also allows for it to indemnify, to the 
maximum extent permitted by law:

• certain employees of Telstra and its related bodies corporate, 

for any liability they incur in that capacity; and

• certain other offi cers of Telstra’s related bodies corporate, for 

any liability they incur in that capacity.

(b)  Deeds of indemnity in favour of directors, offi  cers, 

employees and consultants 

Telstra has also executed deeds of indemnity in favour of 
(amongst others):

• Directors and secretaries of Telstra (past and present);

• certain senior managers and employees of Telstra and its 
wholly-owned subsidiaries and partly-owned companies 
(including, for example, in relation to particular projects); and

• certain Telstra Group senior managers, employees and other 

persons that act as nominee directors or secretaries (at 
Telstra’s request) for entities, including wholly-owned 
subsidiaries and partly-owned companies of Telstra,

in each case as permitted under Telstra’s constitution and the 
Corporations Act 2001 (the Act).

The deeds in favour of Directors of Telstra also give Directors 
certain rights of access to Telstra’s books and require Telstra 
to maintain insurance cover for the Directors.

(c) Directors’ and offi  cers’ insurance
Telstra maintains directors’ and offi cers’ insurance policies 
that, subject to some exceptions, provide worldwide insurance 
cover to past, present and future directors, secretaries and 
offi cers and certain employees of Telstra and its subsidiaries 
and, in certain limited circumstances, other entities. Telstra has 
paid the premiums for the policies. The directors’ and offi cers’ 
insurance policies prohibit disclosure of the premiums payable 
under the policies and the nature of the liabilities insured.

Environmental regulation and performance 

Telstra, as a minimum, seeks to be compliant with all applicable 
environmental laws and regulatory obligations relevant to its 
operations. Where instances of non-compliance may occur, 
Telstra has procedures requiring that internal investigations are 
conducted to determine the cause of the non-compliance and 
to ensure that any risk of recurrence is minimised. Telstra’s 
procedures further require that the relevant government 
authorities are notifi ed of any environmental incidents (where 
applicable) in compliance with statutory requirements. Telstra 
complies with notices issued by government authorities and 
regulators.

(a)  Prosecutions or convictions
Telstra has not been prosecuted for, or convicted of, any 
signifi cant breaches of environmental regulation during the 
fi nancial year.

(b)  Energy and greenhouse emissions
In Australia, Telstra is subject to the reporting requirements of 
the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007, which 
requires Telstra to report its annual Australian greenhouse gas 
emissions, energy consumption and energy production. Telstra 
has implemented systems and processes for the collection and 
reporting of data and has, in accordance with our obligations, 
reported to the Clean Energy Regulator on an annual basis. The 
next report is due on 31 October 2020 and will again be 
supported with an independent assurance report.

In the United Kingdom, Telstra is subject to the Energy Savings 
Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) Regulations 2014. Telstra qualifi es 
for ESOS and must carry out energy savings assessments every 
four years. These assessments are audits of the energy used by 
our buildings, network facilities and transport to identify cost-
effective energy saving measures. Telstra has met our 
obligations under ESOS for the fi rst two compliance periods 
ended 5 December 2015 and 5 December 2019. 

For more information on environmental performance, 
including environmental regulation, refer to the Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report 2020, which is available online at 
telstra.com/sustainability/report.

Non-audit services

During fi nancial year 2020, Telstra’s auditor, Ernst & Young (EY), 
has been employed on assignments additional to its statutory 
audit duties. Details of the amounts paid or payable to EY for 
audit and non-audit services provided during the year are 
detailed in note 7.2 to the fi nancial statements in our 2020 
Financial Report.

The Directors are satisfi ed, based on advice provided by the 
Audit & Risk Committee that the provision of non-audit services 
during fi nancial year 2020 is consistent with the general 
standard of independence for auditors imposed by the Act and 
that the nature and scope of each type of non-audit service 
provided did not compromise the auditor independence 
requirements of the Act for the following reasons:

• all EY engagements, including non-audit services, were 

approved in accordance with the external auditor services 
policy adopted by Telstra and subject to confi rmation by both 
management and EY that the provision of these services does 
not compromise auditor independence;

• the external auditor services policy clearly identifi es 

prohibited services, which include reviewing or auditing the 
auditor’s own work or EY partners or staff acting in a 
managerial or decision-making capacity for Telstra; and

• the provision of non-audit services by EY is monitored by the 
Audit & Risk Committee via periodic reporting to the Audit & 
Risk Committee.

A copy of the auditor’s independence declaration is set out in 
the Auditor’s Independence Declaration to the Directors of 
Telstra Corporation Limited and forms part of this report.

40
5

6
41

Message from the 
People and Remuneration 
Committee Chairman

Dear fellow shareholders, 

On behalf of your company’s People and Remuneration Committee, I am pleased to present Telstra’s 
FY20 Remuneration Report.

As outlined in the Chairman and CEO’s message the 2020 Financial Year has been a defi ning period 
for Telstra. Through the bushfi res and COVID-19 global pandemic we continued to execute on our T22 
strategy and deliver for our customers and shareholders.

Our response to COVID-19 and the Bushfi  res

Enhanced Remuneration Framework

I am incredibly proud of the way our team has responded during 
the bushfi re crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Our executive 
team has shown great leadership and supported our people, 
customers, communities, and the Australian economy during 
these challenging times.

When the bushfi res struck in late 2019, while our people were 
on the ground, supporting our customers and communities, our 
leadership team moved quickly. During the bushfi res, Telstra 
provided vital infrastructure for emergency services and 
community evacuation centres, answered more than 55,000 
calls from customers making enquiries and seeking support, 
and paid the mobile phone bills for around 10,000 fi re fi ghters 
and SES volunteers over December and January. Telstra also 
provided free access to its payphone network and Telstra Air 
Wi-Fi hotspots. 

Following the bushfi re crisis, we were further challenged with 
the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time Telstra 
again has demonstrated great leadership and implemented 
initiatives that supported our key stakeholders. We estimate 
the net negative impact from COVID-19 during FY20 was 
approximately $200 million to Underlying EBITDA.
• In March we provided our people with certainty by putting any 

further job reductions as a part of our T22 transformation 
program on hold for 6 months. 

• We were able to quickly transition around 25,000 offi ce-based 

employees in Australia to working from home.

• We were also the fi rst major Australian company to introduce 

a new global epidemic and pandemic leave policy for our 
people, including paid leave for our casual employees. 

• To help better support our customers we added thousands of 
temporary roles in Australia while we supported our staff and 
partners outside Australia, including those from our contact 
centres in India and the Philippines who were subject to 
lockdown measures.

• We provided unlimited data for home and small business fi xed 
broadband customers and extra data for consumer and small 
business mobile customers. For pensioners on landlines we 
provided unlimited local, national and 13/1300 calls and free 
calls to Australian mobiles. We also offered discounts for 
eligible customers receiving the JobSeeker payment.

• For many of our customers who were unable to pay their bills, 
we temporarily suspended late payment fees and launched a 
bill assistance hub so customers could get information on the 
support measures and apply for relief if they were doing it 
tough because of COVID-19; and

• We helped connect 30,000 disadvantaged students across the 

country by providing them with internet access to support 
their online learning through state education departments 
and Catholic Education.

As foreshadowed in our 2019 Remuneration Report we 
enhanced our Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP) 
structure for FY20 to ensure that Senior Executive 
remuneration refl ected broader market and community 
expectations. We increased the weighting of fi nancial 
performance measures, reduced the proportion of cash and 
increased the proportion of equity in EVP awards, provided for 
vesting of the Restricted Share component in four equal 
tranches over four years and enhanced the performance 
condition attached to the Performance Right component. 
The maximum opportunity for the CEO and other Senior 
Executives was also reduced signifi cantly. Further detail of 
these enhancements can be found in the key highlights section 
of the FY20 Remuneration Report.

FY20 Performance

Telstra delivered FY20 results in line with guidance as we 
continued to deliver for customers, supported our people and 
the community, and generated long-term shareholder value 
through a challenging period.

On a reported basis Total Income (excluding fi nance income) 
for the year decreased 5.9 per cent to $26.2 billion and on a 
guidance basis1 Underlying EBITDA declined 9.7 per cent to 
$7.4 billion. Excluding the in-year nbn headwind2, which gives 
the clearest view of the long-term business, Underlying EBITDA 
grew by approximately $40 million, with growth in the fi rst half 
of the year offset by a second half decline. 

We have made good progress on our T22 strategy with nearly 
three quarters of the measures used to monitor progress now 
either completed or on track for delivery. We are now past the 
halfway point in delivering T22 and while we expect to see 
challenging conditions continue in FY21, our strategy means we 
are well positioned to respond to whatever lies ahead. Progress 
on T22, including our focus to rapidly simplify and digitise, 
remove customer pain points, and remove legacy systems and 
processes, helped reduce underlying fi xed costs3 by $615 
million or 9.2 per cent. This brought the total underlying fi xed 
cost reductions to $1.8 billion since FY16 and we remain on 
track to achieve our FY22 target of $2.5 billion.

Further information on our FY20 performance for the year can 
be found in the FY20 Full Year Results and Operations Review in 
this 2020 Annual Report.

FY20 Senior Executive Remuneration Outcomes

Telstra’s EVP is designed to ensure a signifi cant portion of 
remuneration is variable and at-risk. It provides the critical link 
between delivering Telstra’s T22 strategy and Telstra’s 
Corporate Plan, and shareholder value and executive reward. 

The performance measures and targets were selected by the 
Board to ensure that the CEO and Group Executives continue to 
deliver against our T22 strategy, and their fi nancial rewards are 
directly linked to their individual contribution, company 
performance and long term shareholder value creation. 

The key remuneration outcomes under the FY20 EVP include: 
• The CEO’s Individual EVP Outcome at 48.3% of the maximum 

opportunity

• The average Individual EVP Outcome for Senior Executives 
(including the CEO) at 49.7% of the maximum opportunity.

With respect to the FY20 primary performance measures, 
positive outcomes were achieved across many fi nancial and 
non-fi nancial measures demonstrating strong delivery against 
our FY20 Corporate Plan and T22 strategy.

Notwithstanding the impact COVID-19 had on our business 
(estimated to be a negative net impact of approximately $200 
million to Underlying EBITDA), no adjustments were made for 
this. Some metrics on the FY20 scorecard were positively 
impacted and others have been challenged by the pandemic. 
However, when considering these outcomes on balance, the 
Board determined that the primary performance measure 
outcomes and the Base EVP Outcome would be driven by the 
results achieved and so no relief was given to management for 
the impact of COVID-19.

Further detail regarding the key FY20 remuneration outcomes 
for the CEO and other Senior Executives and our non-executive 
director fees is provided in the report that follows this letter.

Responsible Selling

We recognise the fundamental importance of doing business 
responsibly, continuously striving to improve outcomes for our 
customers and taking action where we do not meet the 
standards we set for ourselves. The matters being investigated 
by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission 
(ACCC) (refer to note 7.3.1 to the fi nancial statements in this 
2020 Annual Report for further details) include circumstances 
where we have not met those standards. Consequently, in 
determining Individual EVP Outcomes for FY20, the Board has 
reduced by 10% the individual outcomes under the FY20 EVP 
for the Senior Executives accountable for the areas of the 
business where these issues occurred (reducing payments to 
these executives collectively by $758,000). This reduction has 
been applied by virtue of the accountability these executives 
had in their roles, and not because of any specifi c conduct by 
them in relation to the matter. The roles where the FY20 
individual EVP outcome has been reduced are:
• Chief Executive Offi cer – Andrew Penn
• Group Executive Telstra Consumer and Small Business 
(5 September 2017 to 10 September 2018) – Vicki Brady
• Group Executive Telstra Consumer and Small Business 

(11 September 2018 to current) – Michael Ackland

Once this matter is concluded, the Board will consider any 
further impacts as appropriate for relevant KMP, including 
on Individual EVP Outcomes.

People and Remuneration Committee Ongoing Focus

During FY20 the committee expanded its role to include a 
review of selected people related risks and oversight of culture 
within Telstra and as a result is now known as the People and 
Remuneration Committee (previously referred to as the 
Remuneration Committee). Amongst other things, the People 
and Remuneration Committee reviews selected people related 

risks, the risk management plans that management has put in 
place to deal with those risks and monitors whether Telstra is 
operating within its risk appetite in respect of those risks. It 
also oversees culture within Telstra and the effectiveness of 
management’s initiatives to instil and reinforce Telstra’s Values 
and compliance with Telstra’s Code of Conduct. 

As a People and Remuneration Committee, we remain 
committed to ensuring the structure of Telstra’s executive 
remuneration practices promote high standards of sustainable 
performance, long term decision making, shareholder 
alignment and effective governance. 

Information is shared between the People and Remuneration 
Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee. For each half 
year and full year, the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee 
attends the People and Remuneration Committee meeting and 
provides an overview of the key issues that have been 
considered by the Audit and Risk Committee that are likely to 
be relevant in assessing performance and remuneration 
outcomes for the CEO and other Senior Executives.

Looking forward to FY21

FY21 has already proven to be a year of signifi cant challenge 
across economies and communities globally due to COVID-19. 
Telstra has shown great strength and stability since the 
beginning of the pandemic and we understand that our 
shareholders want transparency in an uncertain and disrupted 
market. We will continue to provide meaningful information to 
enable shareholders to assess the performance of the company 
and the relevance of our remuneration targets and outcomes. 

We have again provided detail prospectively on our 
remuneration framework and targets for the coming year. These 
appear in Section 4 of our FY20 Remuneration Report. We 
believe this information provides our shareholders with market 
leading levels of transparency. 

In setting annual performance measures for FY21, the Board 
sought to ensure the targets were robust and suffi ciently 
demanding, taking into account the key deliverables and 
milestones outlined in our T22 strategy, planned fi nancial 
outcomes contained within our FY21 Corporate Plan and FY21 
guidance (as announced on 13 August 2020 and which takes 
into account the estimated negative impact on FY21 Underlying 
EBITDA from the in-year nbn headwind and the COVID-19 
pandemic). We have now passed the midway point of our T22 
strategy to transform Telstra for the future. The non-fi nancial 
performance measures and targets for FY21 continue to build 
on the momentum gained in FY20 in delivering our T22 strategy.

We do not anticipate any increases to non-executive Director 
fees for FY21. Similarly, we do not anticipate any increases in 
Senior Executive Fixed Remuneration for FY21, other than on 
appointment or promotion to a new role or due a signifi cant 
increase in accountabilities. 

On behalf of the People and Remuneration Committee, I would 
like to thank you for your loyalty as a Telstra shareholder and 
invite you to read the full report in detail.

Peter R. Hearl
People and Remuneration 
Committee Chairman

1.   FY20 guidance assumed wholesale product price stability and no impairments in and to investments or property, plant and equipment and intangible assets, and 

excluded any proceeds on the sale of businesses, mergers and acquisitions and purchase of spectrum. The guidance also assumed the nbn rollout and migration in 
FY20 was broadly in accordance with the nbn Corporate Plan 2020. Guidance was provided on the basis of AASB16 Leases and assumed impacts consistent with 
management estimates. Capex was measured on an accrued basis and excluded expenditure on spectrum and externally funded capex and capitalised leases under 
AASB16 Leases. Underlying EBITDA excludes net one-off nbn DA receipts less nbn net C2C, one-off restructuring costs and guidance adjustments but includes 
depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use assets. In-year nbn headwind is defi ned as the net negative recurring EBITDA impact on our business based on management 
best estimates including key input of the nbn Corporate Plan 2020.

2.   See note above. As at 30 June 2020, the in-year nbn headwind was ~$830 million.
3.   Underlying fi xed costs excludes one-off nbn DA and nbn net C2C, one-off restructuring costs and guidance adjustments.

42
7

8
43

Remuneration 
Report

This audited report details the 
remuneration framework and outcomes 
for Key Management Personnel (KMP) 
of the Telstra Group for the year ended 
30 June 2020 (FY20). 

Contents

1.0 

1.1 

1.2 

2.0 

2.1 

2.2 

2.3 

2.4 

3.0 

3.1 

3.2 

4.0 

4.1 

4.2 

5.0 

Policy 

Key Management Personnel 

Remuneration policy, strategy and governance 

Senior Executive remuneration 

FY20 Remuneration structure

FY20 Base EVP outcome

 Exercise of Board Discretion in determining Individual EVP 
Outcomes 

Detailed remuneration and interests in Telstra shares 

Non-executive Director remuneration

FY20 Fee structure 

Detailed remuneration and interests in Telstra shares 

Looking forward to FY21

FY21 Remuneration Framework  

FY21 EVP Performance Measures and Targets 

Glossary 

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Remuneration at Telstra and FY20 Remuneration Outcomes – Key Highlights

The following table includes the key highlights and remuneration outcomes for FY20. 

Key area of focus 
or outcome

FY20 performance 
and Executive 
Variable 
Remuneration Plan 
(EVP) outcomes

Key changes in 
FY20 

Highlights / Details

The Board determined the Base EVP Outcome following an assessment of Telstra’s performance against the primary 
performance measures under the FY20 EVP during the 2020 fi nancial year. This was used as an input in determining each 
Senior Executive’s remuneration outcome under the EVP.

The primary performance measures selected for Telstra’s FY20 EVP are based on four fi nancial measures and four strategic, 
customer and transformation measures. For FY20, Telstra exceeded threshold for three of the fi nancial measures (Total 
Income, FCF and Net Opex Reduction) and one was below threshold (Underlying EBITDA) primarily due to the impact of 
COVID-19. Of the strategic, customer and transformation measures one exceeded target (Product Simplifi cation), two 
achieved maximum (Digital Engagement and People, Capability and Engagement) and one was below threshold (Episode 
NPS). 

Consideration is also given to each executive’s performance during the fi nancial year when determining their individual 
remuneration outcome. The individual award earned by a Senior Executive under the EVP is referred to as their “Individual 
EVP Outcome” and is determined by the Board taking into consideration the Base EVP Outcome, the executive’s “at target” 
EVP reward opportunity, their individual performance and other factors in accordance with the Board’s decision framework 
such as any material risk events identifi ed, the severity of their impact and the executive’s accountability for the matter.

In determining Individual EVP Outcomes for FY20 the Board took into account circumstances being investigated by the ACCC, 
where our practices have not met the standards we set for ourselves, as outlined in the People and Remuneration Committee 
Chair Letter and note 7.3.1 to the fi nancial statements in this 2020 Annual Report. As a consequence, the Board has reduced 
individual remuneration outcomes under the FY20 EVP by 10% for those Senior Executives accountable for the areas of the 
business where these issues occurred (reducing payments to these executives collectively by $758,000). This reduction has 
been applied by virtue of the accountability these executives had in their roles, and not because of any specifi c conduct in 
relation to the matter. The fi gures below refl ect the reduction applied by the Board. Refer to Section 2.3 for further details of 
these adjustments and Section 2.4 for Senior Executive Individual EVP Outcomes. 

For our CEO – Andrew Penn, his Individual EVP Outcome, as a percentage of maximum opportunity, was 48.3% (72.5% of 
target opportunity). This outcome was determined by the Board following an assessment of Telstra’s performance against the 
primary performance measures under the EVP, as well as his individual performance, during the 2020 fi nancial year and his 
ultimate accountability, as CEO, for circumstances being investigated by the ACCC, where our practices have not met the 
standards we set for ourselves, as described above. 

The average Individual EVP Outcome for current Senior Executives (including the CEO), as a percentage of maximum 
opportunity, was 49.7% (81.9% of target opportunity). Each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome was similarly 
determined by the Board taking into account Telstra’s performance against the primary performance measures under the EVP 
during the 2020 fi nancial year, as well as their individual performance during the year (including, in the case of the Group 
Executives, their performance relative to each other) and their accountability (by virtue of their roles) for circumstances being 
investigated by the ACCC, where our practices have not met the standards we set for ourselves, as described above. 

These outcomes demonstrate the alignment between our performance, remuneration structure, effective governance and 
Board oversight, and executive reward.

The form in which the CEO and other Senior Executives receive their Individual EVP Outcome for FY20 is: 
•  25% in cash;
•  35% as Restricted Shares, with 25% eligible to vest each year over four years, which may be forfeited if employment 

ceases other than for a Permitted Reason or if certain claw-back (malus) events occur; and

•  40% as Performance Rights that are subject to a Relative Total Shareholder Return (RTSR) performance condition, which 

may lapse if employment ceases other than for a Permitted Reason or certain claw-back (malus) events occur, which means 
the Senior Executives will only receive value from those Performance Rights if they vest at the end of FY24. 

As foreshadowed in our 2019 Remuneration Report, we made the following enhancements to our Executive Variable 
Remuneration Plan (EVP) for FY20: 
•  Higher weighting of fi  nancial performance measures: The weighting of fi nancial performance measures within the 

primary performance measures increased to 60% (previously 50%) with the remaining 40% covering customer, strategic 
and transformation performance measures. 

•  Reduced maximum opportunity: The maximum EVP opportunity was reduced to 300% of Fixed Remuneration for the CEO 

and Group Executives (previously 400% and 360% respectively).

•  More shares, less cash: The CEO and Group Executives are to receive 75% (previously 65%) of their Individual EVP 

Outcome in the form of Restricted Shares and Performance Rights. 

•  Restricted Shares to vest over 4 years: Restricted Shares will be eligible to vest in four equal tranches, with 25% eligible 

to vest each year over the four years following the end of the Initial Performance Period (previously one tranche that 
vested after two years).

•  Vesting of Performance Rights now more challenging: Vesting of Performance Rights will now be determined on a 

straight line basis, with 50% of the Performance Rights vesting (previously 100%) if Telstra’s RTSR ranks at the 50th 
percentile of a comparator group, up to 100% of the Performance Rights vesting if Telstra’s RTSR ranks at the 75th 
percentile of the comparator group. No Performance Rights vest if Telstra’s RTSR ranks below the 50th percentile when 
compared with the comparator group. This performance condition will continue to be assessed over a fi ve-year period 
from the start of the Initial Performance Period.

•  Enhanced our share ownership policies: the CEO is now required to hold 200% of Fixed Remuneration in Telstra shares 
(previously 100%) and the Chairman of Telstra is required to hold 200% of the non-executive Director annual base fee 
(previously 100%) in Telstra shares both within fi ve years of appointment to their respective positions. 

For further information and the rationale for why we made these changes, please refer to our 2019 Remuneration Report.

44

10
45

1.0 Policy

1.1 Key Management Personnel (KMP)
Telstra’s KMP are assessed each year and comprise the Directors of Telstra and the Senior Executives. The term “Senior 
Executives” refers to the CEO and those executives with authority and responsibility for planning, directing and controlling the 
activities of Telstra and the Group, directly or indirectly. Each KMP held their position for the whole of FY20, unless stated 
otherwise.

Our KMP during FY20 were:

Non-executive Directors

Senior Executives

Current

John P Mullen

Eelco Blok

Roy H Chestnutt

Craig W Dunn

Peter R Hearl

Elana Rubin (from 14/02/20)

Nora L Scheinkestel 

Margaret L Seale

Niek Jan van Damme

Current

KMP Position

Andrew Penn

Chief Executive Offi cer & Managing Director (CEO)

Michael Ackland

Group Executive (GE) Telstra Consumer & Small Business (C&SB) 

Kim Krogh Andersen

GE Product & Technology (from 06/01/20)

Alex Badenoch

GE Transformation, Communications & People (TC&P)

Vicki Brady

David Burns

Chief Financial Offi cer 

GE Global Business Services (GBS) 

Michael Ebeid AM

GE Telstra Enterprise (TE)

Nikos Katinakis

Brendon Riley

GE Networks & IT

GE and CEO Telstra InfraCo

Former

Christian Von Reventlow GE Product & Technology (to 02/10/19)

1.2 Remuneration policy, strategy and governance
Our remuneration policy is designed to:
• support our strategy and reinforce our culture and values
• provide internally consistent and market competitive rewards 

to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled employees

• link fi nancial reward outcomes directly to employee 

contribution and company performance

• ensure all reward decisions are made free from bias and 

support diversity within Telstra.

Our governance framework for determining Senior Executive 
remuneration includes the aspects outlined below.

(a) The People and Remuneration Committee
The People and Remuneration Committee assists the Board in 
discharging its responsibilities on matters relating to 
remuneration, people, culture, conduct and diversity and 
consists only of independent non-executive Directors. 

Among other things, the Committee:
• reviews and makes recommendations to the Board on non-
executive Director, CEO and Senior Executive remuneration, 
as well as Telstra’s overall remuneration framework

• reviews selected people related risks, the risk management 
plans that management has put in place to deal with those 
risks and monitors whether Telstra is operating within its risk 
appetite in respect of those risks

• oversees the culture within Telstra and the effectiveness 

of management’s initiatives to instil and reinforce Telstra’s 
Values and compliance with Telstra’s Code of Conduct, 
including reviewing reports from management on culture and 
any conduct that is materially inconsistent with the Telstra 
Values or Code of Conduct (including material breaches and 
the action taken, or proposed to be taken, in response to 
those breaches)

• reviews and makes recommendations to the Board on Senior 

Executive succession plans and talent development plans and 
also reviews capability more broadly across Telstra.

For each half year and full year, the Chairman of the Audit and 
Risk Committee attends the People and Remuneration 
Committee meeting and provides an overview of the key issues 
considered by the Audit and Risk Committee that are likely to 
be relevant to assessing the performance and remuneration 
outcomes for the CEO and other Senior Executives by the 
People and Remuneration Committee. Information and papers 
considered by a Committee are also provided to other 
Committees and the Board as relevant.

The People and Remuneration Committee’s name was changed 
during FY20 (previously referred to as the Remuneration 
Committee) to refl ect its expanded role in relation to the review 
and oversight of the selected people related risks, culture and 
issues noted above. This oversight further emphasises the 
committee’s ongoing focus on building a workplace of choice 
that fosters diversity, talent and career progression. Further 
detail about the People and Remuneration Committee and its 
responsibilities is provided in our Corporate Governance 
Statement available at telstra.com/governance. 

(b) Annual remuneration review
As part of its role, the People and Remuneration Committee 
reviews that CEO and other Senior Executive remuneration 
packages involve a balance between fi xed and incentive pay, 
refl ecting appropriate short and long term performance 
objectives.

The Committee also monitors that the remuneration 
arrangements and outcomes for the CEO and other Senior 
Executives encourage employees to pursue Telstra’s strategy 
and success without rewarding conduct that is contrary to 
Telstra’s Values or risk appetite.

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Fixed Remuneration is usually reviewed annually taking into 
account:
• the employee’s level of skill, experience and scope of 

responsibilities 

• business performance, scarcity of talent, economic climate 

and market conditions

• consistency with increases elsewhere within Telstra
• market movement in external comparator groups (which are 
used for reference purposes only) made up of companies of 
similar size and complexity to Telstra

The People and Remuneration Committee and Board review the 
CEO’s fi xed and variable remuneration and the CEO undertakes a 
similar exercise in relation to other Senior Executives. The results 
of the CEO’s annual review of other Senior Executives’ 
performance and remuneration are subject to People and 
Remuneration Committee and Board review and approval.

(c) Engagement with consultants
During FY20, Telstra did not seek a remuneration 
recommendation from a remuneration consultant in relation to 
any of our KMP.

(d) Engagement with shareholders and stakeholders
The Chairman of the Board and the Chairman of the People and 
Remuneration Committee engage throughout the year with 
stakeholders to seek feedback and consider opportunities to 
further enhance the effectiveness of our reward structure with 
a commitment to the alignment of the interests of our 
executives with the generation of long term shareholder value. 
During FY20, numerous meetings were held with shareholders 
and shareholder advisory organisations. 

(e) Incentive design and performance assessment
The People and Remuneration Committee oversees the setting 
of robust measures and targets to encourage performance and 
behaviour that is aligned to our values, including the primary 
performance measures for the EVP. The primary performance 
measures for the FY20 EVP are summarised in section 2.1.

The Board determines the Base EVP Outcome by assessing 
performance against each primary performance measure. The 
Base EVP Outcome is an input into the assessment of each 
Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome. 

The primary performance measures operate independently, and 
each measure has a weighting and defi ned performance 
threshold, target and maximum level. Where performance 
against a primary performance measure is determined by the 
Board to be at: 
• threshold, the outcome for that measure will be 50% of its 

weighting;

• target, the outcome for that measure will be 100% of its 

weighting; and

• maximum, the outcome for that measure will be 200% of its 

weighting

If performance falls between any of those levels, the outcome 
will be determined proportionately having regard to the 
percentages outlined above. The Board also has discretion to 
adjust an outcome to ensure there are no windfall gains or 
losses.

The Base EVP Outcome is calculated as the total sum of each 
primary performance measure outcome, although the Board 
also has discretion to adjust that outcome if it considers it to 
be inappropriate, taking into account matters which may 
include Telstra’s performance, customer experience and 
shareholder expectations. 

To assess the primary performance measures, the Board 
reviews the Group’s results, including the fi nancial statements 
which are audited by Ernst & Young (EY), our external auditor. It 
also reviews other work undertaken by EY and Telstra Group 
Internal Audit on performance against the primary performance 
measures. Refer to section 2.2 for further information.

Each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome is determined 
having regard to the Base EVP Outcome, their target EVP 
opportunity, their individual performance taking into account a 
range of considerations including the Senior Executive’s 
individual scorecard performance, leadership behaviour and 
conduct, effective application of risk management practices 
and in respect of the Group Executives, their performance 
relative to each other. The Board may also consider other 
factors in accordance with its decision framework such as any 
material risk events identifi ed, the severity of their impact and 
the executive’s accountability for the matter.

(f)  Share Ownership Policies
Telstra has in place share ownership policies which apply to the 
CEO, Group Executives and non-executive Directors. The intent 
of these policies is to align the interests of the CEO, Group 
Executives and non-executive Directors with the interests of 
our long term shareholders. 

Under the Executive Share Ownership policy that applies to the 
CEO and Group Executives, the CEO is required to hold Telstra 
shares to the value of 200% of his Fixed Remuneration 
(increased from 100% in August 2019) within 5 years of his 
appointment as CEO. Group Executives are required to hold 
Telstra shares to the value of 100% of their Fixed Remuneration 
within fi ve years of their appointment to Group Executive level. 
Any shares purchased by Senior Executives are valued, for the 
purpose of the policy, at their acquisition price. Restricted 
Shares held by Senior Executives are included in calculating 
their shareholding for the purpose of the policy. The value 
attributed to Restricted Shares is the value used by Telstra to 
determine the number of Restricted Shares granted under the 
relevant Telstra equity plan (which is based on the volume 
weighted average price of Telstra shares over a defi ned period 
before the Restricted Shares are granted). Performance Rights 
are not included in calculating a Senior Executive’s 
shareholding for the purpose of the policy, however any shares 
granted on vesting of Performance Rights are recognised based 
on Telstra’s closing share price on the date that the 
Performance Right vests. Senior Executives must obtain Board 
or, in certain circumstances, CEO or Chairman approval before 
they sell Telstra shares if they have not yet met their share 
ownership requirements under the policy.

As at 30 June 2020, the CEO held Telstra shares to the value of 
352% of his Fixed Remuneration as recognised under the policy. 
Those Senior Executives who have held a Group Executive 
position for at least fi ve years have met the shareholding 
requirement as at 30 June 2020. Progress is monitored on an 
ongoing basis. For information on Senior Executives’ interests in 
Telstra shares refer to section 2.4(e).

Summary of Share Ownership Policy requirements

Position

Minimum Holding Requirement within 5 years 
of appointment to the position

CEO

200% of Fixed Remuneration

Group Executives

100% of Fixed Remuneration

Chairman of the 
Board

200% of the annual non-executive Director 
base fee

Non-executive 
Directors

100% of the annual non-executive Director 
base fee

46
11

12
47

To align the interests of non-executive Directors with those of 
our shareholders, non-executive Directors are also required to 
satisfy a minimum shareholding requirement. The Chairman of 
the Board is required to hold Telstra shares to the value of at 
least 200% of the annual non-executive Director base fee 
within fi ve years of his appointment as Chairman. All other non-
executive Directors are required to hold Telstra shares to the 
value of at least 100% of the annual non-executive Director 
base fee, within fi ve years of their appointment. The value of 
such shares is based on their price at the time of acquisition. 
Progress is monitored on an ongoing basis. In August 2019, the 
minimum holding requirement for the Chairman was increased 
from 100% to 200%. As at the date of this report, the Chairman 
held shares to the value of 160% of the annual non-executive 
Director base fee and under the policy has until April 2021 to 
meet the new 200% holding requirement. All other non-
executive Directors have met their minimum holding 
requirement with the exception of one Director who has been 
on the Board for less than 12 months. Directors’ shareholdings 
as at 13 August 2020 are set out in the Directors’ Report.

(g) Securities Trading Policy
All KMP must comply with Telstra’s Securities Trading Policy, 
which includes a requirement that Telstra securities can only be 
traded during specifi ed trading windows and with prior 
approval. KMP must also consider how any proposed dealing in 
Telstra securities could be perceived by the market and must 
not deal if the proposed dealing could be perceived as taking 
advantage of their position in an inappropriate way.

They are also prohibited from:
• speculative dealing in Telstra securities for short term gain, 

using Telstra securities as collateral in any fi nancial 
transactions (including margin loan arrangements), or 
engaging in stock lending arrangements using their Telstra 
shares; and

• entering into any hedging arrangement that limits the 

economic risk of holding Telstra securities (including those 
held under Telstra equity plans). 

This helps align our KMP’s interests with shareholders’ 
interests.

KMP are required to confi rm on an annual basis that they 
comply with our Securities Trading Policy, which assists in 
monitoring and enforcing our policy.

(h) Claw-back (Malus) Policy
Telstra has adopted and implemented a Claw-back (Malus) 
Policy which sets out the process that is followed to put the 
Board in a position to determine, before securities vest, 
whether a claw-back event has occurred and whether to lapse 
or forfeit unvested Performance Rights, Restricted Shares and 
Cash Rights.

(i)  Board Decision Framework
In August 2019, the Board adopted a decision framework to 
provide guidance to the Board in exercising its discretion on 
variable remuneration outcomes and provide greater 
consistency in remuneration adjustments. The framework was 
applied in determining the Individual EVP Outcomes under the 
FY20 EVP.

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

2.0 Senior Executive remuneration 

2.1 FY20 Remuneration Structure
The following diagram illustrates the remuneration framework that applied to our Senior Executives during FY20.

Attract, motivate 
and retain highly 
skilled people

Fixed Remuneration

Reinforce our culture 
and values

Reward company 
performance and 
employee contribution

Align to long term 
shareholder value creation

Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP)

Cash

Equity

Base salary 
plus superannuation

Set taking into account: 

•  skills, capabilities, 

experience and performance 

•  business performance, 

scarcity of talent, economic 
climate and market 
conditions

•  consistency with increases 
elsewhere within Telstra

•  external comparator groups 
made up of companies of 
similar size and complexity 

The Base EVP Outcome for FY20 was based on fi nancial, strategic, customer and transformation 
priorities. Performance over the fi nancial year was measured against stretching fi nancial and non-
fi nancial performance targets set at the start of the fi nancial year and communicated in the 2019 
Remuneration Report.

Each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome was determined having regard to the Base EVP 
Outcome, their target EVP opportunity and their individual performance, and was ultimately at the 
discretion of the Board.

•  25% of the FY20 Individual 
EVP Outcome is provided in 
cash

•  35% of the FY20 Individual 
EVP Outcome is deferred 
as Restricted Shares

•  Restricted Shares are eligible 
to vest in four equal tranches, 
with 25% eligible to vest each 
year over the four years 
following the end of the Initial 
Performance Period

•  May be forfeited if 

employment ceases other 
than for a Permitted Reason 
or a clawback (malus) event 
occurs

•  40% of the FY20 Individual 

EVP Outcome is allocated in 
Performance Rights, which 
are subject to a 5-year 
Relative Total Shareholder 
Return (RTSR) performance 
condition

•  May lapse if employment 
ceases other than for a 
Permitted Reason or a 
clawback (malus) event 
occurs

Recognises sustainable performance in the medium to longer term

Market competitive 
base reward

Rewards annual 
performance, providing 
specifi c focus on 
strategic priorities

Recognises the criticality 
of strategic non-fi nancial 
measures as drivers of 
longer term value creation

Focuses on achieving 
longer-term superior 
performance for 
stakeholders

(a) FY20 Remuneration mix for Senior Executives
The graph below shows the FY20 remuneration mix for Senior Executives expressed as a percentage of Fixed Remuneration (FR).

CEO

100%
Fixed Remuneration

50%*
EVP Cash

70%*
EVP Restricted Shares

80%*
EVP Performance Rights

Individual EVP Outcome at Target = 200% of Fixed Remuneration comprised of:

Total Equity = 150% of Fixed Remuneration

Other Senior
Executives

100%
Fixed Remuneration

45%* 
EVP Cash

63%*
EVP Restricted Shares

72%*
EVP Performance Rights

Individual EVP Outcome at Target = 180% of Fixed Remuneration comprised of:

Total Equity = 135% of Fixed Remuneration

*  The percentages shown are calculated from the 25% Cash, 35% Restricted Share and 40% Performance Right components of the FY20 EVP multiplied by the FY20 EVP 

target opportunity for the CEO (200% of FR) and other Senior Executives (180% of FR).

48
13

14
49

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

(b) Current Senior Executive Fixed Remuneration and contract details
The following table summarises the Fixed Remuneration, notice and termination payment provisions that apply under the ongoing 
service contracts for current Senior Executives.

Name

Andrew Penn

Title

CEO

FR as at 
13 August 2020

Notice period

Termination 
payment

$2,390,000

6 months

6 months

Michael Ackland

GE Consumer & Small Business

$1,150,000

6 months

6 months

Kim Krogh Andersen

GE Product & Technology

$1,000,000

6 months

6 months

Alex Badenoch

GE Transformation, 
Communications & People

$930,000

6 months

6 months

Vicki Brady

CFO

$1,200,000

6 months

6 months

The table below outlines the key features of the FY20 EVP.

EVP design 
attributes

Detail

EVP
Reward 
opportunity

Initial 
performance 
period

Calculation of 
Individual EVP 
Outcomes

CEO: 200% of FR at target; 300% of FR at maximum

Group Executives: 180% of FR at target; 300% of FR at maximum

1 year (1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020)

Overview
Each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome for FY20 is set out in section 2.4(c).

The CEO’s Individual EVP Outcome was determined by the Board taking into consideration the CEO’s ‘at target’ EVP reward 
opportunity, the Base EVP Outcome, the CEO’s performance and other factors in accordance with its decision framework including 
any material risk events identifi ed, the severity of their impact, and the CEO’s accountability for the matter.

Each Group Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome was determined by the Board taking into consideration their ‘at target’ EVP reward 
opportunity, the Base EVP Outcome, their performance (including their performance relative to other Group Executives) and other 
factors in accordance with its decision framework including any material risk events identifi ed, the severity of their impact, and 
the executive’s accountability for the matter.

David Burns

GE Global Business Services

$1,000,000

6 months

6 months

At Target EVP Reward Opportunity

Calculating Individual EVP Outcome

Michael Ebeid AM

GE Telstra Enterprise

$1,150,000

6 months

6 months

Nikos Katinakis

GE Networks & IT

$1,100,000

6 months

6 months

Brendon Riley

GE & CEO Telstra InfraCo

$1,400,000

6 months

12 months*

*  Brendon Riley has a 12-month termination payment clause in his contract that was negotiated upon commencing employment at Telstra in February 2011. Telstra’s 

current policy is to provide for a six-month termination payment in executive contracts.

Upon notice being given, Telstra can require a Senior Executive to work through the notice period or may terminate employment 
immediately by providing payment in lieu of notice, or a combination of both. Any payment in lieu of notice is calculated based on 
the Senior Executive’s Fixed Remuneration as at the date of termination.

There is no termination payment if termination is for serious misconduct or redundancy (unless the severance payment under 
Telstra’s redundancy policy would be less than the termination payment, in which case the termination payment applies instead).

(c) FY20 Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP) Structure
The CEO and all Group Executives participated in the FY20 EVP. The construct of the FY20 EVP is illustrated in the diagram below: 

d
e
s
a
e
l
e
R
s
t
l
u
s
e
R
0
2
Y
F

)

%
5
2
(
d
i
a
P
h
s
a
C
P
V
E

M
G
A
a
r
t
s
l
e
T
0
2
0
2

)

%
5
7
(
d
e
t
a
c
o
l
l

A
y
t
i
u
q
E
P
V
E

FY20 EVP Initial 
Performance 
Period
1 July 2019 to 
30 June 2020

Restricted Shares
(1st tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2021

Restricted Shares
(2nd tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2022

Restricted Shares
(3rd tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2023

Restricted Shares
(4th tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2024

Restricted 
Shares – T1

Restricted 
Shares – T2

Restricted 
Shares – T3

Restricted 
Shares –T4

Performance Rights

Performance 
Rights
RTSR Test 
30 June 2024

FY20 EVP Performance Rights RTSR Performance Period
1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024

FY20

FY21

FY22

FY23

FY24

FY25

Jul

Jun

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Jun

Jul

Jun

Jul

Jun

Jul

Jun

Jul

At the 2020 AGM to be held on 13 October 2020, we will seek shareholder approval for the Restricted Shares and Performance 
Rights to be allocated to the CEO under the FY20 EVP.

FR
$

X

Target
EVP
Opportunity
%

=

Target
EVP
Opportunity
$

X

Primary Performance
Measures

Financial

Customer

Strategic

Transformation

Primary 
Performance
Measure 
outcomes and 
total scorecard 
outcome both 
subject to 
Board 
discretion

=

Base EVP
Outcome
%

Differentiated 
for Individual 
Performance 
and subject to 
Board 
discretion

=

Individual 
EVP 
Outcome

Base EVP Outcome
As outlined in section 2.2, the Base EVP Outcome for FY20 as a percentage of maximum was 53.7% for the CEO (80.5% of target) 
and 51.0% for the other Senior Executives (85.1% of target). 

The Base EVP Outcome was determined by the Board following an assessment of Telstra’s performance against the primary 
performance measures (described in detail below) during the 2020 fi nancial year (referred to as the Initial Performance Period). 

The primary performance measures operate independently, and each measure was given a weighting and had defi ned 
performance threshold, target and maximum levels. Where performance against a primary performance measure was determined 
by the Board to be at: 
•  threshold, the outcome for that measure was 50% of its weighting;
•  target, the outcome for that measure was 100% of its weighting; and
•  maximum, the outcome for that measure was 200% of its weighting.

If performance fell between any of those levels, the outcome was determined proportionately having regard to the percentages 
outlined above. The Board also had discretion to adjust an outcome to ensure there were no windfall gains or losses. Details of the 
adjustments approved by the Board for FY20 are outlined in section 2.2(b).

The Base EVP Outcome was calculated as the total sum of each primary performance measure outcome, although the Board also 
had discretion to adjust that outcome if it considered it to be inappropriate, taking into account matters which may include 
Telstra’s performance, customer experience and shareholder expectations. The Board considered the Base EVP Outcome 
appropriate and accordingly did not adjust the outcome, refer to section 2.2(b).

Individual performance
At the end of the 2020 fi nancial year: 
•  the CEO’s individual performance was assessed by the Board in accordance with the annual performance evaluation process for 
the CEO, taking into account a range of considerations including his individual scorecard performance, leadership behaviour and 
conduct and effective application of risk management practices; and

•  each Group Executive’s individual performance was assessed by the CEO in accordance with an annual performance evaluation 

process, taking into account a range of considerations including the Group Executive’s individual scorecard performance, 
leadership behaviour and conduct, effective application of risk management practices and performance relative to the other 
Group Executives. As noted above, each Group Executive’s individual performance relative to the other Group Executives was 
also taken into account in determining their Individual EVP Outcome. The CEO’s recommended assessment for each Group 
Executive was provided to the People and Remuneration Committee for endorsement, and then to the Board for approval.

Board discretion
The Board has the discretion, in determining a Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome, to take into account factors in 
accordance with its decision framework such as any material risk events identifi ed, the severity of their impact, and the 
executive’s accountability for the matter. Refer to section 2.3 for further information on discretion exercised in determining FY20 
Individual EVP Outcomes.

50
15

16
51

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EVP design 
attributes

Primary 
Performance 
Measures

Detail

The primary performance measures outlined below were selected for FY20 because they provide the critical link between 
delivering Telstra’s T22 strategy and Telstra’s Corporate Plan and increasing shareholder value. The threshold, target and maximum 
levels for each measure (as outlined in our 2019 Remuneration Report) were set to be robust and suffi ciently demanding, taking 
into account the key deliverables and milestones outlined in our T22 strategy, planned fi nancial outcomes contained within our 
Corporate Plan and guidance as announced on 15 August 2019. They were subsequently updated to refl ect our revised guidance 
announced on 2 September 2019 following the release of NBN Co’s Corporate Plan. We did not make any further adjustments to 
the threshold, target and maximum levels for each primary performance measure as a result of the impacts that COVID-19 has 
had on our business. The levels for the fi nancial measures were set to refl ect the signifi cant and progressive negative impact of 
the roll out of the nbn network and the intense competition in the market impacting on average revenues per user (ARPU).

The levels for all fi nancial measures (with the exception of Net Opex Reduction) were evaluated against market guidance, with 
each target level approximating the midpoint of that guidance and each maximum level equal to or above the maximum guidance 
range. It remains the Board’s view that the levels were robust and demanding in the face of an exceptionally challenging market. 

The primary performance measures and the threshold, target and maximum levels for FY20 were as follows.

Performance 
Measure and Metric

Weighting

FY19
Baseline^

FY20

Threshold

Target

Max

Total Income
Telstra External Income 
(excluding fi nance 
income)

Underlying
EBITDA
Underlying EBITDA is 
Earnings Before Interest, 
Tax, Depreciation & 
Amortisation, excludes 
net one-off nbn DA 
receipts less nbn net 
C2C, one-off 
restructuring costs and 
guidance adjustments 
but includes depreciation 
of mobile lease right of 
use assets

Free Cash Flow (FCF)
Free Cashfl ow excluding 
M&A and spectrum, plus 
operating lease 
payments (reported in 
fi nancing cash fl ow 
under AASB 16)

g
n
i
t
h
g
i
e
w

l
a
t
o
t

f
o
%
0
6
–

l
a
i
c
n
a
n
F

i

15.0%

$27,807m $25,800m $26,300m $27,300m

15.0%

$8,203m

$7,548m

$7,748m

$8,048m

15.0%

$3,068m

$3,293m

$3,493m

$3,893m

Net Opex Reduction
Reduction in operating 
non-Direct Variable Cost 
(DVC) expenses

15.0%

$456m

$595m

$630m

$730m

Rationale for 
why chosen

•  Key indicator of fi nancial 

performance

•  Ensures continued focus 
on customer retention 
and growth

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of the 

T22 strategy

•  Key indicator of fi nancial 

performance

•  Ensures appropriate 

focus on profi t and cost 
to deliver 

•  A strong indicator of 
underlying company 
profi tability

•  Aligns to Pillar 4 of our 

T22 strategy

•  Key indicator of fi nancial 

performance

•  Appropriate for a capital 

intensive business critical 
in managing the company’s 
ability to pay a dividend 
and maintain balance 
sheet strength

•  Aligns to Pillar 4 of our 

T22 strategy

•  Active reduction of our 
costs will be key to 
competing and delivering 
strong fi nancial 
performance in an 
increasingly competitive 
market 

•  Delivering signifi cant 

absolute cost reduction 
aligns with intent to drive 
productivity and reduce 
costs 

•  Aligns to Pillar 4 of our 

T22 strategy

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

EVP design 
attributes

Detail

Performance 
Measure and Metric

Weighting

FY19
Baseline^

FY20

Threshold

Target

Max

Rationale for 
why chosen

Episode NPS
Improvement in our Episode NPS

10%

+25

+27

+29

+32

n
o
i
t
a
m
r
o
f
s
n
a
r
T
&
r
e
m
o
t
s
u
C

,
c
i
g
e
t
a
r
t
S

g
n
i
t
h
g
i
e
w

l
a
t
o
t

f
o
%
0
4

Product 
Portfolio
Simplifi  cation

Digital
Engagement

TE Plans
TE Number of 
Active Plans, the 
target provides 
progress toward
our T22 
reduction of 
50% by FY21

Services on 
in-market plans

Digital Delivery
Requires the 
build of digital 
fi rst capability. 
The 24% target 
is the average 
of Q4 FY20 not 
an average 
measure for 
the year

Telstra Connect
 Active Telstra 
Enterprise 
customers on 
Telstra Connect 
in the last 3 
months

5%

517

461

441

400

5%

0.4m

2.5m

3m

4m

5%

16.8%

22.5%

24.0%

29.0%

5%

1,269

3,500

4,000

5,000

People Capability 
& Engagement
Increase employee engagement 
outcome by 9 points (from FY19 
baseline)

10%

67

72

76

78

•  A key driver of business 
success and our ability 
to differentiate in an 
increasingly 
competitive market

•  Key to generating 
increased share of 
wallet from existing 
customers, maintaining 
a price premium, 
and attracting new 
customers

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of our 

T22 Strategy

•  See further rationale 

below

•  Will increase the 

simplicity, transparency 
and satisfaction that 
our customers 
experience and allow 
the delivery of material 
cost reductions

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of our 

T22 strategy

•  See further rationale 

below

•  Improves customer 

experience

•  Supports our cost 
reduction focus
•  Enables delivery of 

strong fi nancial results
•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of our 

T22 strategy

•  See further rationale 

below

•  Focusses on our 

employee engagement 
•  Supports our ability to 

have both the key 
leadership and 
technical talent 
required to deliver on 
our ambitious strategy
•  Aligns to Pillar 3 of our 

T22 strategy

•  See further rationale 

below

^ Refers to FY19 results calculated on the same basis as the metric defi nition and includes restatement for AASB 16: Leases where applicable.

52
17

18
53

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EVP design 
attributes

Detail

Relevance of non-fi  nancial measures

The Board believes that the strategic, customer and transformation measures directly demonstrate the delivery of critical 
components of the T22 strategy and are fundamental key drivers of long term value creation. 

To assist shareholders understanding of these measures and their relevance to Telstra’s performance, further information on 
each measure is provided below.

Episode NPS
We have maintained Episode NPS in our EVP measures as a continuous focus on improving customer experience and 
differentiating our products and services in an increasingly competitive market will be a key driver of long term business 
success. It is in our shareholder interests to have the executive team specifi cally focused on improving the key interactions that 
are most important to this customer experience. These interactions are those that are most likely to drive both customer 
attraction and retention. 

Episode NPS is the customer metric most directly aligned to the other key T22 initiatives that are improving customer experience 
and ease of doing business with Telstra, including the simplifi cation of our product portfolio and improving our digital delivery. 

In addition to increasing the value and innovation that our customers receive in our products, Episode NPS also underpins 
companywide improvement programs focused on improving our operational excellence by identifying and eliminating the causes 
of unnecessary customer effort particularly within the Sales and Activation and Assurance episodes for customers connecting to 
the nbn™ network. Improvement programs include the launch of our new plans and removing traditional pain-points such as 
excess data charges in Australia on our in market plans and continuously improving the ways in which customers can self-
manage their services through My Telstra app. In addition, when customers do contact us, we aim to ensure that customer issues 
are resolved within the fi rst contact. 

Product Portfolio Simplifi  cation – TE Plans
In FY19 Telstra delivered against the target for simplifi cation of our product portfolio for our Enterprise customers. We continued 
to focus on product simplifi cation in FY20 in line with our commitment to rationalise 50% of Enterprise products by FY21. For our 
Enterprise customers the simplifi cation often requires an individual customer transformation with consultation to ensure a good 
customer experience and retention of revenue.

Product Portfolio Simplifi  cation – Services on In market plans
In FY19 Telstra delivered against the target for simplifi cation of our product portfolio for our Consumer & Small Business 
customers. Along with maintaining our committed 20 simplifi ed connectivity plans, in FY20 the priority for Consumer & Small 
Business shifted to moving our customers to these new radically simplifi ed plan constructs. This supports the delivery of 
improved customer experiences, offers our customers simplicity and ease of dealing with Telstra, and supports readiness for 
future delivery of digitised experiences for customers.

Digital Engagement – Digital Delivery
In FY19 Telstra delivered against our target to increase digital sales interactions and in FY20 we continued to increase the 
engagement of our mass market customers through digital sales channels, targeting nearly 1 in 4 sales to occur through digital 
channels in FY20. Key to achieving this target is maximising the value and ease for our customers in using our digital channels. 
This strategy is intended to provide customer choice, reduce our servicing cost and improve profi t margins.

Digital Engagement – Telstra Connect
Delivering self-servicing solutions for our Enterprise customers is key to improving customer experience and removing cost by 
reducing servicing calls. For FY20 our target was 4,000 enterprise customers to actively use Telstra Connect. The key to achieving 
this target is increasing adoption and developing new functionality for this customer base moving away from more traditional 
service channels. This strategy is intended to enhance our customer connectivity and experience, reduce our servicing cost and 
improve profi t margins.

People Capability & Engagement
Focusing on our people and employee engagement throughout a period of signifi cant disruption is critically important to attract 
and retain the talent needed to deliver on our strategy. We believe that it is in our shareholder interests to have management 
strongly focused on maintaining and growing our employee engagement as it will support our ability to have both the key 
leadership and technical talent required to deliver our ambitious strategy. To ensure the integrity of our employment engagement 
score, this performance measure only impacts the remuneration of Telstra’s senior leaders within Telstra. 

EVP outcome 
– Cash vs equity 
balance

A Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome is provided as a combination of cash (25%), Restricted Shares (35%) and 
Performance Rights (40%) which are subject to an RTSR performance test. This results in a 25:75 ratio of cash to equity. On 
vesting of a Performance Right, Telstra has discretion to provide the holder with a share or a cash amount equivalent to the value 
of a share at vesting. Refer to the secondary performance measures section outlined below for further information on the RTSR 
performance condition. 

Equity 
allocation 
methodology

Individual EVP Outcome Components

25% Cash

Equity Allocation Calculation
(face value methodology)

35% Restricted Shares (pro-rata vesting over 4 years)

40% Performance Rights (subject to 5 year RSTR)

÷

5 Day
VWAP

=

No. of Restricted Shares allocated

No. of Performance Rights allocated

Claw-back 
(malus)

The number of Restricted Shares and Performance Rights to be granted to a Senior Executive is based on the dollar value of their 
Individual EVP Outcome, multiplied by 35% for Restricted Shares and 40% for Performance Rights, and then divided by the fi ve 
day volume weighted average price (VWAP) of Telstra shares commencing on the day after the FY20 results announcement (i.e. a 
face value allocation methodology).

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

EVP design 
attributes
Issue/exercise 
price

Restriction and 
performance 
periods for 
equity

Secondary 
Performance 
Measures

Detail

As the Restricted Shares and Performance Rights form part of a Senior Executive’s variable remuneration, no amount is payable 
by the Senior Executive on grant of the Restricted Shares or on grant or vesting of the Performance Rights. Both the Restricted 
Shares and any shares to be provided on the vesting of Performance Rights will be purchased on-market. 

Restricted Shares: Restricted Shares will be eligible to vest in four equal tranches, with 25% eligible to vest each year for the four 
years following 30 June 2020 (being the end of the Initial Performance Period). i.e. on 30 June 2021, 30 June 2022, 30 June 2023, and 
30 June 2024.

Performance Rights: As noted above, the Performance Rights will be subject to an RTSR performance condition, tested over a fi ve-
year performance period from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024. Refer to the secondary performance measures section outlined below.

In certain limited circumstances, such as a takeover event where 50% or more of all issued fully paid shares in Telstra are acquired, 
the Board may exercise discretion to accelerate vesting of the Performance Rights and accelerate the end of the Restriction Periods 
for the Restricted Shares.

In addition to the primary performance measures (which are assessed over the one year period to 30 June 2020) the Performance 
Rights component of each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome only vests if, and to the extent that, the RTSR performance 
condition is satisfi ed at the end of the fi ve year performance period on 30 June 2024. Any Performance Rights that vest following 
the testing of the RTSR performance condition will be automatically exercised following the release of Telstra’s annual results for 
FY24 and any Performance Rights that do not vest following the testing will lapse (and expire) at that time. This means Senior 
Executives have a double hurdle in relation to the Performance Right component of their Individual EVP Outcome, with 
performance measured over both the Initial Performance Period and the fi ve-year RTSR Performance Period.

RTSR measures the performance of an ordinary Telstra share (including the value of any cash dividends and other shareholder 
benefi ts paid during the RTSR Performance Period) relative to the performance of ordinary securities issued by the other entities 
in the comparator group (being entities in the S&P / ASX100 index as at 1 July 2019 (excluding resources companies)) over the 
RTSR Performance Period.

The Board believes that RTSR is an appropriate secondary performance measure because it links executive reward to Telstra’s 
share price and dividend performance relative to entities in the comparator group over the long term. This reinforces the ultimate 
focus on shareholder value creation and helps align actual pay outcomes with returns delivered to long-term shareholders.

Under the RTSR performance condition, the number of Performance Rights that vest will be determined on a straight-line basis with:
•  50% of the Performance Rights vesting if Telstra’s RTSR ranks at the 50th percentile of the comparator group; and
•  up to 100% of the Performance Rights vesting if Telstra’s RTSR ranks at the 75th percentile of the comparator group.

No Performance Rights will vest if Telstra’s RTSR ranks below the 50th percentile when compared with the comparator group. 

The starting price that will be used to determine Telstra’s RTSR at the end of the RTSR Performance Period is $3.78. Both the 
starting price and end price for the purpose of calculating Telstra’s RTSR is the average of Telstra’s daily closing share price over 
the 30 day period to 30 June of the relevant year. Telstra measures its RTSR percentile ranking to two decimal places and rounds 
up to the nearest whole number if the two decimal places are .50 or above and down to the nearest whole number if the two 
decimal places are below .50.

Dividends

Restricted Shares: Participants receive dividends on Restricted Shares during the Restriction Periods consistent with other 
Telstra shareholders. 

Leaver

Performance Rights: No dividends are paid on Performance Rights prior to vesting. For any Performance Rights that ultimately 
vest following satisfaction of the RTSR performance condition, a cash payment equivalent to the dividends paid by Telstra during 
the period between allocation of the Performance Rights and vesting will be made at or around the time of vesting, subject to 
applicable taxation (Dividend Equivalent Payment). 

Before the Restricted Shares and Performance Rights are allocated: If a Senior Executive ceases employment for a Permitted 
Reason, the Senior Executive is eligible for a pro-rata Individual EVP Outcome based on the proportion of time they were 
employed during FY20. The Senior Executive will receive the cash component of their Individual EVP Outcome (pro-rata based 
on the proportion of time they were employed during FY20). The Senior Executive will receive a grant of Cash Rights (or, at the 
Board’s discretion, cash, if the Senior Executive ceases employment due to death, total and permanent disablement or certain 
medical conditions) in lieu of Performance Rights and Restricted Shares. On vesting, a Cash Right entitles the executive to a cash 
payment equivalent to the value of a Telstra share at the end of the applicable Restriction Period or the RTSR Performance Period 
(as applicable) and dividends paid between the date the Cash Right is allocated and the end of the applicable Restriction Period 
or RTSR Performance Period. Where the Senior Executive receives Cash Rights, there is no change to the Restriction Periods, and 
the RTSR Performance Period or the RTSR performance condition. If the Senior Executive ceases employment for any other 
reason, their EVP entitlement is forfeited. The Cash Rights are subject to the same conditions as the equity awards provided to 
continuing executives which ensures equal treatment for all executives and that departing executives continue to make 
decisions that are aligned to the long-term interests of our shareholders.

After the Restricted Shares and Performance Rights are allocated: If a Senior Executive ceases employment for a Permitted 
Reason after the equity is allocated, Restricted Shares and Performance Rights that have been allocated will remain on foot. 
There is no change to the Restriction Periods, the RTSR Performance Period, or the RTSR performance condition. If the Senior 
Executive ceases employment for any other reason, their Restricted Shares and Performance Rights are forfeited. 

The Board has discretion to claw-back Performance Rights and Restricted Shares if certain claw-back events occur before the 
Performance Rights vest or the Restricted Shares are transferred to the Senior Executive following the end of the applicable 
Restriction Period. Claw-back events include fraud, dishonesty, gross misconduct or material breach of obligations by the Senior 
Executive or behaviour that brings Telstra into disrepute or may negatively impact Telstra’s long-term fi nancial strength. It also 
includes where the Senior Executive causes a signifi cant deterioration in Telstra’s fi nancial performance or negatively impacts 
Telstra’s standing, reputation or relationship with its key regulators, where the fi nancial results that led to the Performance 
Rights or Restricted Shares being granted are subsequently shown to be materially misstated, where the Senior Executive fails 
to fulfi l responsibilities under Telstra’s risk management framework resulting in a material breach of Telstra’s risk management 
framework, or where the Board determines that the Performance Rights or Restricted Shares are an inappropriate benefi t.

54
19

20
55

(d) Financial performance
The table below provides a summary of Telstra’s key fi nancial results over the past fi ve fi nancial years. Those results are not fully 
comparable due to changes in the accountings standards over that period. In FY20 we have adopted AASB 16: ‘Leases’, but the 
comparative information for FY19 has not been restated and the results from FY16 to FY18 are not prepared on the same basis. 
Refer to Note 1.5 to the fi nancial statements in the 2020 Annual Report for more details. FY18 results have been restated due to 
the adoption of AASB 15: ‘Revenue from Contracts with Customers’. Refer to Note 1.5 to the fi nancial statements in the 2019 
Annual Report for more details. As a result, the FY18, FY19 and FY20 results are prepared in accordance with AASB 15 and FY16 
and FY17 are prepared under the superseded revenue standard.

Financial performance

Earnings

Total Income1

EBITDA1

Net Profi t2

Shareholder Value

Share Price ($)3

Total Dividend Paid Per Share (cents)4

FY20

$m

26,161

8,905

1,819

3.13

16.0

FY19

$m

27,807

7,984

2,154

3.85

19.0

FY18

$m

28,841

10,197

3,591

2.62

26.5

FY17

$m

28,205

10,679

3,891

4.30

31.0

FY16

$m

27,050

10,465

5,780

5.56

31.0

1.    When there is a discontinued operation for the year, Total Income and EBITDA include only results from continuing operations. There have been no discontinued 

operations since FY16.

2.   Net Profi t attributable to equity holders of the Telstra entity includes results from continuing and discontinued operations (i.e. this includes the Autohome Group and 

the Sensis Group for FY16).

3.   Share prices are as at 30 June for the respective year. The closing share price for FY15 was $6.14.
4.   We currently pay dividends to holders of Telstra’s ordinary shares twice a year, an interim and a fi nal dividend. The amounts included in this table relate to dividends 

paid during the fi nancial year. Therefore, for each respective year, the amount includes the dividend paid for the previous year fi nal dividend and the current year interim 
dividend. Refer to Note 4.1 to the fi nancial statements in the Financial Report for further information.

(e) Historical Plan Performance relative to Telstra Share Price
The graph below shows the average Individual EVP Outcomes for FY18, FY19 and FY20, plus the STI plan outcomes for FY16 and 
FY17, as a percentage of the target opportunity, relative to the performance of Telstra’s share price over the past fi ve years. 
Individual EVP Outcomes refl ect a combination of Telstra’s performance assessed against performance measures and individual 
performance, similar to how performance was measured under the previous EVP and STI plans, albeit the measures and 
weightings have changed. We believe that including the historical EVP and STI outcomes in this graph provides a useful 
comparison of performance. 

)
$
(
e
c
i
r
P
e
r
a
h
S
a
r
t
s
l
e
T

7.00

6.00

5.00

4.00

3.00

2.00

1.00

111.8%

43.6%

29.1%

39.1%

70.6%

27.5%

18.4%

24.7%

120%

100.%

80%

60%

40%

20%

0%

1
t
e
g
r
a
T
f
o
%

t
u
o
y
a
P
P
V
E
/
I
T
S

81.9%

32.8%

28.7%

20.4%

81.0%

82.6%

FY16 STI1,2
30/06/2016

FY17 STI1,2
30/06/2017

FY18 EVP
30/06/2018

FY19 EVP
30/06/2019

FY20 EVP
30/06/2020

Historical STI

EVP Cash

EVP Restricted Shares

EVP Performance Rights (RTSR)

Telstra Share Price

1.  The average EVP/STI outcomes as a percentage of target is shown for all Senior Executives for the relevant period.
2.   Excludes FY16 and FY17 LTI plan awards which were previously granted at the maximum opportunity of 200% of Fixed Remuneration for the CEO and 160% of Fixed 

Remuneration for Group Executives.

56
21

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

2.2 FY20 Base EVP Outcome

(a) Pay for performance ranges
As outlined earlier in the report, the primary performance 
measures of the EVP operate independently, and each measure 
was given a weighting and had a defi ned performance 
threshold, target and maximum level. Where performance 
against a primary performance measure was determined by 
the Board to be at: 
• threshold, the outcome for that measure was 50% of its 

weighting; 

• target, the outcome for that measure was 100% of its 

weighting; and

• maximum, the outcome for that measure was 200% of its 

weighting.

The following diagram demonstrates the relationship between 
threshold, target and maximum performance and the payout 
range for the CEO and Group Executives. 

CEO Pay for Performance

CEO Pay for Performance

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Range

146%

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

+46%

200%
Max

Range = 100%

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Outcome

123% (46% of 50% range)

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

+23%

150%
Max

Range = 50%

Group Executive Pay for Performance

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Range

146%

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Range
(Target achievement = Payment of 200% of FR – see below)

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

+46%

200%
Max

0%

50%
Threshold

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Outcome

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

100%
Target

FY20 Payout Range (Target EVP 200%, Maximum EVP 300%)
(% of Fixed Remuneration)

0%

100%
Threshold

200%
Target

Group Executive Pay for Performance

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Range
(Target achievement = Payment of 180% of FR – see below)

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Outcome

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

FY20 Payout Range (Target EVP 180%, Maximum EVP 300%)
(% of Fixed Remuneration)

0%

90%
Threshold

180%
Target

200%
Max

150%
Max

300%
Max

200%
Max

167%
Max

300%
Max

The resulting effect of the payout and performance ranges for 
the CEO and Group Executives as outlined above is that, where 
performance on a metric was determined to be above target, 
the outcome awarded to the CEO and Group Executives was 
determined proportionately having regard to the ranges 
outlined above. 

The following diagram and explanation have been included to 
assist shareholders in understanding how the outcomes in the 
following section have been calculated for each metric taking 
into account the performance of a metric and the relevant 
weighting.

FY20 EVP Metric Performance Outcome

131% (46% of 67% range)

Range = 100%

0%

50%
Threshold

100%
Target

+31%

167%
Max

Range = 67%

Using the FY20 Product Portfolio Simplifi cation (TE Plans) 
metric as an example, the outcome for the metric was 
determined to be 146% of target. This represents a 46% over 
achievement of the target rate which is set at 100% (i.e. 100% + 
46% = 146%). In translating this over achievement of 46% to 
the metric performance outcome range as demonstrated in the 
diagram above, the 46% is applied to the relevant metric 
performance outcome range for the CEO and Group Executives, 
and then the scorecard weighting is applied to derive a 
weighted outcome. 

If we take the CEO as an example, the target to maximum range 
on the metric performance outcome range represents 50 
percentage points (i.e. 100% to 150% equates to a range of 50% 
between target and maximum). As the outcome is calculated as 
a 46% over achievement of target, when it is converted to the 
metric outcome range of 50% it equates to a 23% over 
achievement of target on metric performance outcome range 
(i.e. 46% of a 50% range = 23%, which equates to a 123% 
outcome). Then applying the weighting of 5% for the Product 
Portfolio Simplifi cation (TE Plans) metric, the weighted 
outcomes is calculated at 6.1% for the CEO (i.e. 123% x 5% = 
6.1% rounded). To express this weighted outcome as a % of the 
maximum opportunity, the result of 6.1% is divided by 150% to 
derive a weighted outcome of 4.1%. 

Other than the change in the maximum opportunity as 
communicated in last year’s remuneration report, the way in 
which we calculate the outcomes for each metric is consistent 
with our past practice. To reiterate, as each performance metric 
operates independently of each other, the revised maximum 
opportunity for the CEO and GE represents more than just a cap 
on maximum payouts. It drives a signifi cant reduction in the 
total reward opportunity for the CEO and Group Executives 
between target and maximum and moderates the overall 
quantum of variable pay.

22
57

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(b) Overall FY20 Base EVP Outcomes
The Board actively evaluates performance against 
the primary performance measures. The Board 
maintains absolute discretion to ensure the Base 
EVP Outcome is appropriate, taking into account 
matters which may include Telstra’s performance, 
customer experience and shareholder 
expectations. Notwithstanding the impacts 
COVID-19 and the bushfi re crisis had on our 
business, our results were still in line with 
guidance and market expectations. With respect 
to the FY20 primary performance measures, 
positive outcomes were achieved across many 
fi nancial and non-fi nancial measures 
demonstrating strong delivery against our FY20 
Corporate Plan and T22 strategy. The Base EVP 
Outcome was 80.5% of the target opportunity 
(53.7% of maximum) for the CEO and 85.1% of the 
target opportunity (51.0% of maximum) for the 
other Senior Executives under the FY20 EVP. The 
Board did not make any adjustments to any of the 
primary performance measure outcomes 
or the overall FY20 Base EVP Outcome as a result 
of the impacts that COVID-19 has had on our 
business. Some measures have been positively 
impacted and others have been challenged. On 
balance the Board determined that the primary 
performance measure outcomes and the Base 
EVP Outcome are driven by the results achieved 
and no adjustments were made for the impact of 
COVID-19. However, the Board did exercise 
discretion in determining Individual EVP 
Outcomes as outlined in Section 2.3 below.

Measures
Measures

Financial
Financial

Total Income ($m)
Total Income ($m)
excluding fi nance income
excluding fi nance income
(15% weighting)
(15% weighting)

Underlying
Underlying
EBITDA ($m)
EBITDA ($m)
is Earnings Before 
is Earnings Before 
Interest, Tax, Depreciation 
Interest, Tax, Depreciation 
& Amortisation, excludes 
& Amortisation, excludes 
net one-off nbn DA 
net one-off nbn DA 
receipts less nbn net C2C, 
receipts less nbn net C2C, 
one-off restructuring 
one-off restructuring 
costs and guidance 
costs and guidance 
adjustments but includes 
adjustments but includes 
depreciation of mobile 
depreciation of mobile 
lease right of use assets
lease right of use assets
(15% weighting)
(15% weighting)

Free Cash Flow ($m)
Free Cash Flow ($m)
excluding M&A and 
excluding M&A and 
spectrum, plus operating 
spectrum, plus operating 
lease payments (reported 
lease payments (reported 
in fi nancing cash fl ow 
in fi nancing cash fl ow 
under AASB 16)
under AASB 16)
(15% weighting)
(15% weighting)

Net Opex Reduction 
Net Opex Reduction 
($m)
($m)
Reduction in operating 
Reduction in operating 
non-Direct Variable Cost 
non-Direct Variable Cost 
(DVC) expenses
(DVC) expenses
(15% weighting)
(15% weighting)

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Performance Measure
Performance Measure

Results
Results

Threshold
Threshold

Target
Target

Maximum
Maximum

Result
Result

Result 
Result 
(% of Target)
(% of Target)

Base EVP Weighted Outcome
Base EVP Weighted Outcome

Additional information 
Additional information 

$25,800m
$25,800m

$26,300m
$26,300m

$27,300m
$27,300m

$26,096m
$26,096m

80%
80%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 15%
Metric Weighting = 15%
Result = 80% of target
Result = 80% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 12% of target (8.0% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 12% of target (8.0% of max)

80%
80%

$7,548m
$7,548m

$7,748m
$7,748m

$8,048m
$8,048m

$7,497m
$7,497m

0%
0%

GE Weighted Outcome: 12% of target (7.2% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 12% of target (7.2% of max)

80%
80%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 15%
Metric Weighting = 15%
Result = 0% of target
Result = 0% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)

0%
0%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%
Max
Max

GE Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)

0%
0%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 15%
Metric Weighting = 15%
Result = 88% of target
Result = 88% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 13.2% of target (8.8% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 13.2% of target (8.8% of max)

88%
88%

$3,293m
$3,293m

$3,493m
$3,493m

$3,893m
$3,893m

$3,446m
$3,446m

88%
88%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%
Max
Max

GE Weighted Outcome: 13.2% of target (7.9% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 13.2% of target (7.9% of max)

88%
88%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 15%
Metric Weighting = 15%
Result = 78% of target
Result = 78% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 11.7% of target (7.8% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 11.7% of target (7.8% of max)

78%
78%

$595m
$595m

$630m
$630m

$730m
$730m

$615m
$615m

78%
78%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%
Max
Max

GE Weighted Outcome: 11.7% of target (7.0% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 11.7% of target (7.0% of max)

78%
78%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%
Max
Max

Total Income (excluding fi nance income) of $26,161m was 
Total Income (excluding fi nance income) of $26,161m was 
reported by Telstra for FY20. This result was audited by our 
reported by Telstra for FY20. This result was audited by our 
external auditor EY. Adjusted for the factors outlined 
external auditor EY. Adjusted for the factors outlined 
below, Total Income was $26,096m, which for the purpose 
below, Total Income was $26,096m, which for the purpose 
of the EVP performance measure is between threshold and 
of the EVP performance measure is between threshold and 
target.
target.

To ensure the FY20 Base EVP Outcome appropriately 
To ensure the FY20 Base EVP Outcome appropriately 
refl ected the performance of Senior Executives, the Board 
refl ected the performance of Senior Executives, the Board 
approved a negative net adjustment to the reported result 
approved a negative net adjustment to the reported result 
of $65m for NBN Transaction related adjustments to 
of $65m for NBN Transaction related adjustments to 
ensure no windfall gain or loss.
ensure no windfall gain or loss.

Underlying EBITDA of $7,409m was reported by Telstra for 
Underlying EBITDA of $7,409m was reported by Telstra for 
FY20. The result was reviewed by our external auditor EY. 
FY20. The result was reviewed by our external auditor EY. 
For the purposes of the EVP, Underlying EBITDA was 
For the purposes of the EVP, Underlying EBITDA was 
$7,497m after adjusting $88m for the NBN Transaction 
$7,497m after adjusting $88m for the NBN Transaction 
related adjustments to ensure no windfall gain or loss and 
related adjustments to ensure no windfall gain or loss and 
was determined to be below threshold. 
was determined to be below threshold. 

FCF on a guidance basis of $3,415m was reported by 
FCF on a guidance basis of $3,415m was reported by 
Telstra for FY20. The result was reviewed by our external 
Telstra for FY20. The result was reviewed by our external 
auditor EY.
auditor EY.

Adjusted for the factors outlined below, FCF was $3,446m 
Adjusted for the factors outlined below, FCF was $3,446m 
which for the purpose of the EVP performance measure 
which for the purpose of the EVP performance measure 
was between threshold and target. 
was between threshold and target. 

To ensure the FY20 Base EVP Outcome appropriately 
To ensure the FY20 Base EVP Outcome appropriately 
refl ected the performance of Senior Executives, the Board 
refl ected the performance of Senior Executives, the Board 
approved a net adjustment of $31m to the reported result 
approved a net adjustment of $31m to the reported result 
for NBN Transaction related adjustments to ensure no 
for NBN Transaction related adjustments to ensure no 
windfall gain or loss.
windfall gain or loss.

As outlined in the FY20 Full Year Results and Operations 
As outlined in the FY20 Full Year Results and Operations 
Review, underlying fi xed cost reduction (which is referred 
Review, underlying fi xed cost reduction (which is referred 
to as Net Opex Reduction for the purpose of the EVP) was 
to as Net Opex Reduction for the purpose of the EVP) was 
$615m. This resulted in an outcome between threshold 
$615m. This resulted in an outcome between threshold 
and target. The Board did not adjust the outcome for any 
and target. The Board did not adjust the outcome for any 
additional factors. The Net Opex Reduction calculation was 
additional factors. The Net Opex Reduction calculation was 
reperformed by our external auditor EY.
reperformed by our external auditor EY.

This result was driven by excellent progress in delivering 
This result was driven by excellent progress in delivering 
signifi cant absolute cost reduction across the 
signifi cant absolute cost reduction across the 
organisation. We are on track to meet our $2.5 billion cost 
organisation. We are on track to meet our $2.5 billion cost 
reduction target under our T22 strategy.
reduction target under our T22 strategy.

58
23

24
59

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Measures
Measures

Threshold
Threshold

Target
Target

Maximum
Maximum

Customer, Strategic and Transformation measures 
Customer, Strategic and Transformation measures 

Result
Result

Result 
Result 
(% of Target)
(% of Target)

Base EVP Weighted Outcome
Base EVP Weighted Outcome

Additional information 
Additional information 

Performance Measure
Performance Measure

Results
Results

Episode NPS
Episode NPS
Improvement in our Episode NPS
Improvement in our Episode NPS
(10% weighting)
(10% weighting)

Product Portfolio
Product Portfolio
Simplifi  cation
Simplifi  cation
(10% weighting 
(10% weighting 
comprising 5% for each 
comprising 5% for each 
Product Portfolio 
Product Portfolio 
Simplifi  cation Metric)
Simplifi  cation Metric)

TE Plans 
TE Plans 
(Number of 
(Number of 
active plans)
active plans)
(5% weighting)
(5% weighting)

Services on in 
Services on in 
market plans 
market plans 
(Number of 
(Number of 
services) 
services) 
(5% weighting)
(5% weighting)

+27
+27

+29
+29

+32
+32

+23
+23

0%
0%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 10%
Metric Weighting = 10%
Result = 0% of target
Result = 0% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)
0%
0%

GE Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 0% of target (0% of max)

0%
0%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 5%
Metric Weighting = 5%
Result = 146% of target
Result = 146% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 6.1% of target (4.1% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 6.1% of target (4.1% of max)

123%
123%

461
461

441
441

400
400

422
422

146%
146%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%
Max
Max

GE Weighted Outcome: 6.6% of target (3.9% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 6.6% of target (3.9% of max)

131%
131%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 5%
Metric Weighting = 5%
Result = 200% of target
Result = 200% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 7.5% of target (5% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 7.5% of target (5% of max)

2.5m
2.5m

3.0m
3.0m

4.0m
4.0m

4.86m
4.86m

200%
200%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%

150%
150%
Max
Max

GE Weighted Outcome: 8.3% of target (5% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 8.3% of target (5% of max)

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%

167%
167%
Max
Max

The overall Episode NPS result was below threshold and is a 
The overall Episode NPS result was below threshold and is a 
weighted average calculation of the survey results from 
weighted average calculation of the survey results from 
Telstra business segments – 65% Consumer and Small 
Telstra business segments – 65% Consumer and Small 
Business (combined calculation) and 35% Enterprise 
Business (combined calculation) and 35% Enterprise 
(Telstra Enterprise Australia only). The result was audited by 
(Telstra Enterprise Australia only). The result was audited by 
Telstra’s Group Internal Audit.
Telstra’s Group Internal Audit.

Despite the outcome falling short of threshold, the result 
Despite the outcome falling short of threshold, the result 
refl ects an outstanding cross company effort to support 
refl ects an outstanding cross company effort to support 
customers in the face of unprecedented challenges brought 
customers in the face of unprecedented challenges brought 
on by COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, Episode NPS was on 
on by COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, Episode NPS was on 
track to likely exceed the FY20 target.
track to likely exceed the FY20 target.

With the onset of COVID-19, advocacy in TE increased to 
With the onset of COVID-19, advocacy in TE increased to 
unprecedented levels due to the rapid deployment of 
unprecedented levels due to the rapid deployment of 
COVID-19 continuity plans such as meeting customer 
COVID-19 continuity plans such as meeting customer 
demand by adding additional Australian-based workforce 
demand by adding additional Australian-based workforce 
capability. However, C&SB advocacy declined as a result of a 
capability. However, C&SB advocacy declined as a result of a 
reduced contact centre workforce particularly in India and 
reduced contact centre workforce particularly in India and 
the Philippines due to global containment measures. In an 
the Philippines due to global containment measures. In an 
effort to reduce the impact on customer experiences and 
effort to reduce the impact on customer experiences and 
advocacy, the following initiatives were put in place: 
advocacy, the following initiatives were put in place: 
•  provided unlimited data for home and small business fi xed 
•  provided unlimited data for home and small business fi xed 
broadband customers, extra data for consumer and small 
broadband customers, extra data for consumer and small 
business mobile customers and included unlimited local, 
business mobile customers and included unlimited local, 
national and 13/1300 calls and calls to Australian mobiles 
national and 13/1300 calls and calls to Australian mobiles 
for eligible pensioners with a Telstra home phone plan.
for eligible pensioners with a Telstra home phone plan.
•  additional Australian-based workforce capability to meet 
•  additional Australian-based workforce capability to meet 

the demand of high call volumes 
the demand of high call volumes 

•  innovative digital messaging solution via the My Telstra 
•  innovative digital messaging solution via the My Telstra 

app scaled up during the period to help customers contact 
app scaled up during the period to help customers contact 
us
us

•  targeted campaigns to direct our customers to our digital 
•  targeted campaigns to direct our customers to our digital 

retail channel
retail channel

We have made excellent progress toward our T22 target of 
We have made excellent progress toward our T22 target of 
halving the number of active Telstra Enterprise products by 
halving the number of active Telstra Enterprise products by 
FY21. In FY20, we reduced our active products to 422 which 
FY21. In FY20, we reduced our active products to 422 which 
for the purpose of the EVP was determined to be between 
for the purpose of the EVP was determined to be between 
target and maximum. The result was audited by Telstra’s 
target and maximum. The result was audited by Telstra’s 
Group Internal Audit.
Group Internal Audit.

The Enterprise products that we ceased over the period 
The Enterprise products that we ceased over the period 
include Government Wideband IP (including legacy GWIP), 
include Government Wideband IP (including legacy GWIP), 
Network Contact Centre (Genesys), Trunk Radio Service 
Network Contact Centre (Genesys), Trunk Radio Service 
(TRS) Fleetcomm, Panviva Agent Assist & Knowledge 
(TRS) Fleetcomm, Panviva Agent Assist & Knowledge 
management variants, specifi c Telstra Internet Direct (TID) 
management variants, specifi c Telstra Internet Direct (TID) 
fi xed pricing variants and multiple Skype for Business 
fi xed pricing variants and multiple Skype for Business 
variants. 
variants. 

In FY19 we launched our radically simplifi ed product 
In FY19 we launched our radically simplifi ed product 
proposition and have 20 core connectivity plans in market 
proposition and have 20 core connectivity plans in market 
for our C&SB customers (compared to 1,800 plans 
for our C&SB customers (compared to 1,800 plans 
previously, comprising 1,400 legacy and 400 active). Our 
previously, comprising 1,400 legacy and 400 active). Our 
C&SB customers can now enjoy month-to-month plans with 
C&SB customers can now enjoy month-to-month plans with 
no lock in contracts and no excess data charges in Australia 
no lock in contracts and no excess data charges in Australia 
across mobile phone and broadband services, fl exibility in 
across mobile phone and broadband services, fl exibility in 
how mobile handsets can be purchased and the ability to 
how mobile handsets can be purchased and the ability to 
customise plans by adding their chosen extras to those 
customise plans by adding their chosen extras to those 
plans.
plans.

In FY20 we continued to migrate customers to these plans 
In FY20 we continued to migrate customers to these plans 
and had connected 4.86 million services on these core 
and had connected 4.86 million services on these core 
connectivity plans by the end of FY20, which for the purpose 
connectivity plans by the end of FY20, which for the purpose 
of the EVP was determined to be at the maximum. This 
of the EVP was determined to be at the maximum. This 
result was audited by Telstra’s Group Internal Audit.
result was audited by Telstra’s Group Internal Audit.

60
25

26
61

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Measures
Measures

Threshold
Threshold

Target
Target

Maximum
Maximum

Customer, Strategic and Transformation measures (continued)
Customer, Strategic and Transformation measures (continued)

Result
Result

Result 
Result 
(% of Target)
(% of Target)

Base EVP Weighted Outcome
Base EVP Weighted Outcome

Additional information 
Additional information 

Performance Measure
Performance Measure

Results
Results

Digital
Digital
Engagement
Engagement
(10% weighting 
(10% weighting 
comprising 5% for each 
comprising 5% for each 
Digital Engagement 
Digital Engagement 
metric)
metric)

Digital Delivery
Digital Delivery
(digital sales as 
(digital sales as 
a % of total 
a % of total 
sales)
sales)
(5% weighting)
(5% weighting)

Telstra Connect
Telstra Connect
(Active Telstra 
(Active Telstra 
Enterprise 
Enterprise 
customers on 
customers on 
Telstra Connect) 
Telstra Connect) 
(5% weighting)
(5% weighting)

22.5%
22.5%

24.0%
24.0%

29.0%
29.0%

30.3%
30.3%

200%
200%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%

150%
150%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 5%
Metric Weighting = 5%
Result = 200% of target
Result = 200% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 7.5% of target (5% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 7.5% of target (5% of max)

GE Weighted Outcome: 8.3% of target (5% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 8.3% of target (5% of max)

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%

167%
167%
Max
Max

3,500
3,500

4,000
4,000

5,000
5,000

6,610
6,610

200%
200%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%

150%
150%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 5%
Metric Weighting = 5%
Result = 200% of target
Result = 200% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 7.5% of target (5% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 7.5% of target (5% of max)

GE Weighted Outcome: 8.3% of target (5% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 8.3% of target (5% of max)

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%

167%
167%
Max
Max

The Digital Delivery result was determined for the purpose of 
The Digital Delivery result was determined for the purpose of 
the EVP to be at maximum. The result was audited by 
the EVP to be at maximum. The result was audited by 
Telstra’s Group Internal Audit.
Telstra’s Group Internal Audit.

FY20 Digital Delivery was driven by excellent progress in key 
FY20 Digital Delivery was driven by excellent progress in key 
customer digital experiences in value added services and 
customer digital experiences in value added services and 
pre-paid. 
pre-paid. 

The digital delivery result was largely underpinned by rich, 
The digital delivery result was largely underpinned by rich, 
relevant and guided content digital experiences for our 
relevant and guided content digital experiences for our 
customers. 
customers. 

Digital engagement was enhanced through the following:
Digital engagement was enhanced through the following:
•  we enhanced the My Telstra app to add additional 
•  we enhanced the My Telstra app to add additional 
messaging placements and a new in-app shopping 
messaging placements and a new in-app shopping 
experience, driving further sales
experience, driving further sales

•  improved Telstra.com online functionality in our digital 
•  improved Telstra.com online functionality in our digital 

shop 
shop 

•  new telstra.com homepage delivering improved customer 
•  new telstra.com homepage delivering improved customer 

experience, explore to order conversion rates improved and 
experience, explore to order conversion rates improved and 
greater agility and speed to market 
greater agility and speed to market 

•  to support customers with personalised journeys, the fi rst 
•  to support customers with personalised journeys, the fi rst 
telstra.com “hub” design was launched in September 2019 
telstra.com “hub” design was launched in September 2019 
to enhance shopping experience. For example, the Apple 
to enhance shopping experience. For example, the Apple 
hub we implemented brought together the complete range 
hub we implemented brought together the complete range 
of Apple devices and accessories to make it easier for 
of Apple devices and accessories to make it easier for 
customer to explore options. This strategy has also been 
customer to explore options. This strategy has also been 
deployed to a range of other tailored product journeys 
deployed to a range of other tailored product journeys 
including Samsung products, student offerings and 
including Samsung products, student offerings and 
tailored journeys for customers who speak languages 
tailored journeys for customers who speak languages 
other than English.
other than English.

The new core capabilities established as part of T22 meant 
The new core capabilities established as part of T22 meant 
we could fast-track the digitisation and automation of our 
we could fast-track the digitisation and automation of our 
tools during COVID-19 and move more customer enquiries 
tools during COVID-19 and move more customer enquiries 
online quickly, removing the need for many customers to call 
online quickly, removing the need for many customers to call 
us at all.
us at all.

A key to improving customer experience and removing cost 
A key to improving customer experience and removing cost 
is by reducing servicing calls and delivering self-servicing 
is by reducing servicing calls and delivering self-servicing 
solutions for our Telstra Enterprise customers through our 
solutions for our Telstra Enterprise customers through our 
platform Telstra Connect. Telstra Connect is a digital 
platform Telstra Connect. Telstra Connect is a digital 
platform for Telstra business and enterprise customers to 
platform for Telstra business and enterprise customers to 
view and manage their products and services in one place.
view and manage their products and services in one place.

During the last three months of FY20 there were 6,610 active 
During the last three months of FY20 there were 6,610 active 
users on Telstra Connect resulting in the maximum outcome. 
users on Telstra Connect resulting in the maximum outcome. 
This result was achieved due to the accelerated onboarding 
This result was achieved due to the accelerated onboarding 
of customers on Telstra Connect following the onset of 
of customers on Telstra Connect following the onset of 
COVID-19.
COVID-19.

The calculation of the number of active customers on Telstra 
The calculation of the number of active customers on Telstra 
Connect was reperformed by our external auditor EY. 
Connect was reperformed by our external auditor EY. 

62
27

28
63

Measures
Measures

Threshold
Threshold

Target
Target

Maximum
Maximum

Customer, Strategic and Transformation measures (continued)
Customer, Strategic and Transformation measures (continued)

Result
Result

Result 
Result 
(% of Target)
(% of Target)

Base EVP Weighted Outcome
Base EVP Weighted Outcome

Additional information 
Additional information 

Performance Measure
Performance Measure

Results
Results

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

People Capability & Engagement 
People Capability & Engagement 
(Employee Engagement Score)
(Employee Engagement Score)
(10% weighting)
(10% weighting)

72
72

76
76

78
78

83
83

200%
200%

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

150%
150%

150%
150%
Max
Max

Metric Weighting = 10%
Metric Weighting = 10%
Result = 200% of target
Result = 200% of target

CEO Weighted Outcome: 15% of target (10% of max)
CEO Weighted Outcome: 15% of target (10% of max)

GE Weighted Outcome: 16.7% of target (10% of max)
GE Weighted Outcome: 16.7% of target (10% of max)

0%
0%

50%
50%
Threshold
Threshold

100%
100%
Target
Target

167%
167%

167%
167%
Max
Max

Our employee engagement score was 83 resulting in the 
Our employee engagement score was 83 resulting in the 
maximum outcome being awarded. There was a concerted 
maximum outcome being awarded. There was a concerted 
effort across the company to improve our engagement score 
effort across the company to improve our engagement score 
over FY20. Our leadership approach to managing and 
over FY20. Our leadership approach to managing and 
supporting our people through the impact of the COVID-19 
supporting our people through the impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic has also positively contributed to this outcome. 
pandemic has also positively contributed to this outcome. 
The following initiatives have resulted in a strong 
The following initiatives have resulted in a strong 
engagement score for FY20:
engagement score for FY20:
•  Embedded and further scaled Agile ways of working. 
•  Embedded and further scaled Agile ways of working. 
•  Embedded and refi ned our new operating rhythm.
•  Embedded and refi ned our new operating rhythm.
•  In FY19 we brought forward job reductions in order to allow 
•  In FY19 we brought forward job reductions in order to allow 

for lower level of workforce reduction, change and 
for lower level of workforce reduction, change and 
increased job security in FY20.
increased job security in FY20.

•  Signifi cant investments in learning, including in software 
•  Signifi cant investments in learning, including in software 
engineering, SDN software defi ned networking (including 
engineering, SDN software defi ned networking (including 
micro-credentialing with RMIT), data micro credentialing 
micro-credentialing with RMIT), data micro credentialing 
with UTS, cyber micro credentialing with UNSW, deep Agile 
with UTS, cyber micro credentialing with UNSW, deep Agile 
skills, leadership and team effectiveness, human centred 
skills, leadership and team effectiveness, human centred 
design and lean. 
design and lean. 

•  Concluded Enterprise Bargaining. 
•  Concluded Enterprise Bargaining. 
•  Simplifi ed 40 processes that our people told us were a 
•  Simplifi ed 40 processes that our people told us were a 

priority to fi x.
priority to fi x.

COVID-19 related initiatives:
COVID-19 related initiatives:
•  Paused announcing any further workforce reductions for 
•  Paused announcing any further workforce reductions for 
six months providing a level of job security for our people.
six months providing a level of job security for our people.

•  accelerated Agent@home technology to enable our 
•  accelerated Agent@home technology to enable our 

contact centre employees to work from home.
contact centre employees to work from home.

•  increased communications from leaders and daily ‘All 
•  increased communications from leaders and daily ‘All 
Hands Check-In’ including COVID-19 related content, 
Hands Check-In’ including COVID-19 related content, 
support and health/wellbeing tips for our people. 
support and health/wellbeing tips for our people. 

•  responded to ensure that our customers were being looked 
•  responded to ensure that our customers were being looked 

after; e.g. unlimited data to our broadband customers, 
after; e.g. unlimited data to our broadband customers, 
extra data for mobiles.
extra data for mobiles.

The calculation of our employee engagement score was 
The calculation of our employee engagement score was 
reperformed by our external auditor EY. 
reperformed by our external auditor EY. 

Total
Total

CEO
CEO

80.5% of target
80.5% of target

53.7% of maximum
53.7% of maximum

Group Executives
Group Executives

85.1% of target
85.1% of target

51.0% of maximum 
51.0% of maximum 

64
29

30
65

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

2.4 Detailed remuneration and interests in Telstra shares 

The tables in this section disclose Senior Executive information and only represent their time as Senior Executives.

(a) Actual pay which crystallised in FY20 for Senior Executives
As a general principle, the Australian Accounting Standards require the value of share-based payments to be calculated at the 
time of grant and to be expensed over the performance period and applicable Restriction Periods. This may not refl ect what Senior 
Executives actually received or became entitled to during the year.

The tables in this section are voluntary disclosures and are not prepared in accordance with Australian Accounting Standards. 
They are designed to provide greater transparency for shareholders on the pay and benefi ts the Senior Executives actually 
received, or became entitled to receive, during FY20 while they were a Senior Executive. 

Senior Executives receive a signifi cant portion of their variable remuneration in the form of equity. The value they actually receive 
from that variable remuneration is tied directly to Telstra’s share price performance and whether the variable remuneration vests. 
We believe this demonstrates that our reward framework effectively aligns with our shareholders’ interests and demonstrates the 
linkage between pay and performance. 

The statutory tables for Senior Executive remuneration can be found in Sections 2.4(b) to (e).

The following table details the actual remuneration the CEO received, or became entitled to receive, during FY20 in comparison to FY19.

Name

Andrew Penn

Year

2020

20191

Fixed 
Remuneration 
($000)

Individual 
EVP 
Outcome 
payable as 
cash 
($000)2

Value of EVP 
Restricted 
Shares that 
became 
unrestricted 
($000)3,4

Value of LTI 
and other 
rights that 
became 
unrestricted 
($000)3,5

Total 
($000)

% change 
from prior 
year

2,390

2,390

 866

1,870

 400 

738

 – 

–

 3,656 

4,998

-26.9%

1.   As reported in our 2019 Remuneration Report.
2.   For FY20, amount relates to the cash component of the FY20 EVP, earned in FY20 and payable in September 2020. The amount refl ects the reduction resulting from the 
exercise of discretion by the Board in determining the CEO’s Individual EVP Outcome as outlined in Section 2.3. For FY19, the amount relates to the cash component of 
the FY19 EVP, earned in FY19 and paid in September 2019. 

3.   Equity in this table has been valued based on Telstra’s share price at 30 June for each respective year.
4.   Amount relates to the value of variable remuneration earned in prior fi nancial years which was provided as Restricted Shares. For amounts reported for FY20, the 

Restriction Period for these shares ended on 30 June 2020 and relates to Tranche 2 of the FY18 EVP. For amounts reported for FY19, the Restriction Period for these 
shares ended on 30 June 2019 and relates to Tranche 2 of the FY17 STI deferral plan and Tranche 1 of the FY18 EVP. 

5.   The outcome of the FY17 LTI plan was that none of the Performance Rights vested as Restricted Shares, therefore no LTI shares became unrestricted on 30 June 2020. 

For amounts reported for FY19, the outcome of the FY16 LTI plan was that none of the Performance Rights vested as Restricted Shares, therefore no LTI shares became 
unrestricted on 30 June 2019.

The following table details the actual remuneration Senior Executives (other than the CEO) as at 30 June 2020 received, or became 
entitled to receive during FY20. 

Fixed 
Remuneration 
($000)

Other cash 
amounts
($000)1

Individual 
EVP Outcome 
payable as 
cash 
($000)2

Value of EVP 
Restricted 
Shares that 
became 
unrestricted 
($000)3,4

Value of LTI 
and other 
rights that 
became 
unrestricted 
($000)3,5

Total 
($000)

 1,112 

 484 

 930 

 1,200 

 1,000 

 1,150 

 1,100 

 1,400 

 – 

 183 

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

 – 

 379

 175 

 406 

461 

 435 

 356 

 405 

 513 

 – 

–

 121 

 137 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 211 

 425 

 1,916 

–

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 842 

1,457 

 1,798 

1,435 

 1,506 

 1,505

 2,124 

Name

Michael Ackland

Kim Krogh Andersen

Alex Badenoch

Vicki Brady

David Burns

Michael Ebeid AM

Nikos Katinakis

Brendon Riley

1.   For Kim Krogh Andersen, the amount includes a cash allowance provided as a part of his relocation to Australia in accordance with Telstra’s relocation policy and 

benefi ts and a sign-on cash payment of $100,000 which was provided as part of his appointment to the role of GE Product & Technology. 

2.   Amount relates to the cash component of the FY20 EVP, earned in FY20 and payable in September 2020. For Michael Ackland and Vicki Brady, the amounts refl ect the 

reduction resulting from the exercise of discretion by the Board in determining their Individual EVP Outcome as outlined in Section 2.3.

3.   Equity in this table has been valued based on Telstra’s share price at 30 June 2020.
4.   Amount relates to the value of FY18 EVP Tranche 2 Restricted Shares which were earned in a previous year but were subject to a Restriction Period ending 30 June 

2020. Equity in this table has been valued based on the Telstra closing share price on 30 June 2020 of $3.13.

5.   The outcome of the FY17 LTI plan was that none of the Performance Rights vested as Restricted Shares, therefore no LTI shares became unrestricted on 30 June 2020. 

For Michael Ackland the amount relates to the fi rst tranche of Retention rights that were granted to him prior to being appointed as the Group Executive, C&SB.

2.3 Exercise of Board Discretion in determining Individual 
EVP Outcomes

The Base EVP Outcome (outlined above) was an input into each 
Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome. As outlined in 
Section 2.1, each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome 
was determined taking into consideration the Base EVP 
Outcome, their “at target” EVP reward opportunity and their 
performance (including, in the case of the Group Executives, 
their performance relative to each other). The Board also has 
discretion, in determining a Senior Executive’s Individual EVP 
Outcome, to take into account factors in accordance with its 
decision framework such as any material risk events identifi ed, 
the severity of their impact and the executive’s accountability 
for the matter.

We recognise the fundamental importance of doing business 
responsibly, continuously striving to improve outcomes for our 
customers and taking action where we do not meet the 
standards we set for ourselves. The matters being investigated 
by the ACCC (refer to note 7.3.1 to the fi nancial statements in 

the 2020 Annual Report for further details) include 
circumstances where we have not met those standards. 
Consequently, in determining Individual EVP Outcomes for 
FY20, the Board has reduced by 10% the individual 
remuneration outcomes under the FY20 EVP for the Senior 
Executives accountable for the areas of the business where 
these issues occurred (reducing payments to these executives 
collectively by $758,000). This reduction has been applied by 
virtue of the accountability these executives had in their roles, 
and not because of any specifi c conduct by them in relation to 
the matter. The roles where the FY20 EVP individual 
remuneration outcome has been reduced are:
• CEO – Andrew Penn
• Group Executive Telstra Consumer & Small Business 

(5 September 2017 to 10 September 2018) – Vicki Brady

• Group Executive Telstra Consumer & Small Business 
(11 September 2018 to current) – Michael Ackland

Should further information come to light once this matter is 
concluded, the Board will consider any further impacts, 
including on Individual EVP Outcomes. 

66
31

32
67

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

(b) Senior Executive remuneration (main table) 
The table below has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Corporations Act and the relevant Australian 
Accounting Standards and relates only to the periods that the person was a Senior Executive. The fi gures provided under the 
equity settled share-based payments columns are based on accounting values and do not refl ect actual payments received by 
Senior Executives in FY20.

Short term
Short term
employee benefi  ts
employee benefi  ts

Post-
Post-
employment 
employment 
benefi  ts
benefi  ts

Termination 
Termination 
benefi  ts
benefi  ts

Other long term benefi  ts
Other long term benefi  ts

Equity settled share-based payments
Equity settled share-based payments

Accounting value (at risk) ($)8,9
Accounting value (at risk) ($)8,9

Salary & fees 
Salary & fees 
($000)1
($000)1

EVP (cash) 
EVP (cash) 
($000)2
($000)2

Non-monetary 
Non-monetary 
benefi  ts 
benefi  ts 
($000)3
($000)3

Other
Other
($000)4
($000)4

Superannuation 
Superannuation 
($000)5
($000)5

Termination 
Termination 
benefi  ts 
benefi  ts 
($000)6
($000)6

Accrued leave 
Accrued leave 
benefi  ts ($000)7
benefi  ts ($000)7

Dividend 
Dividend 
Equivalent 
Equivalent 
Payment Accrual 
Payment Accrual 
($000)
($000)

Restricted shares 
Restricted shares 
($000)10
($000)10

 Performance rights 
 Performance rights 
($000)11
($000)11

Total 
Total 
($000)12
($000)12

 2,369 
 2,369 

 2,369 
 2,369 

 1,091 
 1,091 

 691 
 691 

 473 
 473 

 – 
 – 

 909 
 909 

 680 
 680 

 1,179 
 1,179 

 193 
 193 

 979 
 979 

 922 
 922 

 1,129 
 1,129 

 845 
 845 

 1,079 
 1,079 

 766 
 766 

 1,379 
 1,379 

 1,379 
 1,379 

 277 
 277 

 716 
 716 

 866 
 866 

 1,870 
 1,870 

 379 
 379 

 637 
 637 

 175 
 175 

 – 
 – 

 406 
 406 

 563 
 563 

461 
461 

 155 
 155 

 435 
 435 

 655 
 655 

 356 
 356 

 563 
 563 

 405 
 405 

 550 
 550 

 513 
 513 

 917 
 917 

 – 
 – 

 385 
 385 

 10,864 
 10,864 

 8,561 
 8,561 

 3,996 
 3,996 

 6,295 
 6,295 

 10 
 10 

 10 
 10 

 1 
 1 

 4 
 4 

 149 
 149 

 – 
 – 

 3 
 3 

 5 
 5 

 8 
 8 

 2 
 2 

 60 
 60 

 206 
 206 

 8 
 8 

 3 
 3 

 30 
 30 

 164 
 164 

 10 
 10 

 10 
 10 

 13 
 13 

 123 
 123 

 292 
 292 

 527 
 527 

 (46)
 (46)

 7 
 7 

 (22)
 (22)

 (9)
 (9)

 204 
 204 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 27 
 27 

 44 
 44 

 (73)
 (73)

 (14)
 (14)

 138 
 138 

 28 
 28 

 22 
 22 

 26 
 26 

 134 
 134 

 – 
 – 

 (4)
 (4)

 (9)
 (9)

 258 
 258 

 211 
 211 

 500 
 500 

 21 
 21 

 21 
 21 

 21 
 21 

 16 
 16 

 11 
 11 

 – 
 – 

 21 
 21 

 15 
 15 

 21 
 21 

 4 
 4 

 21 
 21 

 19 
 19 

 21 
 21 

 15 
 15 

 21 
 21 

 15 
 15 

 21 
 21 

 21 
 21 

 5 
 5 

 14 
 14 

 184 
 184 

 140 
 140 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 1,100 
 1,100 

 – 
 – 

 1,100 
 1,100 

 – 
 – 

 59 
 59 

 59 
 59 

 28 
 28 

 14 
 14 

 12 
 12 

 – 
 – 

 23 
 23 

 13 
 13 

 30 
 30 

 1 
 1 

 25 
 25 

 21 
 21 

 28 
 28 

 16 
 16 

 27 
 27 

 14 
 14 

 34 
 34 

 35 
 35 

 7 
 7 

 12 
 12 

 273 
 273 

 185 
 185 

 106 
 106 

 31 
 31 

 16 
 16 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 36 
 36 

 7 
 7 

 28 
 28 

 2 
 2 

 16 
 16 

 – 
 – 

 13 
 13 

 – 
 – 

 13 
 13 

 – 
 – 

 54 
 54 

 16 
 16 

 – 
 – 

 – 
 – 

 282 
 282 

 56 
 56 

942 
942 

 838 
 838 

 351 
 351 

 140 
 140 

 47 
 47 

 – 
 – 

 375 
 375 

 200 
 200 

311 
311 

 54 
 54 

 373 
 373 

 177 
 177 

 282 
 282 

 88 
 88 

 303 
 303 

 83 
 83 

 487 
 487 

 384 
 384 

 (55)
 (55)

 55 
 55 

711 
711 

 (86)
 (86)

 477 
 477 

 438 
 438 

 17 
 17 

 – 
 – 

 234 
 234 

 3 
 3 

 176
 176

 10 
 10 

 184 
 184 

 4 
 4 

 135 
 135 

 51 
 51 

 142 
 142 

 48 
 48 

 366 
 366 

 (69)
 (69)

 (32)
 (32)

 32 
 32 

 5,038 
 5,038 

 5,119 
 5,119 

 2,342 
 2,342 

 1,931 
 1,931 

 1,088 
 1,088 

 – 
 – 

 2,007 
 2,007 

 1,513 
 1,513 

2,258 
2,258 

 348 
 348 

 2,079 
 2,079 

 2,142 
 2,142 

 2,000 
 2,000 

 1,603 
 1,603 

 2,046 
 2,046 

 1,774 
 1,774 

 2,864 
 2,864 

 2,689 
 2,689 

 1,306 
 1,306 

 1,595 
 1,595 

 3,416 
 3,416 

 2,019 
 2,019 

 2,410 
 2,410 

 431 
 431 

 23,028 
 23,028 

 18,714 
 18,714 

Name and title
Name and title

Andrew Penn
Andrew Penn
CEO
CEO

Michael Ackland
Michael Ackland
GE C&SB
GE C&SB

Kim Krogh 
Kim Krogh 
Andersen
Andersen
GE P&T 
GE P&T 

Alex Badenoch
Alex Badenoch
GE TC&P
GE TC&P

Vicki Brady
Vicki Brady
CFO
CFO

David Burns
David Burns
GE GBS
GE GBS

Michael Ebeid AM
Michael Ebeid AM
GE TE
GE TE

Nikos Katinakis
Nikos Katinakis
GE N&IT
GE N&IT

Brendon Riley
Brendon Riley
GE & CEO InfraCo
GE & CEO InfraCo

Christian Von 
Christian Von 
Reventlow
Reventlow
Former GE P&T
Former GE P&T

Total current 
Total current 
and former KMP
and former KMP

Year
Year

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

2020
2020

2019
2019

In the table above, EVP Cash, Restricted Shares and Performance Rights are dependent on the satisfaction of performance conditions (an overview of performance 
conditions is included above at 2.1(c)). All other items are not related to performance. 

1. 
2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

 Includes salary and salary sacrifi ce benefi ts (excluding salary sacrifi ce superannuation which is included under Superannuation). 
 For FY20, the amounts relate to performance in FY20 under the FY20 EVP, which will be paid in September 2020. The amounts for Andrew Penn, Michael Ackland and 
Vicki Brady refl ect the reduction resulting from the exercise of discretion by the Board in determining Individual EVP Outcomes as outlined in Section 2.3. For FY19, the 
amounts relate to cash amounts paid for performance in FY19 under the FY19 EVP. Those cash amounts were paid in September 2019. 
 Includes the cost of personal home security services provided by Telstra, the cost of personal use of Telstra products and services, executive protection insurance and 
the provision of car parking. Includes repatriation and relocation costs for Kim Krogh Andersen. Where applicable, the value of non-monetary benefi ts has been 
grossed up for FBT by the relevant FBT rates. 
 Includes the net movement of annual leave entitlement balance. For Kim Krogh Andersen the amount also includes a cash allowance provided as a part of his 
relocation to Australia in accordance with Telstra’s relocation policy and benefi ts as well as a cash sign on bonus of $100,000 which was provided as a part of his 
appointment to the role of GE Product and Technology.
 Represents company contributions to superannuation as well as any additional superannuation contributions made through salary sacrifi ce by Senior Executives. 
Telstra does not provide any other post-employment benefi ts.

6. 

7. 
8. 

 Termination benefi ts for Christian Von Reventlow of $1.1 million comprised of a $550,000 payment in lieu of notice and a $550,000 termination payment, both as per 
his service agreement and inclusive superannuation contribution where applicable. The termination benefi t provided was paid in compliance with Part 2D.2, Division 2 
of the Corporations Act. Christian Von Reventlow forfeited any entitlement to his FY20 EVP award and the Restricted Share and Performance Right component of his 
FY19 EVP outcome as a result of his cessation of employment. 
 Includes the net movement of long service leave entitlement balances. 
 The accounting values included in the table relate to the current year amortised value of all Restricted Shares and Performance Rights that had not yet fully vested at 
the commencement of the fi nancial year. The value of each equity instrument is calculated by applying valuation methodologies or is based on the market value of 
Telstra shares at the grant date as described in note 5.2 to the fi nancial statements and is then amortised, based on the maximum achievable allocation, over the 
relevant vesting period. This value includes an assumption that the instruments will vest at the end of the vesting period unless forfeited during the fi nancial year.
 As required under AASB 2, accounting expense that was previously recognised as remuneration has been reversed in FY20 as the service condition was not met. 

9. 
10.  This includes the amortised value of the Restricted Share component of the FY20, FY19 and FY18 EVPs. 
11.  This includes the amortised value of the Performance Right component of the FY20, FY19 and FY18 EVPs. For Michael Ackland only, the amount disclosed for FY20 also 

includes the amortised value for Retention Rights that were granted prior to being appointed as the Group Executive, C&SB.

12.  The total for FY19 of $18.714 million in this table is different to the total for FY19 in the FY19 Remuneration Report of $24.703 million as it does not include $1.872 

million for Warwick Bray (former CFO), $1.113 million for Robyn Denholm (former CFO) and $3.004 million for Will Irving (former GE Wholesale), reported in last year’s 
report.

68
33

34
69

(c) FY20 EVP Payments (cash and equity)

Breakdown of FY20 Individual EVP Outcomes1

Maximum 
potential EVP 
opportunity 
($000)2

25% Cash 
component 
($000)

 7,170 

 3,450 

 1,451 

 2,790 

 3,600 

 3,000 

 3,450 

 3,300 

 4,200 

 848 

866 

 379 

 175 

 406 

 461 

 435 

 356 

 405 

 513 

 – 

35% 
Restricted 
Shares 
component 
($000)3

40% 
Performance 
Rights 
component 
($000)3

1,212 

 1,386 

 531 

 245 

 569 

 646 

 609 

 499 

 567 

 717 

 – 

 607 

 280 

 650 

738 

 696 

 570 

 648 

 820 

 – 

Individual EVP 
Outcome 
($000)

% of 
maximum 
opportunity 
earned

% of 
maximum 
opportunity 
forfeited

 3,464 

 1,517 

 700 

 1,625 

 1,845 

 1,740 

 1,425 

 1,620 

 2,050 

 – 

48.3%

44.0%

48.2%

58.2%

51.3%

58.0%

41.3%

49.1%

48.8%

0.0%

51.7%

56.0%

51.8%

41.8%

48.7%

42.0%

58.7%

50.9%

51.2%

100.0%

Name

Andrew Penn

Michael Ackland

Kim Krogh Andersen

Alex Badenoch

Vicki Brady

David Burns

Michael Ebeid AM

Nikos Katinakis

Brendon Riley

Christian Von Reventlow

1.   The FY20 Individual EVP Outcomes were approved by the Board on 9 August 2020. For Andrew Penn, Michael Ackland and Vicki Brady the amounts refl ect the reduction 
resulting from the exercise of discretion by the Board in determining Individual EVP Outcomes as outlined in Section 2.3. These values represent the time served in 
FY20 as a Senior Executive. The cash component will be paid in September 2020.

2.   Represents the maximum potential EVP opportunity specifi c to their time as Senior Executives for FY20, adjusted for any variation in Fixed Remuneration throughout 
FY20 that impacts the maximum potential EVP opportunity available. If the minimum threshold performance is not met, the minimum possible EVP payment is nil.

3.   The Restricted Shares and Performance Rights awarded are expected to be allocated in November 2020 and are subject to Restriction Periods and performance 

periods (as set out in section 2.1(b)) and the Senior Executive’s continued employment.

(d) Number and value of rights over equity instruments allocated, vested and exercised during FY20

Name

Andrew Penn

Michael Ackland

Kim Krogh Andersen

Alex Badenoch

Vicki Brady8

David Burns

Michael Ebeid AM

Nikos Katinakis

Brendon Riley

Equity Movements

Total held at 
1 July 20191

Rights 
allocated 
during FY202

Value of rights 
allocated 
($000)3

Rights
vested / 
exercised 
during FY204

Value of rights 
vested/ 
exercised 
($000)5

Other 
changes 
(lapsed 
rights)6

Total held at 
30 June 20207 

 383,554 

 558,281 

 1,407 

 – 

 339,480 

 202,232 

 400 

 (135,792) 

 – 

115,548

131,772 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 224,842 

 83,562 

 203,130 

 168,169 

 164,095 

 202,208 

 273,721 

 – 

 445 

 165 

 402 

 333 

 325 

 542 

–

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 510 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

–

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

–

941,835

405,920

–

340,390

215,334

203,130

168,169

164,095

475,929

–

Christian von Reventlow

–

–

All service and performance conditions for rights granted in previous fi nancial years and that have vested or been exercised in FY20 are summarised in the Remuneration 
Report for each relevant year of grant. Each equity instrument granted, vested or exercised in FY20 (where applicable) in the table above was issued by Telstra and 
resulted or will result in one ordinary Telstra share being provided to the holder per equity instrument granted, vested or exercised. No amount is payable by the KMP. 
Restricted Shares are excluded from this table, refer to tables 2.4(c) and (e) for further information.

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 
6. 
7. 

 The balance refl ects the number of equity instruments held on the later of 1 July 2019 or the date on which the executive commenced as a KMP. Refer to section 1.1 for 
further information.
 Rights allocated during FY20 relate to the FY19 EVP Performance Rights which were allocated on 13 November 2019. The FY20 EVP Performance Rights will be 
allocated in November 2020, refer to section 2.1 for more information. 
 The fair value refl ects the valuation approach required by AASB 2 using an option pricing model for Performance Rights granted. The fair value of the Performance 
Rights allocated in FY20 under the FY19 EVP are based on the grant dates of 15 October 2019 for the CEO and 11 October 2018 for all other Senior Executives, 
respectively. The fair value of Performance Rights granted under the FY19 EVP are $2.52 for the CEO, and $1.98 for Senior Executives.
 For Michael Ackland the amount relates to the fi rst tranche of Retention Rights that were granted to him prior to being appointed as the Group Executive, C&SB. For 
more information on our Senior Executives’ interests in Telstra Shares refer to table 2.4(e).
 The value of the Performance Rights vested/exercised refl ects the market value at the date the instruments vested and were released from restriction.
 Relates to rights that lapsed due to the specifi ed performance measures or service conditions not being achieved. 
 The balance refl ects the number of rights at 30 June 2020 or, if earlier, the date on which the executive ceased to hold the KMP position. Refer to section 1.1 for further 
information. 

8.   The nil closing balance reported for Vicki Brady under this table in last year’s Remuneration Report refl ected the balance of rights she held at the date she ceased to be 
a KMP. The opening balance reported this year refl ects the balance of rights held at 1 July 2019 and relates to performance rights allocated under the FY18 EVP which 
occurred during the period she was on extended leave.

There are no Performance Rights or options held by any KMP’s related parties and no Performance Rights or options held indirectly or benefi cially by our KMP. As at 30 
June 2019, there were no options or Performance Rights vested, or vested and exercisable or vested and unexercisable.

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

(e) Senior Executive interests in Telstra Shares 
During FY20, our Senior Executives and their related parties held Telstra shares directly, indirectly or benefi cially as follows:

Name

Andrew Penn

Michael Ackland

Kim Krogh Andersen

Alex Badenoch

Vicki Brady7

David Burns

Michael Ebeid AM

Nikos Katinakis

Brendon Riley

Christian Von Reventlow

Total shares 
held at 
1 July 20191,2

 1,385,048 

 56,875 

 – 

 106,454 

 123,508 

 227,766 

 – 

 – 

 836,073 

 – 

Restricted Shares 
allocated3

Net shares acquired 
or disposed of and 
other changes4

Total shares 
held at 
30 June 20201,5

Number of shares 
held nominally at 
30 June 20205,6

 372,187 

 134,821 

 – 

 149,895 

 55,708 

 135,420 

 112,113 

 109,397 

 182,480 

 – 

 – 

 135,792 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 60,000 

 – 

 – 

 1,757,235 

 327,488 

 – 

 256,349 

 179,216 

 363,186 

 112,113 

 169,397 

 558,838 

 191,696 

 – 

 188,411 

 99,632 

 186,980 

 112,113 

 109,397 

 1,018,553 

 1,018,553 

 – 

 – 

Total

2,735,724

1,252,021

195,792

4,183,537

2,465,620

1.    Total shareholdings include shares held by our Senior Executives and their related parties. Unless related to our employee share plans, shares acquired or disposed of 

by our Senior Executives and their related parties during FY20 were on an arm’s length basis at market price. 

2.   Refl ects the number of shares held on the later of 1 July 2019 or the date on which the executive commenced as a KMP. Refer to section 1.1 for further information.
3.   Restricted Shares in this column were allocated on 13 November 2019 and relate to the FY19 EVP. The allocation of Restricted Shares under the FY20 EVP will be made 

after the reporting date of 30 June 2020, therefore they have not been included in the table above.

4.   For Michael Ackland the movement relates to Retention Rights that vested during FY20, refer to table 2.4(d) for further information. For Nikos Katinakis, the movement 

relates to an on-market share purchase.

5.   The balance refl ects the number of shares held at 30 June 2020 or, if earlier, the date on which the executive ceased to hold the KMP position. Refer to section 1.1 for 

further information. 

6.   Nominally refers to shares held either indirectly or benefi cially by Senior Executives and shares held by their related parties including certain Restricted Shares held 
benefi cially by Senior Executives. These shares are subject to a restriction period, such that the Senior Executive is restricted from dealing with the shares until the 
Restriction Period ends. Refer to note 5.2 to the fi nancial statements for further details.

7.   The closing balance reported for Vicki Brady under this table in last year’s Remuneration Report refl ected the number of share interests at the date she ceased to be a 

KMP. The opening balance reported this year refl ects the number of share interests held at 1 July 2019.

3.0 Non-executive Director remuneration

3.1 FY20 Fee structure

(a) Overview
Our non-executive Directors are remunerated with set fees and 
do not receive any performance-based pay. This enables non-
executive Directors to maintain independence and impartiality 
when making decisions affecting the future direction of the 
company.

There were no increases in Board or Committee fees during the 
year. The Telstra Board and Committee fee structure (inclusive 
of superannuation) during FY20 was:

FY20 
Board fees

Board

FY20 
Committee fees

Audit & Risk 
Committee

People 
&Remuneration 
Committee

Nomination 
Committee

Chairman

$775,000

Committee 
Chairman

Non-executive Director
(annual base fee)

$235,000

Committee 
Member

$70,000

$35,000

$56,000

$28,000

–

–

The Chairman Board fee and non-executive Director annual base 
fee have not changed since 2014 and 2012 respectively, and 
again no increase in Board fees is expected in FY21. The 
Chairman of the Board does not receive Committee fees if he is a 
Member of a Board Committee. All non-executive Directors are 
members of the Nomination Committee and do not receive a fee 

for that Committee. Our non-executive Directors are remunerated 
in accordance with Telstra’s Constitution, which provides for an 
aggregate fee pool that is set, and varied, only by approval of a 
resolution of shareholders at the AGM. The current annual fee 
pool of $3.5 million was approved by shareholders at Telstra’s 
2012 AGM. The total of Board and Committee fees, including 
superannuation, paid to non-executive Directors in FY20 
remained within the approved fee pool.

Superannuation contributions are included within each non-
executive Director’s Total Remuneration, in accordance with the 
ASX Listing Rules and Telstra policy. Non-executive Directors may 
choose to increase the proportion of their remuneration taken as 
superannuation, subject to legislative requirements.

Telstra does not provide retirement benefi ts for non-executive 
Directors other than the superannuation contributions noted 
above.

Sections 1.2(f) and (g) of this report provide details of the share 
ownership policy and securities trading restrictions that apply 
to our non-executive Directors. Table 3.2 provides full details of 
non-executive Director remuneration for FY20.

(b) Changes to the Board and Committee composition
During the year, Elana Rubin was appointed to the Board 
effective 14 February 2020 and as a member of the People and 
Remuneration Committee on 27 May 2020. On 11 August we 
announced that Bridget Loudon has been appointed to the 
Board effective 14 August 2020. Ms Rubin and Ms Loudon will 
stand for election at our 2020 Annual General Meeting on 13 
October 2020. 

There were no other changes to Board and Committee 
composition during FY20.

70
35

71
36

3.2 Detailed remuneration and interests in Telstra shares

(a) Non-executive Director Remuneration

Name and title

John P Mullen
Chairman

Eelco Blok4
Director

Roy H Chestnutt4
Director

Craig W Dunn
Director

Peter R Hearl
Director

Elana Rubin3
Director

Nora L Scheinkestel
Director

Margaret L Seale
Director

Niek Jan van Damme4
Director

Total

Year

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

2020

2019

Short term employee benefi  ts

Post–employment 
benefi  ts

Salary and fees 
($000)1

Non-monetary 
benefi  ts ($000)2

Superannuation 
($000)

Total 
($000)

 754 

 754 

 231 

 86 

 265 

 255 

 284 

 263 

 280 

 273 

 83 

 – 

 277 

 283 

 249 

 249 

 258 

 183 

 2,681 

 2,346 

 8 

 4 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 – 

 8 

 4 

 21 

 21 

 4 

 2 

 5 

 5 

 21 

 21 

 11 

 21 

 8 

 – 

 21 

 21 

 21 

 21 

 5 

 3 

 117 

 115 

 783 

 779 

 235 

 88 

 270 

 260 

 305 

 284 

 291 

 294 

 91 

 – 

 298 

 304 

 270 

 270 

 263 

 186 

 2,806 

 2,465 

1.  Includes fees for membership on Board Committees.
2.   Includes the provision of car parking as well as the value of Telstra products and services provided to the Chairman. The value of non-monetary benefi ts has been 
grossed up for FBT by the relevant FBT rates. The year-on-year increase in non-monetary benefi ts disclosed for the Chairman is due to an increase in car parking 
utilisation.

3.   Elana Rubin qualifi ed as KMP from 14 February 2020, when she was appointed as a non-executive Director of the company.
4.   As Eelco Blok, Niek Jan van Damme and Roy Chestnutt are overseas residents, their superannuation contributions for FY20 are less than the contributions for 

Australian resident non-executive Directors. 

5.   The total for FY19 of $2.465 million in this table is different to the total for FY19 in the FY19 Remuneration Report of $2.845 million as it does not include the amounts 
disclosed for former non-executive Directors reported in last year’s report. These values are $0.143 million for Jane Hemstritch, $0.088 million for Russell Higgins AO, 
$0.080 million for Steven Vamos and $.069 million for Trae Vassallo.

(b) Non-executive Directors’ interests in Telstra Shares
During FY20, our non-executive Directors and their related parties held Telstra shares directly, indirectly or benefi cially as follows:

Name

John P Mullen

Eelco Blok

Roy H Chestnutt

Craig W Dunn

Peter R Hearl

Elana Rubin

Nora L Scheinkestel

Margaret L Seale

Niek Jan van Damme

Total

Total shares held at
1 July 20191,2

Net shares acquired or 
disposed of and other 
changes1

Total shares held at
30 June 20201

Shares held nominally at 
30 June 20203

 101,159 

 75,000 

 43,000 

 73,173 

 70,000 

 37,361 

 130,478 

 310,540 

 – 

 840,711 

 – 

 – 

 27,000 

 – 

 30,000 

 14,367 

 19,787 

 – 

 74,000 

 165,154 

 101,159 

 75,000 

 70,000 

 73,173 

 100,000 

 51,728 

 150,265 

 310,540 

 74,000 

 1,005,865 

 75,000 

 – 

 70,000 

 72,473 

 – 

 – 

 119,385 

 310,540 

 – 

 647,398 

1.   Total shareholdings include shares held by our non-executive Directors and their related parties. Shares acquired or disposed of by our non-executive Directors and 

their related parties during FY20 were on an arm’s length basis at market price. 

2.   For Elana Rubin the balance as at 1 July 2019 represents shares held as at the date on which she became KMP. 
3.   Nominally refers to shares held either indirectly or benefi cially by non-executive Directors including those shares held by their related parties.

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

4.0 Looking forward to FY21

4.1 FY21 Senior Executive Remuneration Framework
As outlined at the start of this report, we made a range of enhancements to our Senior Executive remuneration structure for FY20 
in response to shareholder feedback to better refl ect community and stakeholder expectations.

For FY21 we do not anticipate any increases in Senior Executive Fixed Remuneration other than on appointment, promotion to a 
new role or due to a signifi cant increase in accountabilities, nor do we intend on making any further signifi cant changes to the EVP 
remuneration structure. However, we do continue to monitor the market and regulatory environment to look at ways of continually 
enhancing and simplifying our Senior Executive Remuneration framework and governance to ensure that it continues to:
• support our strategy and reinforce our culture and values
• provide internally consistent and market competitive rewards to attract, motivate and retain highly skilled employees
• link fi nancial reward outcomes directly to employee contribution and company performance; and
• align to long term shareholder value creation.

The EVP structure for FY21 is as follows:

d
e
s
a
e
l
e
R
s
t
l
u
s
e
R
1
2
Y
F

)

%
5
2
(
d
i
a
P
h
s
a
C
P
V
E

M
G
A
a
r
t
s
l
e
T
1
2
0
2

)

%
5
7
(
d
e
t
a
c
o
l
l

A
y
t
i
u
q
E
P
V
E

FY21 EVP Initial 
Performance 
Period
1 July 2020 to 
30 June 2021

Restricted Shares
(1st tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2022

Restricted Shares
(2nd tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2023

Restricted Shares
(3rd tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2024

Restricted Shares
(4th tranche) 
End of restriction 
30 June 2025

Restricted 
Shares – T1

Restricted 
Shares – T2

Restricted 
Shares – T3

Restricted 
Shares –T4

Performance Rights

Performance 
Rights
RTSR Test 
30 June 2025

FY21 EVP Performance Rights RTSR Performance Period
1 July 2020 to 30 June 2025

FY21

FY22

FY23

FY24

FY25

FY26

Jul

Jun

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Jun

Jul

Jun

Jul

Jun

Jul

Jun

Jul

Further information on the FY21 EVP structure will be provided in our 2021 Remuneration Report. 

4.2 FY21 EVP Performance Measures and Targets 
FY21 has already proven to be a year of signifi cant challenge 
across our local and global economies and communities due to 
the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst Telstra 
has shown great strength and stability during this time, we 
acknowledge more than ever the importance of increased 
transparency for our shareholders due to level of uncertainty 
and disruption in the market. It is our intention to continue to 
provide meaningful information to enable shareholders to 
assess the appropriateness of our remuneration targets and 
outcomes. 

To refl ect this, the Board remain committed to providing market 
leading levels of transparency around the targets by providing 
this detail prospectively for FY21. This provides shareholders 
with a high level of transparency over the company’s 
remuneration framework and outcomes. The Board considers 
this an imperative as our operating environment requires 
careful shareholder consideration of the need to appropriately 
recognise and reward strong management performance for the 
value created for the company and its shareholders. 

The table below outlines the performance measures and 
targets that will apply to the FY21 EVP. These performance 
measures and targets have been selected by the Board to 
ensure that the CEO and other Senior Executives continue to 
deliver against our T22 strategy, and that fi nancial rewards are 
linked directly to Senior Executive contributions, company 
performance and long term shareholder value creation.

In setting the primary performance measures and targets for 
the FY21 EVP, the Board sought to ensure they were robust and 
suffi ciently demanding, taking into account the key deliverables 
and milestones outlined in our T22 strategy, planned fi nancial 

outcomes contained within our FY21 Corporate Plan and FY21 
guidance (as announced on 13 August 2020 and which takes 
into account the estimated negative impact on FY21 Underlying 
EBITDA from the in-year nbn headwind and the COVID-19 
pandemic). 

As we have now passed the midway point of our T22 
transformation, the non-fi nancial metrics and targets continue 
to build on the momentum gained in FY20 in delivering our T22 
strategy. Our aspiration and commitment to enhancing our 
digital engagement with our customers, radically simplifying 
our products and eliminating customer pain points. We remain 
fully committed to our T22 strategy which continues to position 
us well especially during this period of heightened disruption 
and uncertainty.

The targets that apply to the FY21 EVP do not constitute market 
guidance. Subsequent adjustments to guidance throughout the 
year (for example relating to the nbn network rollout or 
unplanned one-off events) and their impact on EVP outcomes 
will be considered both during the fi nancial year as those 
events may occur and also at the end of the fi nancial year, in 
accordance with established principles to ensure that 
outcomes appropriately refl ect the performance of Senior 
Executives. Any adjustments that the Board makes will be fully 
disclosed to shareholders in next year’s Remuneration Report. 
The Board also has the ability to amend the performance 
measures themselves if it considers it appropriate having 
regard to Telstra’s business circumstances and priorities. 

All of the following measures have been selected on the basis 
that they are directly linked to our T22 strategy as described 
below.

72
37

73
38

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Performance 
Measure

Metric

Weighting

FY20
Baseline^

FY21*

Threshold

Target

Max

Rationale for 
why chosen

Performance 
Measure

Metric

Weighting

FY20
Baseline^

FY21*

Threshold

Target

Max

Rationale for 
why chosen

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Telstra External Income 
(excluding fi nance 
income)

Total 
Income

15.0%

$26,161m

Underlying EBITDA is 
Earnings Before 
Interest, Tax, 
Depreciation & 
Amortisation, excludes 
net one-off nbn DA 
receipts less nbn net 
C2C, one-off 
restructuring costs and 
guidance adjustments 
but includes 
depreciation of mobile 
lease right of use assets

Underlying
EBITDA

15.0%

$7,409m

Above 
bottom 
end of 
Market
Guidance*

Approx. 
Midpoint 
of Market 
Guidance*

At or 
above top 
end of
Market
Guidance*

Free Cashfl ow excluding 
M&A and spectrum plus 
operating lease 
payments (reported in 
fi nancing cash fl ow 
under AASB 16)

Free Cash 
Flow (FCF))

15.0%

$3,415m

Year-on-year reduction 
in operating non-Direct 
Variable Cost (DVC) 
expenses

Net Opex 
Reduction

15.0%

$615m

$350m

$400m

$500m

•  Key indicator of fi nancial 

performance

•  Ensures continued focus 

on customer retention and 
growth

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of the 

T22 strategy

•  Key indicator of fi nancial 

performance

•  Ensures appropriate focus 

on profi t and cost to 
deliver 

•  A strong indicator of 
underlying company 
profi tability

•  Aligns to Pillar 4 of our 

T22 strategy

•  Key indicator of fi nancial 

performance

•  Appropriate for a capital 

intensive business critical 
in managing the 
company’s ability to pay 
a dividend and maintain 
balance sheet strength
•  Aligns to Pillar 4 of our 

T22 strategy

•  Active reduction of our 
costs will be key to 
competing and delivering 
strong fi nancial 
performance in an 
increasingly competitive 
market 

•  Delivering signifi cant 

absolute cost reduction 
aligns with intent to drive 
productivity and reduce 
costs 

•  Aligns to Pillar 4 of our 

T22 strategy

Improvement in our 
Episode NPS

Episode NPS

10%

+23

+30

+32

+34

n
o
i
t
a
m
r
o
f
s
n
a
r
T
&
r
e
m
o
t
s
u
C

,
c
i
g
e
t
a
r
t
S

g
n
i
t
h
g
i
e
w

l
a
t
o
t

f
o
%
0
4

Product
Portfolio
Simpli-
fi  cation

Digital
Engage-
ment

e
v
i
t
c
A

e
s
i
r
p
r
e
t
n
E

s
t
c
u
d
o
r
P

TE Number of 
Active Plans, the 
target provides 
progress toward
our T22 reduction 
of 50% by FY21

n
o
s
e
c
i
v
r
e
S

t
e
k
r
a
m
-
n

i

s
n
a
l
p

Consumer and 
Small Business 
Fixed and Postpaid 
services on in-
market plans

Sale transactions 
through digital 
channels. The 35% 
target is the 
average of Q4 FY21 
not an average of 
performance for 
the year.

Active Telstra 
Enterprise 
customers on 
Telstra Connect in 
the last 3 months 
of FY21

y
r
e
v
i
l
e
D

l
a
t
i
g
D

i

t
c
e
n
n
o
C
a
r
t
s
l
e
T

People Capability 
& Engagement 

Top-line 
sustainable 
employee 
engagement 
score

5%

422

328

308

268

5%

4.86m

7.7m

8.2m

8.6m

5%

30.3%

33.5%

35.0%

45.0%

5%

6,610

6,840

7,100

9,000

10%

83

80

83

84

•  A key driver of business 
success and our ability 
to differentiate in an 
increasingly competitive 
market

•  Key to generating 

increased share of wallet 
from existing customers, 
maintaining a price 
premium, and attracting 
new customers

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of our 

T22 Strategy

•  Will increase the 

simplicity, transparency 
and satisfaction that our 
customers experience and 
allow the delivery of 
material cost reductions
•  An enabler for customers 

to migrate to the new 
stack

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of our 

T22 strategy

•  Improves customer 

experience

•  Supports our cost 
reduction focus

•  Aligns to Pillar 1 of our 

T22 strategy

•  Focusses on our employee 

engagement 

•  Supports our ability to 

have both the key 
leadership and technical 
talent required to deliver 
on our ambitious strategy

•  Aligns to Pillar 3 of our 

T22 strategy

^ 

* 

 For FY21 targets, the baseline refers to FY20 results calculated on the same basis as the metric defi nition and includes restatement for AASB 16: Leases where 
applicable. 
 Market Guidance means guidance for FY21 as set out in Telstra’s ASX announcement dated 13 August 2020.

40
75

g
n
i
t
h
g
i
e
w

l
a
t
o
t

f
o
%
0
6
–

l
a
i
c
n
a
n
F

i

74
39

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.0 Glossary

Base EVP Outcome

Cash Rights

The outcome determined by the Board following an assessment of Telstra’s performance against 
the primary performance measures under the EVP during the Initial Performance Period and 
making such adjustments as it considers necessary to ensure the outcome is appropriate, that is 
then used as an input for determining each Senior Executive’s Individual EVP Outcome.

Related parties 

of a person means:
• a close member of the person’s family; and/or
• an entity over which the person or close family member has, directly or indirectly, control, 

joint control or signifi cant infl uence.

Remuneration Report | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Rights granted to a Senior Executive who ceases employment for a Permitted Reason before 
the Restricted Shares and Performance Rights are granted in respect of the EVP in lieu of 
those Restricted Shares and Performance Rights. The Cash Rights are subject to the same 
time conditions and performance measures as those applying to those Restricted Shares and 
Performance Rights. On vesting, a Cash Right will entitle the Senior Executive to a cash payment 
equivalent to the value of a Telstra share at the end of the applicable Restriction Period or 
performance period and dividends paid between the date the Cash Right is allocated and the 
end of the applicable Restriction Period or performance period.

EBITDA

Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation 

EVP

FCF

Executive Variable Remuneration Plan

Free Cashfl ow

Restricted Share

A Telstra share that is subject to a Restriction Period.

Restriction Period

RTSR

A period during which a Telstra share is subject to a service condition and cannot be traded. 
Restricted Shares are transferred to a Senior Executive on the fi rst day after the end of the 
Restriction Period that Senior Executives are able to deal in shares under Telstra’s Securities 
Trading Policy.

Relative Total Shareholder Return (RTSR) measures the performance of an ordinary Telstra share 
(including the value of any cash dividend and other shareholder benefi ts paid during the period) 
relative to the performance of ordinary securities issued by the other companies in a comparator 
group over the same period.

RTSR Performance Period

The fi ve-year performance period ending on 30 June 2024 over which the RTSR performance 
condition for the FY20 EVP Performance Rights will be measured. 

Fixed Remuneration or FR

Base salary plus company and private salary sacrifi ced superannuation contributions

Senior Executive

Refers to the CEO and those executives who are KMP with authority and responsibility for 
planning, directing and controlling the activities of Telstra and the Group, directly or indirectly.

FY

GE

Financial year

Group Executive

Individual EVP Outcome

The individual award earned by a Senior Executive under the EVP taking into consideration their 
performance, the Base EVP Outcome, their ‘at target’ EVP reward opportunity and other factors in 
accordance with the Board’s decision framework such as any material risk events identifi ed, the 
severity of their impact and the Senior Executive’s accountability for the matter.

Initial Performance Period

1 year (1 July 2019 – 30 June 2020)

KMP

LTI

NBN Transaction

Key Management Personnel

Long Term Incentive

Agreements with nbn co and the Government in relation to Telstra’s participation in the rollout of 
the nbnTM network. This includes the entire Defi nitive Agreement receipts and the net negative 
recurring NBN headwinds on our business.

NPS

Net Promoter Score is a non-fi nancial performance that we use to measure customer experience 
at Telstra.

The Episode NPS performance measure is based on responses to internal surveys following 
actual service experiences customers had with Telstra.

The overall Episode NPS result for Telstra is a weighted average calculation of the survey results 
from Telstra business segments – Consumer & Small Business contribute collectively at 65% and 
Telstra Enterprise at 35%.

A right to a share or a cash amount equivalent to the value of a share at the end of a performance 
period, at Telstra’s discretion and subject to the satisfaction of certain performance measures 
and service conditions.

Permitted Reason under the EVP, means death, total and permanent disablement, certain medical 
conditions, company initiated separation for a reason unrelated to performance or conduct, 
redundancy or retirement. Permitted Reason under the EVP Performance Rights and Restricted 
Share terms also includes mutual separation.

Performance Right

Permitted Reason

76
41

Service Agreement

A Senior Executive's contract of employment

STI

Short Term Incentive

Total Income

Total Telstra income

Total Remuneration

Underlying EBITDA

The sum of all the fi xed and variable components of remuneration as detailed in section 2.4 
for Senior Executives, and all the remuneration components as detailed in section 3.2 for 
non-executive Directors.

Underlying EBITDA is Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation & Amortisation. Excludes net 
one-off nbn DA receipts less nbn net C2C, one-off restructuring costs and guidance adjustments 
but includes depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use assets. 

42
77

Directors’ 
Report

8 Exhibition Street
Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
GPO Box 67 Melbourne VIC 3001
Tel: +61 3 9288 8000
Fax: +61 3 8650 7777
ey.com/au

Rounding

The Telstra Entity is a company of the kind referred to in 
the Australian Securities and Investments Commission 
Corporations (Rounding in Financial/Directors’ Reports) 
Instrument 2016/191, dated 24 March 2016 and issued 
pursuant to section 341(1) of the Corporations Act 2001. 
Except where otherwise indicated, the amounts in this 
Directors’ Report and the accompanying fi nancial report 
have been rounded to the nearest million dollars ($m) and 
amounts in the Remuneration Report have been rounded 
to the nearest thousand dollars ($000).

Auditor’s Independence Declaration to the 
Directors of Telstra Corporation Limited

As lead auditor for the audit of the fi nancial report of 
Telstra Corporation Limited for the fi nancial year ended 
30 June 2020, I declare 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 report is made on 13 August 2020 in accordance with 
a resolution of the Directors.

This declaration is in respect of Telstra Corporation Limited 
and the entities it controlled during the fi nancial year.

John P Mullen
Chairman
13 August 2020

Andrew R Penn
Chief Executive Offi cer and Managing Director
13 August 2020

Ernst & Young

Andrew Price
Partner
13 August 2020

A member fi rm of Ernst & Young Global Limited 
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional 
Standards Legislation

Financial 
Report

78
43

79

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 1  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 2  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Telstra Corporation Limited
and controlled entities

Australian Business Number (ABN): 33 051 775 556

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Financial report: introduction and contents

As at 30 June 2020

About this report

This is the financial report for Telstra Corporation Limited (referred to 
as the Company or Telstra Entity) and its controlled entities (together 
referred to as we, us, our, Telstra, the Telstra Group or the Group) for 
the year ended 30 June 2020. 

Telstra Corporation Limited is a ‘for profit’ company limited by shares 
incorporated in Australia whose shares are publicly traded on the 
Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Our shares are also quoted on 
the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX). 

This financial report was authorised for issue in accordance with a 
resolution of the Telstra Board of Directors on 13 August 2020. The 
Directors have the power to amend and reissue the financial report.

Reading the financials

Section introduction

The introduction at the start of each section outlines the focus of the 
section and explains the purpose and content of that section. 

Note and topic summary

A summary at the start of certain notes explains the objectives and 
content of that note, or at the start of certain specific topics clarifies 
complex concepts, which users may not be familiar with. 

Narrative table

Some narrative disclosures are presented in a tabular format to 
provide readers with a clearer understanding of the information 
being presented.

Information panel

The information panel describes our key accounting estimates and 
judgements applied in the preparation of the financial report, which 
are relevant to that section or note.

Contents

Financial Statements
Income Statement
Statement of Comprehensive Income
Statement of Financial Position
Statement of Cash Flows
Statement of Changes in Equity

F2
F3
F4
F6
F7

Contents
Notes to the Financial Statements
Financial Statements
Section 1: Basis of preparation
1.1
Income Statement 
1.2
Statement of Comprehensive Income  
1.3
Statement of Financial Position  
1.4
Statement of Cash Flows  
Statement of Changes in Equity 
1.5

-   Basis of preparation of the financial report
-   Terminology used in our income statement
-   Principles of consolidation
-   Key accounting estimates and judgements
-   Changes in accounting policies

F8
87
81
F8
87
82
F8
87
83
F8
87
85
 86
         F9
88

Income 

87
87
87
87
88

94
F15
100
F21
108
F29
109
F30
112
F33
112
F33

Section 2: Our performance
Notes to the Financial Statements
2.1
-   Segments and disaggregated revenue
Section 1: Basis of preparation
2.2
-   Income
1.1  Basis of preparation of the financial report 
2.3
-   Expenses
1.2  Terminology used in our income statement 
2.4
-   Income taxes
1.3  Principles of consolidation 
-   Earnings per share
2.5
1.4  Key accounting estimates and judgements 
2.6
-   Notes to the statement of cash flows
1.5  Changes in accounting policies 
Section 3: Our core assets, lease arrangements and 
Section 2: Our performance
working capital
2.1  Segments and disaggregated revenue 
-   Property, plant and equipment
3.1
2.2 
-   Goodwill and other intangible assets
3.2
2.3  Expenses 
3.3
-   Lease arrangements
Income taxes 
2.4 
3.4
-   Trade and other receivables and contract assets
2.5  Earnings per share 
3.5
-   Inventories
2.6  Notes to the statement of cash flows 
-   Trade and other payables
3.6
Section 3: Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital
3.7
-   Contract liabilities and other revenue received in 
114
3.1  Property, plant and equipment 
advance
116
3.2  Goodwill and other intangible assets 
       F51
3.8
-   Trade receivables from customer contracts, 
130
119
3.3  Lease arrangements 
contract assets and contract liabilities
131
126
3.4  Trade and other receivables and contract assets 
       F52
-   Deferred contract costs
3.9
132
129
3.5 
       F53
3.10 -   Assets and liabilities held for sale
129
3.6  Trade and other payables 
Section 4: Our capital and risk management
3.7  Contract liabilities and other revenue received in advance  130
4.1
-   Dividend
3.8 
4.2
-   Equity
-   Capital management
4.3
3.9  Deferred contract costs 
4.4
-   Financial instruments and risk management
3.10  Assets and liabilities held for sale 

 Trade receivables from customer contracts, contract  
assets and contract liabilities 

114
F35
116
F37
119
      F40
126
F47
129
F50
129
F50
130
       F51

94
100
108
109
112
112

133
F54
133
F54
135
F56
141
F62

130
131
132

Inventories 

Section 5: Our people
Section 4: Our capital and risk management
5.1
4.1  Dividend 
5.2
4.2  Equity 
5.3
4.3  Capital management 
4.4  Financial instruments and risk management 
5.4

-   Employee benefits
-   Employee share plans
-   Post-employment benefits
-   Key management personnel compensation

-   Investments in controlled entities
-   Investments in joint ventures and associated 
entities

Section 6: Our investments
Section 5: Our people
5.1  Employee benefits 
6.1
5.2  Employee share plans 
6.2
5.3  Post-employment benefits 
5.4  Key management personnel compensation 
Section 7: Other information
Section 6: Our investments
7.1
6.1 
7.2
6.2 
7.3
7.4
Section 7: Other information
7.5
7.1  Other accounting policies 
7.6
7.2  Auditor’s remuneration 
7.3  Other provisions 
Directors’ Declaration
7.4  Parent entity disclosures 
Independent Auditor’s Report
7.5  Commitments and contingencies 
7.6  Events after reporting date 

-   Other accounting policies
Investments in controlled entities 
-   Auditor’s remuneration
Investments in joint ventures and associated entities 
-   Other provisions
-   Parent entity disclosures
-   Commitments and contingencies
-   Events after reporting date

150
F71
151
F72
154
F75
157
F78

133
133
135
141

158
F79
163
F84

150
151
154
157

158
163

168
F89
168
F89
169
F90
169
F90
171
F92
171
F92

168
168
169
169
171
171

F95
173

172
F93

Income
Statement

For the year ended 30 June 2020

Telstra Group

Income

Revenue (excluding finance income)

Other income

Expenses

Labour

Goods and services purchased

Net impairment losses on financial assets

Other expenses

Share of net (loss)/profit from joint ventures and associated entities

Earnings before interest, income tax expense, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA)

Depreciation and amortisation

Earnings before interest and income tax expense (EBIT)

Finance income

Finance costs

Net finance costs

Profit before income tax expense

Income tax expense

Profit for the year

Profit/(loss) for the year attributable to:

Equity holders of Telstra Entity

Non-controlling interests

Earnings per share (cents per share)

Basic

Diluted

The notes following the financial statements form part of the financial report.

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

2.2

2.2

2.3

6.2

2.3

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.5

23,710

2,451

26,161

4,058

9,107

202

3,584

25,259

2,548

27,807

5,279

9,138

184

5,234

16,951

19,835

(305)

12

17,256

19,823

8,905

5,338

3,567

274

1,045

771

2,796

957

1,839

1,819

20

1,839

7,984

4,282

3,702

238

868

630

3,072

923

2,149

2,154

(5)

2,149

cents

cents

15.3

15.3

18.1

18.1

80 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F1

F2 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 81

Directors’ Declaration 

Independent Auditor’s Report 

172

173

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)2020.Financial Report.book  Page 3  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 4  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Statement of
Comprehensive Income

For the year ended 30 June 2020

Telstra Group

Profit/(loss) for the year attributable to:

Equity holders of Telstra Entity

Non-controlling interests

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

1,819

20

1,839

2,154

(5)

2,149

Items that will not be reclassified to the income statement

Retained profits

Actuarial loss on defined benefit plans attributable to equity holders of Telstra Entity

5.3

Income tax on actuarial loss on defined benefit plans

Fair value of equity instruments reserve

Gain from investments in equity instruments designated at fair value through other comprehensive 
income

Share of other comprehensive income of equity accounted entities

Income tax on fair value movements for investments in equity instruments

Items that may be subsequently reclassified to the income statement

Foreign currency translation reserve

Translation differences of foreign operations attributable to equity holders of Telstra Entity

4.3

4.3

Cash flow hedging reserve

Changes in cash flow hedging reserve

Share of other comprehensive income of equity accounted entities

Income tax on movements in the cash flow hedging reserve

Foreign currency basis spread reserve

Changes in the value of the foreign currency basis spread

Income tax on movements in the foreign currency basis spread reserve

Total other comprehensive income

Total comprehensive income for the year

Total comprehensive income for the year attributable to:

Equity holders of Telstra Entity

Non-controlling interests

The notes following the financial statements form part of the financial report.

(82)

25

-

16

(2)

(43)

21

54

(6)

(16)

(6)

2

49

6

(10)

3

3

66

(22)

40

39

3

-

(1)

(22)

7

26

66

1,845

2,215

1,825

20

2,220

(5)

Statement of
Financial Position

As at 30 June 2020

Telstra Group

Current assets

Cash and cash equivalents

Trade and other receivables and contract assets

Deferred contract costs

Inventories

Derivative financial assets

Current tax receivables

Prepayments

Assets classified as held for sale

Total current assets

Non-current assets

Trade and other receivables and contract assets

Deferred contract costs

Inventories

Investments – accounted for using the equity method

Investments – other

Property, plant and equipment

Right-of-use assets

Intangible assets

Derivative financial assets

Deferred tax assets

Defined benefit asset

Total non-current assets

Total assets

Current liabilities

Trade and other payables

Employee benefits

Other provisions

Lease liabilities

Borrowings

Derivative financial liabilities

Current tax payables

Contract liabilities and other revenue received in advance

Liabilities classified as held for sale

Total current liabilities

Non-current liabilities

Other payables

Employee benefits

Other provisions

Lease liabilities

Borrowings

Derivative financial liabilities

Deferred tax liabilities

Defined benefit liability

Contract liabilities and other revenue received in advance

Total non-current liabilities

Total liabilities

Net assets

Telstra Financial Report 2020

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

2.6

3.4

3.9

3.5

4.3

3.10

3.4

3.9

3.5

6.2

4.4

3.1

3.3

3.2

4.3

2.4

5.3

3.6

5.1

7.3

3.3

4.3

4.3

2.4

3.7

3.10

3.6

5.1

7.3

3.3

4.3

4.3

2.4

5.3

3.7

499

5,121

82

418

147

2

265

-

604

5,392

95

448

179

7

457

121

6,534

7,303

1,428

1,354

28

897

21

780

1,232

35

1,298

25

21,499

21,836

3,030

7,412

2,011

66

123

37,869

44,403

-

7,706

2,083

59

232

35,286

42,589

3,980

4,528

727

124

611

2,763

54

224

1,611

-

10,094

4

127

143

2,687

13,066

320

1,605

8

1,202

19,162

29,256

15,147

804

103

-

2,222

57

103

1,657

79

9,553

68

158

158

-

15,031

283

1,529

8

1,271

18,506

28,059

14,530

82 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F3

F4 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 83

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)2020.Financial Report.book  Page 5  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 6  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Statement of
Financial Position (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

As at 30 June 2020

Telstra Group

Equity

Share capital

Reserves

Retained profits

Equity available to Telstra Entity shareholders

Non-controlling interests

Total equity

The notes following the financial statements form part of the financial report.

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

4.2

4.2

4,451

5

10,017

14,473

674

4,447

(58)

10,160

14,549

(19)

15,147

14,530

Statement of
Cash Flows

For the year ended 30 June 2020

Telstra Group

Cash flows from operating activities

Receipts from customers (inclusive of goods and services tax (GST))

Payments to suppliers and employees (inclusive of GST)

Government grants received

Net cash generated by operations

Income taxes paid

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities

Payments for property, plant and equipment

Payments for intangible assets

Capital expenditure (before investments)

Payments for shares in controlled entities (net of cash acquired)

Payments for equity accounted investments

Payments for other investments

Total capital expenditure (including investments)

Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment

Proceeds from sale of businesses and shares in controlled entities (net of cash disposed)

Proceeds from sale of equity accounted and other investments

Distributions received from equity accounted investments

Receipts for the principal portion of finance lease receivables

Government grants received

Interest received

Net cash used in investing activities

Operating cash flows less investing cash flows

Cash flows from financing activities

Proceeds from borrowings

Repayment of borrowings

Payment for the principal portion of lease liabilities

Payment for the principal portion of finance lease liabilities

Purchase of shares for employee share plans

Finance costs paid

Dividends paid to non-controlling interests

Dividend paid to equity holders of Telstra Entity

Proceeds from the sale of units in a controlled trust

Other

Net cash used in financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year

The notes following the financial statements form part of the financial report.

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

29,506

30,231

(21,895)

(22,748)

153

7,764

156

7,639

(754)

(956)

7,010

6,683

(2,341)

(1,101)

(3,207)

(1,163)

(3,442)

(4,370)

-

(33)

(122)

(115)

(21)

(26)

(3,597)

(4,532)

276

646

58

15

83

135

28

26

42

6

33

104

53

33

(2,976)

(3,615)

4,034

3,068

5,476

4,669

(6,562)

(4,637)

(993)

-

(22)

(812)

(23)

-

(79)

-

(781)

(2)

(1,903)

(2,259)

698

3

-

1

(4,138)

(3,088)

(104)

604

(1)

499

(20)

620

4

604

2.4

2.6

3.3

4.1

6.1

2.6

84 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F5

F6 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 85

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 7  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 8  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Statement of
Changes in Equity

For the year ended 30 June 2020

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements

Notes to the financial statements

Section 1. Basis of preparation

Section 1. Basis of preparation

This section explains basis of preparation of our 
This section explains basis of preparation of our 
financial report and provides a summary of our key 
financial report and provides a summary of our key 
accounting estimates and judgements.
accounting estimates and judgements.

Telstra Group

Share 
capital

Reserves Retained 

Total

profits

Balance at 1 July 2018
Profit/(loss) for the year
Other comprehensive income
Total comprehensive income for the year
Dividends
Non-controlling interests on disposals
Transactions with non-controlling interests
Amounts repaid on share loans provided to 
employees
Share-based payments
Balance at 30 June 2019
Change in accounting policy arising from AASB 16: 
'Leases'
Restated balance at 1 July 2019
Profit for the year
Other comprehensive income
Total comprehensive income for the year
Dividends
Non-controlling interests from the sale of units in a 
controlled trust
Transactions with non-controlling interests
Amounts repaid on share loans provided to 
employees

Additional shares purchased

Share-based payments
Balance at 30 June 2020

Note

1.5

6.1

4.2

$m
4,428
-
-
-
-
-
-

1

18
4,447

-

4,447
-

-
-

-

-

3

(22)

23
4,451

$m
(131)
-
73
73
-
-
-

-

-
(58)

-

(58)
-
63
63
-

-

-

-

-

-
5

$m
10,272
2,154
(7)
2,147
(2,259)
-
-

$m
14,569
2,154
66
2,220
(2,259)
-
-

-

1

-
10,160

18
14,549

(2)

(2)

10,158
1,819
(57)
1,762
(1,903)

14,547
1,819
6
1,825
(1,903)

-

-

-

-

-
10,017

-

-

3

(22)

23
14,473

The notes following the financial statements form part of the financial report.

Non- 
control- 
ling 
interests
$m
(13)
(5)
-
(5)
(2)
1
(1)

-

1
(19)

-

(19)
20
-
20
(26)

Total 
equity

$m
14,556
2,149
66
2,215
(2,261)
1
(1)

1

19
14,530

(2)

14,528
1,839
6
1,845
(1,929)

698

698

1

-

-

-
674

1

3

(22)

23
15,147

The financial statements of controlled entities are prepared for the 
same reporting period as the Telstra Entity, using consistent 
accounting policies.

1.4 Key accounting estimates and judgements

Preparing the financial report requires management to make 
estimates and judgements. 

1.4.1 COVID-19 pandemic

During the financial year 2020, a global pandemic caused by a 
coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared. Telstra continues to 
closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global 
and domestic economies. The expected duration and magnitude of 
this pandemic and its potential impacts on the economy and 
financial markets are unclear. It is not known whether the measures 
being undertaken in Australia and globally will be sufficient to limit 
the impact on the economy. The financial impacts for many 
businesses are expected to be material and for Telstra it will depend 
on how the situation and its impact on the economy and our 
customers evolves. 

Financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic identified and 
recognised during the financial year 2020 have been reflected in our 
financial performance for the year and considered in our financial 
position as at 30 June 2020. To the extent that ongoing impacts have 
been estimated we have considered the uncertainties arising from 
the COVID-19 pandemic in preparation of our financial statements 
and the relevant disclosures have been included in the following 
sections:

• section 3.1 regarding impairment assessment of our ubiquitous 

telecommunications network

• section 3.2 regarding impairment assessment of goodwill and 

intangible assets

• section 3.4 regarding measurement of expected credits losses for 

our financial assets

• section 4.4 regarding our financial risk management 
• section 6.2 regarding impairment assessment of our investments 

in associates. 

SECTION 1. BASIS OF PREPARATION

1.1 Basis of preparation of the financial report

This financial report is a general purpose financial report, prepared 
by a ‘for profit’ entity, in accordance with the requirements of the 
Australian Corporations Act 2001, Accounting Standards applicable 
in Australia and other authoritative pronouncements of the 
Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB). It also complies with 
International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and 
Interpretations published by the International Accounting Standards 
Board (IASB).

The financial report is presented in Australian dollars and, unless 
otherwise stated, all values have been rounded to the nearest million 
dollars ($m) under the option available under the Australian 
Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) Corporations 
(Rounding in Financial/Directors’ Report) Instrument 2016/191. The 
functional currency of the Telstra Entity and its Australian controlled 
entities is Australian dollars. The functional currency of certain non- 
Australian controlled entities is not Australian dollars. The results of 
these entities are translated into Australian dollars in accordance 
with our accounting policy in note 7.1.2.

The financial report is prepared in accordance with historical cost, 
except for some categories of financial instruments, which are 
recorded at fair value.

1.2 Terminology used in our income statement 

EBITDA reflects earnings before interest, income tax, depreciation 
and amortisation. Our management primarily uses EBITDA and 
earnings before interest and income tax expense (EBIT), in 
combination with other financial measures, to evaluate the 
Company’s operating performance. In addition, we believe EBITDA is 
useful to our shareholders, analysts and other members of the 
investment community who also view EBITDA as a widely recognised 
measure of operating performance.

EBIT is a similar measure to EBITDA, but takes into account 
depreciation and amortisation.

1.3 Principles of consolidation

Our financial report includes the assets and liabilities of the Telstra 
Entity and its controlled entities as a whole as at the end of the 
financial year and the consolidated results and cash flows for the 
year. 

An entity is considered to be a controlled entity where we are 
exposed, or have rights, to variable returns from our involvement with 
the entity and have the ability to affect those returns through our 
power to direct the activities of the entity. We consolidate the results 
of our controlled entities from the date on which we gain control until 
the date we cease control.

The effects of intra-group transactions and balances are eliminated 
in full from our consolidated financial statements.

Non-controlling interests in the results and equity of controlled 
entities are shown separately in our income statement, statement of 
comprehensive income, statement of financial position and 
statement of changes in equity.

86 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F7

F8 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 87

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 9  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 10  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 1. Basis of preparation (continued)

Section 1. Basis of preparation (continued)

1.4 Key accounting estimates and judgements (continued)

1.5 Changes in accounting policies

1.5 Changes in accounting policies (continued)

1.4.2 Summary of key management judgements 

The accounting policies and significant management judgements 
and estimates used and any changes thereto are set out in the 
relevant notes. They can be located within the following notes:

Key accounting estimates and judgements
Key accounting estimates and judgements
Assessment of a significant financing component 
Assessment of a significant financing component in 
in mass market contracts
mass market contracts
Determining standalone selling prices
Determining standalone selling prices
Assessment of a significant financing component in 
Assessment of a significant financing component 
Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU)
in Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU)
Impact of nbn Infrastructure Services Agreement 
Impact of nbn Infrastructure Services Agreement 
(ISA) on revenue from customer contracts and other 
(ISA) on revenue from customer contracts and 
income
other income
Assessment of a significant financing component in 
Assessment of a significant financing component 
nbn DAs
in nbn DAs
Percentage of completion for commercial contracts 
with nbn co
Percentage of completion for commercial 
contracts with nbn co
Estimating provision for income tax

Note Page
Note Page

2.2
2.2

2.2
2.2

2.2
2.2

2.2
2.2

2.2
2.2

2.2
2.2
2.4

101
F22

F23
102

F24
103

F25
104

F26
105
F26
105
F31

115
F36

F32
110

111
F36

2.4
2.4

3.2
3.1

3.1
3.1

3.2
3.2

2.4
3.1

3.2
3.2
3.2
3.2
3.3

Unrecognised deferred tax assets 
Estimating provision for income tax
Cash generating units (CGUs) for impairment 
Unrecognised deferred tax assets
assessment 
Cash generating units (CGUs) for impairment 
Useful lives and residual values of tangible assets
assessment
Determining CGUs and their recoverable amount for 
Useful lives and residual values of tangible assets
impairment assessment 
Determining CGUs and their recoverable amount 
Capitalisation of development costs
for impairment assessment
Determining fair value of identifiable intangible 
assets
Capitalisation of development costs
Useful lives of intangible assets
Determining fair value of identifiable intangible 
assets
Determining lease term
Determining incremental borrowing rates for 
Useful lives of intangible assets
property leases
Determining lease term
Estimating allowance for doubtful debts
Determining incremental borrowing rates for 
Estimating net realisable value 
property leases
Amortisation period of deferred contract costs
Estimating allowance for doubtful debts
Long service leave provision
Estimating net realisable value
Defined benefit plan
Amortisation period of deferred contract costs
Significant influence over our investments
Long service leave provision
Joint control of our investments
Defined benefit plan
Note 7.1 includes our accounting policy on foreign currency 
Significant influence over our investments
translation and a summary of new accounting standards to be 
Joint control of our investments
applied in future reporting periods.

3.9
3.4
5.1
3.5
5.3
3.9
6.2
5.1
6.2
5.3

3.2
3.3
3.3
3.4

3.3
3.5

6.2

6.2

F38
115

F39
117

F40
118
F40
119
F41

119
F43
120
F48

F50
122

F53
127
F71
129
F77
132
F86
150
F86
156

165

165

Note 7.1 includes our accounting policy on foreign currency 
translation and a summary of new accounting standards to be 
applied in future reporting periods.

A number of new or amended accounting standards became 
mandatory during the financial year 2020, with the key changes to 
our accounting policies resulting from AASB 16: ‘Leases’. 

The impact of the first time adoption of the lease accounting 
standard has been disclosed in note 1.5.1 below and the new 
accounting policies in notes 2.2.3 and 3.3.3. Other accounting 
standards and amendments mandatory in the current reporting 
period did not have any material impacts on our accounting policies.

1.5.1 First time adoption of the new lease accounting standard 

(a) Adoption approach and transition impacts 

In February 2016, the AASB issued AASB 16: ‘Leases’, which replaced 
AASB 117: ‘Leases’, Interpretation 4: ‘Determining whether an 
Arrangement contains a Lease’, Interpretation 115: ‘Operating 
Leases - Incentives’ and Interpretation 127: ‘Evaluating the 
Substance of Transactions Involving the Legal Form of a Lease’. 

We have adopted AASB 16 from 1 July 2019 using the modified 
retrospective adoption approach. Applying this method, the 
comparative information for the financial year 2019 has not been 
restated. Instead, the cumulative effect of initially applying this 
standard was adjusted as at 1 July 2019 to amend the opening 
balance of retained earnings and the respective line items in the 
statement of financial position. 

The new standard introduced new requirements for lease 
identification and determination of a lease term, which apply to both 
lessee and lessor. However, on transition we have applied the relief 
provisions and we have not reassessed whether a contract is, or 
contains, a lease at the date of initial application of 1 July 2019. As 
such, this standard has been applied to all open contracts that have 
already been identified as leases under AASB 117 and Interpretation 
4 before or as at 30 June 2019 (referred to as 'transitioning 
contracts'). 

The new standard introduced significant accounting changes for our 
lease arrangements where Telstra Group is a lessee as it requires the 
lessee to recognise all its leases in the statement of financial 
position as an asset (representing the right to use the leased asset) 
and a liability (reflecting future lease payments). Depreciation of the 
right-of-use asset and interest on the lease liability are recognised 
over the determined lease term.

When estimating the right-of-use asset and the lease liability as at 1 
July 2019, for our transitioning operating leases where Telstra Group 
is a lessee and as allowed by the standard, we have used the 
following practical expedients for all similar leases on a consistent 
basis (as opposed to on a lease-by-lease basis):

• we have applied a single discount rate to portfolios of leases with 
characteristics which we have assessed to be reasonably similar 
• we have elected to rely on our assessment of whether leases are 
onerous under AASB 137: 'Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and 
Contingent Assets' as at 30 June 2019 instead of conducting an 
impairment review 

• for leases of personal computers, printers and other related 

equipment, for which the underlying assets are of low value, we 
have not made any adjustments on transition and as a result the 
lease payments under these contracts will continue to be 
recognised on a straight-line basis over the lease term as other 
operating expenses

• we have excluded initial direct costs from the measurement of the 

right-of-use assets upon initial application of the standard

• we have elected to utilise hindsight in determining the lease term 
for contracts that contain options for extension or termination of 
the lease.

1.5.1 First time adoption of the new lease accounting standard 
(continued)

(a) Adoption approach and transition impacts (continued)

Other operating leases included motor vehicles and video 
conferencing equipment, for which we have recognised right-of-use 
assets and lease liabilities, and personal computers, printers and 
other related equipment, which continue to be expensed under the 
exemption for leases of low value assets. 

AASB 16 substantially carried forward the lessor accounting 
requirements of AASB 117. Accordingly, as a lessor we continue to 
classify our leases and account for them as operating or finance 
leases.

As a lessee, we also have leases of renewable energy plants with fully 
variable lease payments, which continue to be expensed in the 
period in which the event or condition that triggers those payments 
occurs.

The transition impacts on our key lease arrangements were as below.

As a lessee, we have a significant number of long-term non-
cancellable property leases for our office buildings, warehouses, 
retail stores and network sites which used to be accounted for as 
operating leases. On transition to AASB 16 recognition of these 
leases had the most significant impact on the statement of financial 
position. A small number of our office and data centre buildings, or 
parts thereof, are subject to subleases for which on transition we 
have recognised finance lease receivables and recorded a net loss in 
the opening retained earnings. 

We also have a large volume of low value operating leases for mobile 
handsets which are subleased to our consumer and small business 
customers under our mobile bundles. This customer offer was 
removed from the market on 25 June 2019. However, the 
adjustments related to our existing leases resulted in considerable 
transition impacts reflecting the recognition of right-of-use assets 
and lease liabilities under our new lessee accounting policies. Our 
customer mobile bundles offering handset leases are in substance 
back-to-back subleases of the newly recognised right-of-use 
assets. There were no changes to our lessor accounting for the 
customer contracts and they continue to be accounted for as 
operating leases due to the nature of these transactions.

Our finance leases (Telstra Group as a lessee) mainly related to sale 
and leaseback of communication assets dedicated to solution 
management, which were subleased to our enterprise customers 
under dealer-lessor finance leases (Telstra Group as a dealer-
lessor). There were no measurement adjustments to these leases on 
transition to AASB 16. However, going forward any similar new 
arrangements where Telstra as a seller-lessee enters into a legal 
sale and leaseback transaction will be assessed under AASB 16 
requirements. In particular, where the legal sale transaction does 
not meet revenue recognition criteria, sale and leaseback 
transactions will be accounted for as a financial liability rather than 
a lease.

As at 30 June 2019, certain finance and operating leases related to 
selected data centres were classified as part of assets and liabilities 
held for sale and separately presented in the statement of financial 
position. On 1 July 2019, the operating leases classified as held for 
sale have been remeasured under AASB 16 requirements and the 
right-of-use assets and lease liabilities have been recognised as an 
adjustment to the assets and liabilities classified as held for sale.

(b) Summary of adjustments   

Key changes in the accounting policies resulted in the following 
adjustments to our transitioning contracts on adoption of AASB 16 
on 1 July 2019: 

AASB 117 lease classification 
as at 30 June 2019

Adjustment on transition on 1 July 2019

Telstra as a lessee in a finance 
lease

Reclassification of the existing assets under finance leases and finance lease liabilities 
recognised as at 30 June 2019 to right-of-use assets and lease liabilities, respectively. 

Telstra as a lessee in an operating 
lease 

Recognition of lease liabilities (measured as present value of the remaining lease payments 
over the determined lease term, discounted using our incremental borrowing rate as at 1 July 
2019) and an equal amount of the right-of-use assets. Where relevant, the right-of-use assets 
were adjusted by the amount of any prepaid or accrued lease payments or lease incentives 
recognised as at 30 June 2019.

Telstra as an intermediate lessor 
in an operating sublease

Change in classification from operating to finance subleases based on reassessment by 
reference to head leases recognised on 1 July 2019, resulting in derecognition of the newly 
created right-of-use assets and recognition of finance lease receivables with any 
corresponding net gain or loss adjustment to the opening retained earnings. 

Telstra as an intermediate lessor 
in a finance sublease, or

Telstra as a head lessor (including 
dealer-lessor) in a finance or an 
operating lease 

No adjustments have been required. 

88 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F9

F10 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 89

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)2020.Financial Report.book  Page 11  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 12  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 1. Basis of preparation (continued)

Section 1. Basis of preparation (continued)

1.5 Changes in accounting policies (continued)

1.5.1 First time adoption of the new lease accounting standard 
(continued)

(b) Summary of adjustments (continued)

The initial application of AASB 16 as at 1 July 2019 resulted in 
recognition of $3,751 million right-of-use assets and $3,935 million 
lease liabilities in the statement of financial position. Lease liabilities 
included the $291 million reclassification of finance lease balances 
previously presented as part of the borrowings line in the statement 
of financial position. The difference between the right-of-use assets 
and lease liabilities reflected adjustments to the right-of-use assets 
for: 

• any prepaid and/or accrued lease payments or lease incentives
• a net loss recognised in the opening retained earnings on 

derecognition of right-of-use assets for finance subleases.

Table A summarises adjustments made on 1 July 2019 to each line 
item in the statement of financial position affected by the first time 
application of AASB 16. The reported balances of 30 June 2019 
incorporate adjustments described in note 1.5.3. 

Table A
Telstra Group

Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade and other receivables and contract assets
Deferred contract costs
Inventories
Derivative financial assets
Current tax receivables
Prepayments
Assets classified as held for sale
Total current assets
Non-current assets
Trade and other receivables and contract assets
Deferred contract costs
Inventories
Investments – accounted for using the equity method
Investments – other
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Intangible assets
Derivative financial assets
Deferred tax assets
Defined benefit asset
Total non-current assets
Total assets

As at
30 Jun 2019

AASB 16

As at 
1 July 2019

Reported

Adjustments

Restated

$m

604
5,392
95
448
179
7
457
121
7,303

780
1,232
35
1,298
25
21,836
-
7,706
2,083
59
232
35,286
42,589

$m

-
7
-
-
-
-
(161)
43
(111)

18
-
-
-
-
(69)
3,751
-
-
-
-
3,700
3,589

$m

604
5,399
95
448
179
7
296
164
7,192

798
1,232
35
1,298
25
21,767
3,751
7,706
2,083
59
232
38,986
46,178

1.5 Changes in accounting policies (continued)

1.5.1 First time adoption of the new lease accounting standard 
(continued)

(b) Summary of adjustments (continued)

Table A (continued)
Telstra Group

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Employee benefits
Other provisions
Lease liabilities
Borrowings
Derivative financial liabilities
Current tax payables
Contract liabilities and other revenue received in advance
Liabilities classified as held for sale
Total current liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Other payables
Employee benefits
Other provisions
Lease liabilities
Borrowings
Derivative financial liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Defined benefit liability
Contract liabilities and other revenue received in advance
Total non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Net assets
Equity
Share capital
Reserves
Retained profits
Equity available to Telstra Entity shareholders
Non-controlling interests
Total equity

As at 
30 Jun 2019

AASB 16

As at 
1 July 2019

Reported

Adjustments

Restated

$m

4,528
804
103
-
2,222
57
103
1,657
79
9,553

68
158
158
-
15,031
283
1,529
8
1,271
18,506
28,059
14,530

4,447
(58)
10,160
14,549
(19)
14,530

$m

(8)
-
(5)
978
(78)
-
-
-
43
930

(64)
-
(18)
2,957
(213)
-
(1)
-
-
2,661
3,591
(2)

-
-
(2)
(2)
-
(2)

$m

4,520
804
98
978
2,144
57
103
1,657
122
10,483

4
158
140
2,957
14,818
283
1,528
8
1,271
21,167
31,650
14,528

4,447
(58)
10,158
14,547
(19)
14,528

The following paragraphs provide further details on the nature of 
adjustments to each of the impacted line items in the statement of 
financial position:

• property, plant and equipment decreased due to reclassification 
of the existing assets under finance leases to right-of-use assets
• borrowings reduced due to reclassification of the existing finance 

• right-of-use assets and lease liabilities were recognised as new 

line items for the transitioning leases

• trade and other receivables and contract assets increased due to 
recognition of finance lease receivables for finance subleases of 
right-of-use assets

• prepayments, trade and other payables and other provisions 

decreased due to prepaid or accrued rent and lease incentives 
adjusting the right-of-use assets

• assets and liabilities held for sale increased to reflect the 

transition to AASB 16 of operating leases classified as held for sale 
as at 30 June 2019

lease liabilities to lease liabilities

• deferred tax liabilities decreased to reflect tax impacts of the net 

loss recognised in the opening retained earning on the 
derecognition of the right-of-use assets under finance subleases 

• retained profits decreased to recognise a net loss on finance 

subleases of right-of-use assets.

90 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F11

F12 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 91

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)2020.Financial Report.book  Page 13  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 14  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 1. Basis of preparation (continued)

Section 1. Basis of preparation (continued)

1.5 Changes in accounting policies (continued)

(d) Amendment to AASB 16    

1.5.1 First time adoption of the new lease accounting standard 
(continued)

(c) Reconciliation of operating lease commitments and the lease 
liability 

On adoption of AASB 16 and as detailed in the section above, for 
Telstra as a lessee we recognised lease liabilities in relation to leases 
previously classified as operating leases under AASB 117. The 
recognised lease liabilities were measured at the present value of 
the remaining lease payments over the determined lease term, 
discounted using our incremental borrowing rates as of 1 July 2019. 
The weighted average incremental borrowing rate applied to the 
lease liabilities on 1 July 2019 was 2.9 per cent.

Our operating lease commitments at 30 June 2019 also included 
commitments for leases legally commencing after the transition 
date of 1 July 2019, all of which have been included in the lease 
liability as at the transition date as under the new requirements they 
represented modifications of transitioning lease contracts. 

In June 2020, the AASB issued AASB 2020-4: ‘Amendments to 
Australian Accounting Standards - COVID-19-Related Rent 
Concessions’ to make it easier for lessees to account for COVID-19-
related rent concessions such as rent holidays and temporary rent 
reductions. Telstra early adopted the amendment in June 2020 to 
account for COVID-19-related rent concessions granted during the 
financial year 2020. 

The amendment provides lessees with an optional practical 
expedient not to assess whether rent concessions occurring as a 
direct consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic are lease 
modifications and allows lessees to account for such rent 
concessions as variable lease payments in most instances. It applies 
to COVID-19-related rent concessions that reduce lease payments 
due on or before 30 June 2021. 

There were no material impacts from the adoption of this 
amendment.

(e) Summary of new accounting policies

Lease liabilities recognised on adoption of AASB 16 differed from our 
operating lease commitments disclosed in note 7.4.2 to the financial 
statements in our 2019 Annual Report. The differences mostly arose 
from the effects of discounting the future lease payments and the 
reassessment of lease term (including lease modifications) as 
summarised in Table B. 

On adoption of the new lease accounting standard, our existing 
accounting policies have been amended to reflect the changes 
described in the sections above. The new accounting polices 
describing revenue recognition from our lease arrangements and 
accounting for our lease arrangements are disclosed in notes 2.2.3 
and 3.3.3, respectively.

1.5.2 First time adoption of the amendments relating to the 
interest rate benchmark reform 

Following the decision by global regulators to replace Inter-bank 
Offered Rates (IBORs), i.e. a series of interest rate benchmarks, with 
alternative risk-free rates, we have established a project led by our 
treasury department with representation from functions across the 
company to monitor the developments of global regulators and to 
manage the transition of our contracts that could be affected. 

We have elected to early adopt AASB 2019-3: ‘Amendments to 
Australian Accounting Standards - Interest Rate Benchmark 
Reform’, issued by the AASB in October 2019. The standard includes 
a number of reliefs that apply to all hedging relationships directly 
affected by interest rate benchmark reform. A hedging relationship is 
affected if interest rate benchmark reform gives rise to uncertainties 
about the timing and or amount of benchmark-based cash flows of 
the hedged item or the hedging instrument. The reliefs apply during 
the period before the replacement of an existing interest rate 
benchmark with an alternative risk-free rate. The reliefs cease to 
apply once certain conditions are met. The adoption of the new 
standard had no impact on Telstra’s financial results for the year 
ended 30 June 2020.

To date we have identified that our net exposure on the financial 
instruments is to Australian dollar BBSW as receive and pay cash 
flows denominated in foreign currency are perfectly matched.

Table B: Reconciliation of operating lease commitments (Telstra as a 
lessee) previously reported as at 30 June 2019 in our 2019 Annual 
Report (applying AASB 117) to lease liabilities recognised on 
transition to AASB 16 on 1 July 2019.

Table B
Telstra Group

Operating lease commitments as at 30 June 
2019 (as reported in the 2019 Financial Report)

Add: reassessment of lease term (including 
lease modifications)

Add: finance lease liabilities as at 30 June 2019 
(as reported in the 2019 Financial Report and 
excluding finance lease liabilities transferred 
to liabilities held for sale)

(Less): discounting impact using the 
incremental borrowing rate as at 1 July 2019

(Less): operating lease commitments related to 
leases expensed as leases of low value assets

(Less): lease liabilities related to the disposal 
group classified as held for sale as at 30 June 
2019
Lease liabilities recognised on transition to 
AASB 16 on 1 July 2019

Reconciliation 
of operating 
lease 
commitments 
to opening 
balance of 
lease liability

$m

3,796

324

291

(408)

(25)

(43)

3,935

Changes from the AASB 16 adoption impacting retained profits are 
presented as restatements directly in the statement of changes in 
equity.

1.5 Changes in accounting policies (continued)

1.5.2 First time adoption of the amendments relating to the 
interest rate benchmark reform (continued)

Table C summarises as at 30 June 2020 our derivative instruments in 
hedging relationships that would be affected by IBOR reform 
showing estimated gross nominal floating-rate interest cash flows 
until maturity and associated nominal amounts in the underlying 
currency and weighted average maturity.

Table C
Telstra Group

Native 
currency

Receive/
(pay)

Interest rate swaps
3MBBSW
3MBBSW
3MEURIBOR
3MLIBOR
Cross currency swaps
3MBBSW
3MEURIBOR
3MLIBOR
Net
3MBBSW

AUD
AUD
EUR
USD

AUD
EUR
USD

AUD

Receive
Pay
Pay
Pay

Pay
Receive
Receive

Pay

Nominal 
amounts

Weighted 
average 
maturity

Nominal 
interest 
cash flows 
until 
maturity

$m

9
(4)
(49)
(28)

(428)
49
28

$m

years

2,283
(50)
(2,250)
(1,000)

(6,313)
2,250
1,000

2.3
3.5
1.8
1.3

3.1
1.8
1.3

(423)

(4,080)

1.5.3 Change in presentation of long-term network capacity assets 

Our communication assets include long-term network capacity 
assets arising from Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) arrangements 
which represent resources generating future economic benefits. 
These assets used to be presented as part of our communication 
assets in property, plant and equipment. In the absence of any 
specific guidance, we assessed that such presentation best 
reflected their nature and was not inconsistent with industry 
practices. 

However, new guidance in regard to accounting for different types of 
IRU arrangements emerged following the adoption of AASB 16 and 
recent International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee 
decisions. As a result, we have made a decision to change the 
presentation of our existing long-term network capacity assets and 
reclassify them retrospectively from property, plant and equipment 
to intangible assets. 

The presentation changes do not impact our reported results other 
than restatement of the presentation of line items in our financial 
statements (as described in Table A) recognised as at the beginning 
of the comparative period, i.e. as at 1 July 2018 and subsequent 
reporting periods. 

Table A: Summary of retrospective changes in presentation of our 
long-term network capacity assets in the respective financial 
statements.

Table A
Telstra Group

Statement of financial position 

Reclassification from property, 
plant and equipment to 
intangible assets

Income statement 

Reclassification from 
depreciation to amortisation 
expense

Statement of cash flows 

Reclassification from payments 
for property, plant and 
equipment to payments for 
intangible assets

As at 
30 June 
2019 

Year 
ended 
30 June 
2019 

As at  
30 June 
2018

$m

$m

$m

496

n/a

535

n/a

68

n/a

n/a

28

n/a

The presentation changes are retrospective. However, they do not 
impact the recognition or measurement of the results reported in the 
prior periods, and the presentation adjustments impact the same 
nature of line items, i.e. there is no change in total amortisation and 
depreciation expense or total cash flows from investing activities. 
None of the presentation changes impact earnings per share. 

92 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F13

F14 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 93

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)2020.Financial Report.book  Page 15  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 16  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)
Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Section 2. Our performance
Section 2. Our performance

This section explains our results, performance of our segments, 
This section explains our results, performance of our segments, 
which are reported on the same basis as our internal 
which are reported on the same basis as our internal  
management structure, and our earnings per share for the 
management structure, and our earnings per share for the  
period. It also provides disaggregated revenue, details of 
period. It also provides disaggregated revenue, details of  
selected income and expense items, information about taxation 
selected income and expense items, information about taxation 
and a reconciliation of our profit to net cash generated from 
and a reconciliation of our profit to net cash generated from 
operating activities.
operating activities.

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue (continued)

2.1.1 Operating segments (continued)

Segment

Operation

SECTION 2. OUR PERFORMANCE

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue

2.1.1 Operating segments

Telstra InfraCo 

Segment information is based on the information that 
management uses to make decisions about operating matters 
and allows users to review operations through the eyes of 
management.

Our operating segments represent the functions which offer our 
main products and services in the market, however only some 
of our operating segments meet the disclosure criteria for 
reportable segments.

The presentation of revenue is disaggregated by category and 
segment based on the timing of transfer of goods and services, 
major products and our geographical markets.

We report segment information on the same basis as our internal 
management reporting structure at the reporting date. Segment 
comparatives reflect any organisational changes that have occurred 
since the prior reporting period to present a like-for-like view. 

During the financial year 2020, there were no changes to our 
operating segments. However, following the adoption of the new 
lease accounting standard, we have adjusted the measure of 
segment profit or loss as detailed below the description of our 
reportable segments. 

In our segment results, the ‘All Other’ category includes functions 
that do not qualify as operating segments in their own right as well as 
the operating segments which do not meet the disclosure 
requirements of a reportable segment. These are New Business 
(which includes Telstra Health), Global Business Services and 
Product and Technology Group.

We have four reportable segments as follows:

Segment

Operation

Telstra Consumer and 
Small Business (TC&SB)

• provider of telecommunication products, services and solutions across mobiles, fixed and mobile 

broadband, telephony and Pay TV/IPTV and digital content to consumer and small business customers 
in Australia

• the operation of inbound and outbound call centres, Telstra shops (owned and licensed) and the 

Telstra dealership network

• online self-service capabilities for customers, from buying to billing and service requests

Telstra Enterprise (TE)

• sales and contract management for large business and government customers in Australia and 

globally

• management of Telstra's networks outside Australia in conjunction with Network and IT and Telstra 

InfraCo segments

• product management for advanced technology solutions and services, including Data and Internet 

Protocol (IP) networks, mobility services, and Network Applications and Services (NAS) products such 
as managed network, unified communications, cloud, industry solutions and integrated services and 
monitoring in Australia and globally

• delivery of outcome-based, transformative technology solutions through Telstra Purple, Telstra’s 

technology services business

Networks and IT (N&IT)

• overall planning, design, engineering architecture and construction of Telstra networks, technology 

and information technology solutions

• delivering network technologies 
• delivering digital platforms and capabilities to enable digital experiences
• build and management of the shared platforms, infrastructure, cloud services, software and 

technologies for all internal functions

• wholesale provider of a wide range of telecommunication products and services delivered over Telstra 
networks and associated support systems to other carriers, carriage service providers and internet 
service providers

• holding fixed network infrastructure including data centres, non-mobiles related domestic fibre, 

copper, HFC cable, international subsea cables, exchanges, poles, ducts and pipes. Effective from 1 
July 2020, Telstra InfraCo’s asset accountabilities will also include our whole fibre network (including 
mobile backhaul) and mobile towers, but exclude PSTN and legacy fixed, and satellite infrastructure

• providing access to our fixed network infrastructure assets to other Telstra functions, wholesale 

customers and nbn co

• providing nbn co with long term access to certain components of our infrastructure and certain 
network services under the Infrastructure Services Agreement (ISA) and commercial contracts, 
respectively

Consistent with information presented for internal management 
reporting purposes, the result of each segment is measured based 
on its EBITDA contribution. 

EBITDA contribution excludes the effects of all inter-segment 
balances and transactions, with the exception of transactions 
referred to following Table A in note 2.1.2 and those related to the 
Telstra InfraCo segment as explained below. As such, only 
transactions external to the Telstra Group are reported except as 
otherwise noted.

An exception to the above is how we manage Telstra InfraCo, which is 
presented on a standalone basis and inclusive of its transactions 
with other functions. Other functions, however, do not reflect those 
transactions with Telstra InfraCo in their segment results. The 
paragraphs below describe types of transactions reported in Telstra 
InfraCo segment that are not included in the results of other 
functions. These transactions are eliminated at the Group level.

The majority of redundancy expenses for the Telstra Entity and 
restructuring costs are related to multiple reportable segments and 
are recorded by our corporate areas (included in the ‘All Other’ 
category).

EBITDA contribution differs from our reported EBITDA. In particular, 
following the adoption of the new lease accounting standard on 1 
July 2019, for the financial year 2020 we have adjusted the measure 
of segment result to include the depreciation expense related to the 
right-of-use assets for mobile handsets arising from leases (Telstra 
as a lessee) which we sublease to our TC&SB customers in back-to-
back arrangements. This is because given the nature of these leases, 
for management reporting purposes we continue to treat the 
depreciation of the mobile handsets right-of-use assets as an 
operating expense in order to provide a transparent view of our 
operating performance. To ensure comparability, we have restated 
the segment results for the financial year 2019 by removing the 
rental expenses arising from all but mobile handset leases, as 
reported in our management reports but previously classified as 
operating leases (Telstra as a lessee) and included in the ‘All Other’ 
category. 

The following further explains how some items are allocated and 
managed and, as a result, how they are reflected in our segment 
results:

• Telstra InfraCo generates access revenue from transactions with 
other segments. The inter-segment charges are for the use of the 
infrastructure assets and are not included in the EBITDA 
contribution of these other segments within Telstra Group. The 

access revenue is charged on the fixed network infrastructure 
allocated to Telstra InfraCo. Where such assets are shared with 
other functions, an allocation of the assets to Telstra InfraCo has 
been determined based on historical usage. This access revenue is 
determined based on an approach that incorporates a variety of 
internally and externally observable inputs to reflect an arm’s 
length basis for charging. They are regularly reviewed by 
management and are eliminated at the Group level for statutory 
reporting purposes.      

• the Telstra InfraCo segment result includes operations and 

maintenance expense. The expenses originating from the N&IT 
segment and ‘All Other’ category relate to Telstra InfraCo assets 
and are eliminated at the Group level. The costs have not been 
excluded from the N&IT segment or ‘All Other’ category. The shared 
operations and maintenance costs allocated to Telstra InfraCo 
assets are based on a usage methodology.

• the N&IT segment and ‘All Other’ category results include network 
service delivery costs for TC&SB, TE and Telstra InfraCo customers 

• the N&IT segment recognises expenses in relation to the 

installation, maintenance and running of the HFC cable network 
held in Telstra InfraCo (except for operations and maintenance 
costs recharged by N&IT segment to Telstra InfraCo segment), 
while a portion of the running costs of the HFC cable network is 
managed by the Corporate Accounting unit (included in the ‘All 
Other’ category)

• the Telstra InfraCo segment result includes rental revenue from 

providing nbn co with long term access to ducts and pits and other 
components of our infrastructure under the ISA, while the 
associated costs are reported in the N&IT segment and in the ‘All 
Other’ category, respectively

• Telstra InfraCo also includes costs associated with support 
functions, such as human resources, which have not been 
removed from other segments. We allocate these costs by utilising 
a driver-based cost allocation methodology for our internal 
performance reporting.

• revenue associated with mobile handsets sold via dealers for the 
TE segment is allocated to the TC&SB segment along with the 
associated costs of goods sold, as the TC&SB segment manages 
our supplier, delivery and dealership arrangements. Ongoing 
prepaid and post-paid mobile revenues derived from our mobile 
usage services are recorded in the TC&SB and TE segments 
depending on the type of customer serviced.

• domestic promotion and advertising expenses for the Telstra 

Entity are recorded in the TC&SB segment

• the ‘All Other’ category includes income from nbn disconnection 

fees and the associated costs.

94 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F15

F16 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 95

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 17  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 18  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue (continued)

2.1.2 Segment results and disaggregated revenue

Table A details our segment results and a reconciliation of EBITDA 
contribution to the Telstra Group’s EBITDA, EBIT and profit before 
income tax expense. It also presents disaggregated revenue based 
on the nature and the timing of transfer of goods and services. 

Table A
Telstra Group

TC&SB

TE

N&IT

All Other Subtotal

Telstra 
InfraCo

Elimina-
tions

Total

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Year ended 30 June 2020

Revenue from contracts with 
customers
Sale of services
Sale of goods
Other revenue from contracts with 
customers

Revenue from other sources
Revenue from external customers
Access revenue from transactions 
between Telstra InfraCo and other 
segments
Total revenue from external 
customers and Telstra InfraCo
Other income
Total income
Share of net profit/(loss) from 
equity accounted entities
EBITDA contribution
Depreciation of mobile handsets 
right-of-use assets
Telstra Group EBITDA
Depreciation and amortisation
Telstra Group EBIT
Net finance costs
Telstra Group profit before 
income tax expense

10,124
2,604

6

12,734
576
13,310

6,876
655

37

7,568
346
7,914

n/a

n/a

13,310

16
13,326

-

7,914

56
7,970

3

-
-

-

-
13
13

n/a

13

74
87

-

(92)
5

3

(84)
8
(76)

n/a

16,908
3,264

46

20,218
943
21,161

2,546
3

-

2,549
-
2,549

-
-

-

-
-
-

19,454
3,267

46

22,767
943
23,710

n/a

1,690

(1,690)

-

(76)

21,161

2,121
2,045

2,267
23,428

(308)

(305)

4,239

184
4,423

-

(1,690)

23,710

-
(1,690)

2,451
26,161

-

(305)

4,738

3,418

(1,761)

(80)

6,315

2,833

(737)

8,411

494

8,905
(5,338)
3,567
(771)

2,796

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue (continued)

2.1.2 Segment results and disaggregated revenue (continued)

Table A (continued)
Telstra Group

TC&SB

TE

N&IT

All Other Subtotal

Telstra 
InfraCo

Elimina-
tions

Total

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Year ended 30 June 2019 (restated)

Revenue from contracts with 
customers
Sale of services
Sale of goods
Other revenue from contracts with 
customers

Revenue from other sources
Revenue from external customers
Access revenue from transactions 
between Telstra InfraCo and other 
segments
Total revenue from external 
customers and Telstra InfraCo
Other income
Total income
Share of net profit from equity 
accounted entities
EBITDA contribution
Operating lease expenses for all 
but mobile handset leases
Telstra Group EBITDA
Depreciation and amortisation
Telstra Group EBIT
Net finance costs
Telstra Group profit before 
income tax expense

10,714
2,869

9

13,592
674
14,266

7,121
810

31

7,962
251
8,213

1
-

-

1
34
35

n/a

n/a

n/a

(58)
2

4

(52)
9
(43)

n/a

17,778
3,681

44

21,503
968
22,471

2,786
2

-

2,788
-
2,788

-
-

-

-

-

20,564
3,683

44

24,291
968
25,259

n/a

1,891

(1,891)

-

14,266

15
14,281

-

8,213

30
8,243

2

35

35
70

-

(43)

22,471

2,199
2,156

10

2,279
24,750

12

4,679

269
4,948

-

(1,891)

25,259

-
(1,891)

2,548
27,807

-

12

5,645

3,502

(1,722)

(1,330)

6,095

3,210

(871)

8,434

(450)

7,984
(4,282)
3,702
(630)

3,072

During the financial year 2019, in the ‘All Other’ category we 
recognised total impairment loss of $499 million, including $442 
million related to intangible assets and $57 million related to 
property, plant and equipment. 

We recognise revenue from contracts with customers when the 
control of goods or services has been transferred to the customer. 
Revenue from sale of services is recognised over time, whereas 
revenue from sale of goods is recognised at a point in time. Other 
revenue from contracts with customers includes licensing revenue 
(recognised either at a point in time or over time). Refer to note 2.2.1 
for further details about our contracts with customers. 

The effects of the following inter-segment transactions have not 
been excluded from segment EBITDA contribution:

• revenue from external customers in the TE segment includes $292 
million (2019: $254 million) of inter-segment revenue treated as 
external expenses in the TC&SB and Telstra InfraCo segments, 
which is eliminated in the ‘All Other’ category

• external expenses in the TE segment include $11 million (2019: 
$11 million) of inter-segment expenses treated as external 
revenue in the Telstra InfraCo and eliminated in the ‘All Other’ 
category.

During the financial year 2020, in the 'All Other' category we 
recognised our share of net loss of $308 million, which included 
impairment of our investment in NXE Australia Pty Limited. Refer to 
note 6.2.1 for further details.

96 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F17

F18 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 97

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 19  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 20  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue (continued)

2.1.2 Segment results and disaggregated revenue (continued)

Table B presents disaggregation of our segment revenue by major 
products and geographical markets.

Table B

Telstra Group

Total revenue from external customers by product
Fixed
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Mobile
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Data & IP
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Network Applications and Services (NAS)
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Media
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Global connectivity
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Other products and services
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Total revenue from contracts with customers
Total revenue from other sources

Total revenue from external customers by geographical 
market
Australian customers
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Offshore customers
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources

TC&SB

TE

N&IT

All Other

Telstra 
InfraCo

Total

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Year ended 30 June 2020

3,794
3,791
3
8,236
7,766
470
102
102
-
354
354
-
725
725
-
-
-
-
99
(4)
103
12,734
576
13,310

13,310
12,734
576
-
-
-
13,310

203
203
-
1,640
1,634
6
1,555
1,555
-
2,526
2,195
331
1
1
-
1,998
1,990
8
(9)
(10)
1
7,568
346
7,914

6,185
5,833
352
1,729
1,735
(6)
7,914

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13
-
13
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
13
13

13
-
13
-
-
-
13

12
12
-
(22)
(22)
-
-
-
-
14
14
-
48
48
-
(292)
(292)
-
164
156
8
(84)
8
(76)

219
211
8
(295)
(295)
-
(76)

582
582
-
230
230
-
395
395
-
472
472
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
870
870
-
2,549
-
2,549

2,549
2,549
-
-
-
-
2,549

4,591
4,588
3
10,084
9,608
476
2,052
2,052
-
3,379
3,035
344
774
774
-
1,706
1,698
8
1,124
1,012
112
22,767
943
23,710

22,276
21,327
949
1,434
1,440
(6)
23,710

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue (continued)

2.1.2 Segment results and disaggregated revenue (continued)

Table B (continued)
Telstra Group

Total revenue from external customers by product
Fixed
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Mobile
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Data & IP
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Network Applications and Services (NAS)
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Media
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Global connectivity
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Other products and services
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Total revenue from contracts with customers
Total revenue from other sources

Total revenue from external customers by geographical market
Australian customers
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Offshore customers
Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources

Other products and services relate to nbn co accessing our 
infrastructure and miscellaneous revenue. It also includes revenue 
from Telstra Health.

‘All Other’ category by product and by geographical market includes 
eliminations of the inter-segment transactions described in the 
segment results following Table A in note 2.1.2. Amounts disclosed in 
geographical markets were partly offset by revenue from operating 
segments which do not meet the disclosure requirements of a 
reportable segment. Other negative revenue amounts related to 
certain corporate level adjustments.

TC&SB

TE

N&IT

All Other

Telstra 
InfraCo

Total

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Year ended 30 June 2019 (restated)

4,144
4,142
2
8,685
8,171
514
162
162
-
311
311
-
791
791
-
-
-
-
173
15
158
13,592
674
14,266

14,266
13,592
674
-
-
-
14,266

262
262
-
1,666
1,656
10
1,757
1,757
-
2,565
2,328
237
1
1
-
1,954
1,953
1
8
5
3
7,962
251
8,213

6,506
6,256
250
1,707
1,706
1
8,213

-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
35
1
34
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1
34
35

35
1
34
-
-
-
35

12
12
-
(16)
(16)
-
(6)
(6)
-
13
13
-
40
40
-
(254)
(254)
-
168
159
9
(52)
9
(43)

193
184
9
(236)
(236)
-
(43)

805
805
-
210
210
-
445
445
-
553
553
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
775
775
-
2,788
-
2,788

2,788
2,788
-
-
-
-
2,788

5,223
5,221
2
10,545
10,021
524
2,358
2,358
-
3,477
3,206
271
832
832
-
1,700
1,699
1
1,124
954
170
24,291
968
25,259

23,788
22,821
967
1,471
1,470
1
25,259

Information about our non-current assets by geographical market is 
presented in Table C.

Table C

Telstra Group

Carrying amount of non-current 
assets
Located in Australia
Located offshore

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

30,918
1,920
32,838

28,914
1,926
30,840

98 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F19

F20 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 99

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 21  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 22  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.1 Segments and disaggregated revenue (continued)

2.1.2 Segment results and disaggregated revenue (continued)

Our geographical operations are split between our Australian and 
offshore operations. No individual geographical area of our offshore 
operations forms a significant part of our operations.

The carrying amount of our segment non-current assets excludes 
financial assets, inventories, defined benefit assets, deferred 
contract costs and deferred tax assets.

2.2 Income

Table A

Telstra Group

Revenue from contracts with customers
Revenue from other sources
Total revenue (excluding finance income)
Other income
Net gain on disposal of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets
Net gain on disposal of businesses and investments
Net foreign currency translation gains
Government grants
nbn disconnection fees
Other miscellaneous income

Total income (excluding finance income)
Finance income
Finance income (excluding income from finance leases)
Finance income from finance leases (Telstra as a lessor)

Total income

Disaggregation of revenue from contracts with customers based on 
the nature and the timing of transfer of goods and services and by 
major products and geographical market is presented in note 2.1.2 in 
Table A and Table B, respectively. 

Revenue from other sources includes income from:

• our lease arrangements, including finance leases where Telstra is 
a dealer-lessor, operating leases and operating subleases, as 
detailed in note 3.3

• customer contributions to extend, relocate or amend our network 
assets, where the counterparty does not purchase any ongoing 
services under the same (or linked) contract(s).

Net gain on disposal of business and investments includes $12 
million gain on sale of assets and liabilities classified as held for sale 
as at 30 June 2019. Refer to note 3.10 for further details. 

Government grants include income under the Telstra Universal 
Service Obligation Performance Agreement (TUSOPA), Mobile 
Blackspot Government Program and other individually immaterial 
contracts accounted for as government grants. There are no 
unfulfilled conditions or other contingencies attached to these 
grants.

nbn disconnection fees earned under the Subscriber Agreement with 
nbn co are recognised as other income because they do not relate to 
our ordinary activities. We recognise this income when we have met 
our contractual obligations under this agreement.

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m
22,767
943
23,710

402
13
22
189
1,721
104
2,451
26,161

261
13
274
26,435

$m
24,291
968
25,259

686
1
9
200
1,611
41
2,548
27,807

222
16
238
28,045

Finance income from finance leases (Telstra as a lessor) for the 
financial year 2020 relates to all finance leases accounted for under 
the new lease accounting standard from 1 July 2019, whereas the 
comparative period only includes finance leases accounted for under 
the previous lease accounting requirements.

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.1 Our contracts with customers 

We generate revenue from customer contracts, which vary in their 
form (standard or bespoke), term (casual, short-term and long-term) 
and customer segment (consumer, small-medium business, 
government and large enterprise), with the main contracts being:

• homogeneous retail consumer contracts (mass market prepaid 

and post-paid mobile, fixed and media plans)

• retail small to medium business contracts (mass market and off-

the-shelf technology solutions)

• retail enterprise and government contracts (carriage, 

standardised and bespoke technology solutions and their 
management)

• network capacity contracts (mainly Indefeasible Right of Use)
• wholesale contracts for telecommunication services 
• nbn Definitive Agreements (nbn DAs) and related arrangements 
• network design, build and maintenance contracts (mainly with nbn 

co).

The nature and type of contracts with customers are further 
described below. 

We sell a wide range of goods and services, which are provided either 
directly by us or by third parties. Generally, we act as principal in our 
contracts with customers, i.e. we control any promised goods and 
services before they are transferred to the customer and we have 
primary obligation for their delivery.    

(a) Telstra Consumer and Small Business (TC&SB) contracts

TC&SB is a provider of telecommunication products, services and 
solutions across mobiles, fixed and mobile broadband, media and 
digital content to consumer and small business customers in 
Australia, i.e. our mass market customers. We offer prepaid and 
post-paid services. These contracts are homogeneous in nature and 
sold directly by us or via our dealer channel. 

Our mass market contracts often offer a bundle of goods and 
services, including products such as hardware, voice, text and data 
services, media content and others.

In prior reporting periods we offered post-paid plans as either fixed 
term contracts, where early termination charges applied if the 
customer cancelled the contract; or casual month-to-month 
contracts, where the customer could cancel the contract at any time 
without any significant termination penalty. Fixed term contracts 
were typically short term and rarely exceeded two to five years, with 
the majority of mobile and fixed contracts in this category being 24 
months and some small business contracts with a longer term. 

Our fixed term mobile contracts often offered a bundle of hardware 
and services, where the customer paid a monthly fee and received a 
discount. These arrangements included two separate legal contracts 
with a customer which were combined for accounting purposes. 

In June 2019, for both consumer and small business customers we 
introduced no-lock-in fixed and mobile service plans which will 
ultimately replace our fixed term contracts. In those arrangements, 
our customers can also purchase hardware together with the no-
lock-in service plans and pay one monthly fee for both, i.e. pay for 
hardware on deferred payment terms. However, if customers stop 
renewing their no-lock-in services, any outstanding hardware 
balance becomes payable immediately. 

Under our no-lock-in plans with hardware, separate legal contracts 
for hardware and services with the same customer are not combined 
for accounting purposes unless there is a price dependency between 
the contracts, in which case both legal contracts constitute a 
combined accounting contract with a term of one month. 

For mobile bundles sold directly by us, the discount is allocated 
between handset and services based on their relative standalone 
selling prices. However, if the bundle is sold via our dealer channel, 
the whole discount is allocated only to services because Telstra is 
not acting as a principal for delivery of the handset. 

In general, we recognise revenue from sale of goods on their delivery 
and from sale of services based on passage of time (for contracts 
with fixed monthly fees) or when the services have been consumed 
(for usage or excess based contracts). 

Under some of our mobile and fixed contracts with hardware we offer 
customers deferred payment terms for handsets or other devices.     

Assessment
of a
significant
financing
component
in mass
market
contracts

We have applied management judgement to 
assess if a financing component is 
significant in the context of a contract as a 
whole and determine appropriate discount 
rates, where relevant. 

We separately account for a significant 
financing component in our mass market 
contracts offering handsets and other 
devices on deferred payment terms.  

We measure the financing component at 
contract inception using a discount rate 
reflecting credit characteristics of the 
customer. 

Some of our mass market contracts also include material rights and 
the transaction price allocated to them at contract inception is 
recognised as revenue either when the customer exercises the 
option and benefits from the free or discounted products or when the 
rights are forfeited. 

We launched the Telstra Plus loyalty program under which our 
consumer and small business customers can earn points 
redeemable for certain goods and services in the future. Membership 
of the program also gives customers access to tier benefits in the 
form of free or discounted services like entertainment or technical 
support. Points awarded for purchases of Telstra goods and services 
are accounted for as material rights with any allocated revenue 
received in advance for these performance obligations recognised as 
a contract liability in the statement of financial position until such 
rights are either exercised or forfeited. Discretionary bonus points 
that reward behaviour and do not relate to accounting contracts are 
classified as a marketing offer and expensed at the time of awarding 
the points. Tier benefits are treated as a discount arising from a 
framework arrangement and reduce revenue of the related 
accounting contracts. 

In the prior reporting periods we offered mobile plans where the 
customer could lease a handset and purchase a bundle of services. 
We ceased to offer these plans from 25 June 2019, however all such 
contracts represent transitioning contracts on adoption of the new 
lease accounting standard and we continue to account for them until 
the earlier of the end of the lease or customer termination. 

Generally, we allocate the transaction price, and any relevant 
discounts, to all the products in the bundle based on a mixture of 
observable and estimated standalone selling prices of these 
products. However, any lease components were separated under the 
previous lease accounting standard based on the fair values of lease 
and aggregate of non-lease components. 

100 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F21

F22 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 101

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 23  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 24  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.1 Our contracts with customers (continued)

(a) Telstra Consumer and Small Business (TC&SB) contracts 
(continued)

Determining
standalone
selling
prices

We have applied management judgement to 
estimate standalone selling prices in order 
to allocate the transaction price to multiple 
performance obligations under the same 
customer contract. 

In the absence of observable prices, we use 
various estimation methods, including 
mostly an adjusted market assessment and 
cost plus margin approach to arrive at a 
standalone selling price.

Under our fixed contracts, we sometimes charge a connection fee for 
new connections to our network. Connection is a fulfilment activity, 
therefore this fee is added to the transaction price and allocated to 
distinct goods and services promised under the contract. 

Generally, mass market contracts are not modified due to their 
homogeneous nature. Under our legacy fixed term contracts 
customers often had rights included in the original contract to move 
up and/or down within the plan family, however these rights had not 
often been used. Our no-lock-in mass market fixed and mobile 
service plans are monthly contracts, which customers can change 
once a month or leave.

(b) Telstra Enterprise (TE) contracts

TE transacts with medium to large enterprise and government 
customers for the provision of telecommunication services, 
advanced technology solutions, network capacity and management, 
unified communications, cloud and integrated and monitoring 
services in Australia and globally. Large and complex TE contracts 
are usually bespoke in nature as they deliver tailored solutions and 
services. Outside of the large customers, the contracts are largely 
standard. 

TE contracts are generally large in annual turnover and range from 
one year in contract length to more than 15 years for large 
infrastructure projects, with the average term being three years. 
International network capacity agreements, referred to as 
Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) agreements, have an average 
contract term between 10 and 33 years.

Our TE legal contracts often are in a form of multi-year framework 
agreements under which customers can order our goods and 
services, including some of the mass market plans. Framework 
agreements often include performance conditions and grant 
different types of discounts or incentive funds. Legal framework 
agreements are rarely considered contracts for accounting 
purposes. Instead, revenue recognition rules are applied to goods 
and services ordered under each valid purchase order or a statement 
of work raised under the terms of the framework agreement. This 
may result in an accounting contract term not matching the legal 
term of a framework agreement and in turn affect the amount and 
timing of revenue recognised under each accounting contract. 

In some of our TE contracts, we also act as a dealer-lessor for 
computer mainframes, processing equipment and other related 
equipment used by our customers as part of the solutions 
management and outsourcing services. Leases embedded in our 
contracts are separately accounted for, usually as dealer-lessor 
finance leases with finance lease receivables recognised in the 
statement of financial position. 

Some of the TE contracts include two phases: a build phase followed 
by the management of the technology solutions. Due to the complex 
nature of those arrangements, we analyse the facts and 
circumstances of each contract in order to determine distinct 
performance obligations. If the build phase (or its components) 
qualifies as distinct, we recognise the build phase revenue over the 
term of the build or at its completion depending on when the 
customer obtains control over the technology solution. 

Our bespoke TE contracts are varied or renegotiated from time to 
time. Subject to the nature of these changes, accounting rules for 
contract modification apply, depending largely on the determination 
of distinct goods and services being delivered before and after the 
contract modifications and the price changes arising from the 
modifications.

For each contract modification, we assess the scope of the 
modification or its impact on the contract price in order to determine 
whether the amendment must be treated as a distinct contract, as if 
the existing contract were terminated and a new contract signed, or 
whether the amendment must be considered as a change to the 
existing contract.

Under some of our enterprise arrangements, we receive customer 
contributions to extend or amend our network assets to ultimately 
enable delivery of telecommunication services. Where the 
counterparty makes a contribution for network construction 
activities and purchases ongoing services under the same (or linked) 
contract(s), the upfront contribution is added to the total transaction 
price of the customer contract and is allocated to the distinct goods 
and services to be delivered under that contract. 

We recognise revenue from management services or fixed fee 
telecommunication services based on passage of time and from 
usage based carriage contracts when the services have been 
consumed. 

Some of our framework agreements offer enterprise loyalty 
programs and technology funds under which a customer can obtain 
additional free products. These are accounted for as material rights 
and the transaction price allocated to them at contract inception is 
recognised as revenue either when the customer exercises the 
option and benefits from the free products or when the rights are 
forfeited.

Our TE accounting contracts include multiple goods and services. 
Generally, we allocate the transaction price, and any relevant 
discounts, to all the products in the accounting contract based on 
the negotiated prices, which are largely aligned to the estimated 
standalone selling prices of distinct goods and services promised 
under the contracts. However, some discounts granted under the 
framework agreements may be allocated to selected performance 
obligations if specific performance conditions apply. Transaction 
price allocated to any lease components is based on the relative 
standalone selling prices of those leases as required by the new 
lease accounting standard. 

Our large commercial arrangements often incorporate service level 
agreements, e.g. agreed delivery time or service reinstatement time. 
If we fail to comply with one of these commitments, we pay 
compensation to the customer.

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.1 Our contracts with customers (continued)

(b) Telstra Enterprise (TE) contracts (continued)

The expected amount of such penalties reduce the revenue for the 
period in which the service level commitment has not been met, and 
it is recognised as soon as it is probable that the commitment has not 
been or will not be met. Some of the arrangements also include 
benchmarking or CPI clauses, which are accounted for as variable 
consideration, usually from the time the price changes take effect. 

Our international TE arrangements include long-term network 
capacity arrangements (some being take-or-pay arrangements) as 
well as provision of utilities and managed services such as security 
and backups, for which revenue is usually recognised based on 
passage of time. 

IRU arrangements usually include upfront payments for services 
which will be delivered over multiple years. 

Assessment
of a
significant
financing
component
in
Indefeasible
Right of Use
(IRU)

We have applied management judgement to 
assess if a financing component is 
significant in the context of a contract as a 
whole and determine appropriate discount 
rates, where relevant. 

We account for a significant financing 
component in our domestic and 
international bespoke network capacity 
agreements, i.e. IRUs, where customers 
make an upfront payment in advance of 
receiving services. These contracts have an 
average legal contract term between 10 and 
33 years.

In IRUs where Telstra receives financing from the customer, revenue 
recognised over the contract term exceeds the cash payments 
received in advance of performance by the amount of interest 
expense recognised in net finance costs.

(c) Telstra Wholesale contracts 

Telstra Wholesale (part of our Telstra InfraCo segment) is a provider 
of a wide range of telecommunication products and services to other 
telecommunication operators, carriage services providers and 
internet service providers, who in turn sell their services to a retail 
end user.

Revenue arises from fixed network service contracts, including 
usage based contracts and fixed bundles, with a term of up to two 
years. Other contracts provide data and IP and mobile products such 
as interconnect, domestic roaming, bulk SMS and post-paid mobile 
services. 

Insignificant annual revenue arises under long-term network 
capacity contracts (i.e. IRUs), however some of those contracts have 
a fixed term of up to 15 years.

Telstra Wholesale legal contracts are generally signed as multi-year 
framework agreements, which set out pricing for the agreed services, 
the legal contract term and any renewal options, incentives, 
discounts and one-off fees. However, usually until our wholesale 
customer's customer, i.e. the end user, orders services, the 
obligation to deliver goods or services does not exist. Therefore, the 
accounting contract generally arises at the level of a service order of 
an end user.

Some of our framework agreements specify a minimum spend 
commitment (i.e. a take-or-pay arrangement), in which case the 
accounting contract may exist also at the framework agreement 
level. 

Under some of our wholesale arrangements, we receive customer 
contributions to extend or amend our network assets to ultimately 
enable delivery of telecommunication services. Where the 
counterparty makes a contribution for network construction 
activities and purchases ongoing services under the same (or linked) 
contract(s), the upfront contribution is added to the total transaction 
price of the customer contract and allocated to the distinct goods 
and services to be delivered under that contract.

Telstra Wholesale service revenue is generally recognised over time 
during the period over which the services are rendered, mostly based 
on passage of time as the service provider (i.e. our customer) receives 
unlimited calls and data. 

Some of the Telstra Wholesale contracts include multiple goods and 
services. We allocate the transaction price, and any relevant 
discounts, generally to all the products in the accounting contract 
based on the negotiated prices, which are largely aligned to the 
estimated standalone selling prices of distinct goods and services 
promised under the contracts. However, some discounts granted 
under the framework agreements may be allocated only to selected 
performance obligations based on the specific performance 
conditions in the framework agreement. 

(d) Agreements with nbn co 

We have two types of agreements with nbn co:

• nbn DAs and related arrangements
• commercial contracts for network design, build and maintenance 

services.

Revenue from contracts with nbn co is mainly reported within the 
Telstra InfraCo segment. Amounts recognised as other income are 
recorded in our corporate areas.    

Our nbn DAs and related arrangements include a number of separate 
legal contracts with both nbn co and the Commonwealth 
Government (being related parties hence treated as the same 
customer for accounting purposes) which have been negotiated 
together with a common commercial objective. These separate legal 
contracts have been combined under the revenue recognition rules. 

The combined accounting contract, comprising of nbn DAs and 
related arrangements, has a minimum fixed term of 30 years for 
accounting purposes.

The combined nbn DAs and related arrangements include a number 
of separately priced elements, some of which are accounted for 
under the revenue recognition standard whereas others under other 
accounting standards, e.g. government grants. The Subscriber 
Agreement continues to be separately accounted for as other income 
given the nbn disconnection fees do not relate to our ordinary 
activities and there is no price dependency on other nbn DAs. 

Services provided under the Infrastructure Services Agreement (ISA) 
are accounted for under the revenue recognition requirements. We 
recognise revenue from providing long-term access to ducts and pits 
and other infrastructure, including dark fibre and exchange rack 
space over time, initially based on the cumulative nbnTM network 
rollout percentage and after rollout completion based on passage of 
time. 

102 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F23

F24 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 103

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 25  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 26  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.1 Our contracts with customers (continued)

(d) Agreements with nbn co (continued)

The build of nbn related infrastructure is not considered a separate 
performance obligation, therefore payments received for it under a 
separate legal agreement have been combined and accounted for 
together with the ISA long-term access services. These payments 
have been received upfront and recorded as a contract liability, i.e. 
an advance payment for services transferred over the ISA average 
contracted period of 35 years. 

ISA also includes payments for sale of our infrastructure assets, with 
the net gain on sale of those assets recognised in other income. Net 
gain on sale of the infrastructure assets is recognised at point in time 
when the control passes to nbn co based on the incremental nbnTM 
network rollout percentage.

We deliver a number of different services under these arrangements 
and the transaction price includes a number of fixed and variable 
components as described below.

Impact of nbn Infrastructure
Services Agreement (ISA) on
revenue from customer contracts
and other income

nbn co makes decisions about the access technologies (e.g. fibre to the premises 
'FTTP', fibre to the basement 'FTTB', fibre to the node 'FTTN', fibre to the curb 'FTTC' 
or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial 'HFC') which it intends to use to serve premises in each of 
its rollout regions. In any given rollout region, these decisions trigger its election to 
acquire the relevant Telstra assets, the ownership of which we are progressively 
transferring to nbn co under the nbn Infrastructure Services Agreement (ISA). 
These assets include lead-in conduits (LICs), certain copper and HFC assets and 
associated passive infrastructure (being infrastructure that supports the relevant 
copper and HFC assets). In addition to the progressive transfer of these assets, we 
also provide nbn co with long-term access to certain other components of our 
infrastructure.

Under the ISA, we receive from nbn co the following payments:

• Infrastructure Ownership Payment (IOP) for the transfer of LICs, certain copper 

and HFC assets and associated passive infrastructure

• Infrastructure Access Payment (IAP) for long-term access to ducts and pits
• payments for long-term access to other infrastructure, including dark fibre and 

exchange rack space.

IOP are received over the duration of the nbnTM network rollout, CPI adjusted and 
linked to the progress of the nbnTM network rollout.

IAP are also indexed to CPI, will grow in line with the nbnTM network rollout until its 
completion and subsequently continue for the remaining average contracted 
period of 27 years.

IOP and IAP are classified in the income statement as other income and revenue, 
respectively, and are recognised on a percentage rollout basis of the nbnTM network 
footprint.

For any given period, the IOP and IAP amounts ultimately received from nbn co may 
vary from the amounts recognised in the income statement depending on progress 
of the nbnTM network rollout and the final number of fixed line premises as defined 
and determined under the ISA. A change in the nbnTM network rollout progress and/
or the final number of these premises could result in a material change to the 
amount of IOP and IAP recognised in the income statement.

The nbnTM network rollout progress and its completion date are controlled by nbn 
co and the final number of the fixed line premises may continue to change even 
after all the relevant assets have been transferred to nbn co. Therefore the final 
price adjustments, including interest where relevant, may not be known until nbn 
co declares that the nbnTM network rollout is complete in accordance with the DAs. 

We have applied management judgement in determining the amounts of IOP and 
IAP recognised for the financial year 2020. Should evidence exist in the future 
reporting periods that changes these amounts, other income and revenue will be 
adjusted in the future reporting periods.

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.1 Our contracts with customers (continued)

(d) Agreements with nbn co (continued)

Given significant variability in the overall ISA consideration, the legal 
contract includes specific clauses as to if, when and how an interest 
receivable or an interest payable should be calculated. 

Assessment
of a
significant
financing
component
in nbn DAs

We have applied management judgement to 
assess if a financing component is 
significant in the context of a contract as a 
whole and determine appropriate discount 
rates, where relevant. 

We do not separately account for the 
financing component in our nbn DAs and 
related arrangements because it is not 
significant to the accounting contract.

The other arrangements with nbn co are commercial contracts for 
network design, build and maintenance services. These 
arrangements provide a framework agreement with scheduled rates 
under which nbn co can order required services. Generally, the 
accounting contracts under these arrangements have no fixed term 
or minimum order quantities that extend beyond 12 months. 

The majority of revenue is recognised over time on a percentage of 
completion basis, calculated as costs incurred as a percentage of 
total estimated costs. 

Percentage
of
completion
for
commercial
contracts
with nbn co

We use percentage of completion to 
measure progress and recognised revenue 
from our commercial contracts with nbn co. 

In calculating the percentage of completion, 
we have applied management judgement to 
determine the total estimated costs to 
complete. These are based on historical 
costs to deliver and adjusted for any 
upcoming changes which might impact the 
previous costs to deliver.

Recognition of trade receivables, contract assets and contract 
liabilities from our contracts with customers and movements in net 
contract assets and contract liabilities are detailed in notes 3.8.1 
and 3.8.2, respectively. 

2.2.2 Remaining performance obligations 

Nature, types and terms of our contracts with customers are 
described in note 2.2.1. 

Sometimes goods and services purchased under the same customer 
contract will be transferred to the customer over multiple reporting 
periods. 

We disclose the aggregate transaction price allocated to goods and 
services which will be transferred after 30 June 2020 but arise from 
contracts existing as at that date, including contracts with an initial 
term of one year or less.

The aggregate transaction price excludes any future amounts arising 
from mass market no-lock-in contracts, usage based contracts, 
excess charges and legacy casual contracts or one-off transactions.

Future revenue arising from nbn DAs is estimated based on a number 
of assumptions and the estimated amount of variable consideration 
has been constrained to the amount that is highly probable of not 
resulting in a significant cumulative revenue reversal. The estimated 
variable consideration and the constraint are reassessed each 
reporting period. However, given its size, long-term nature and a 
number of variable components impacting the contract 
consideration (refer to note 2.2.1 for details) the actual amounts 
recognised in the future periods may still materially differ from our 
estimates.

In addition, any amounts arising from our existing customer 
contracts which will be recognised as ‘revenue from other sources’ or 
‘other income’, for example operating lease income or net gain on 
sale of assets, are excluded from the remaining performance 
obligations.

Table B presents aggregate transaction price allocated to the 
remaining performance obligations promised under the contracts 
where a customer has made a firm commitment before the balance 
date but goods and services will be transferred after 30 June 2020. 
Presented time bands best depict future revenue recognition 
profiles. 

Table B

Telstra Group

Less than 1 year
Between 1 to 2 years
Between 2 to 5 years
Between 5 to 10 years
Between 10 to 20 years
More than 20 years

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
5,194
2,567
3,947
5,915
13,699
11,471
42,793

$m
6,935
3,174
4,068
5,793
13,412
13,016
46,398

2.2.3 Recognition and measurement

Our revenue recognition accounting policies are described below.

(a) Revenue from contracts with customers

Revenue from contracts with customers arises from goods and 
services sold as part of our ordinary activities. 

We apply the five-step approach to our customer arrangements to 
identify the contract for accounting purposes, i.e. the accounting 
contract and to determine the amount and timing of revenue to be 
recognised. 

The five steps are applied at inception of the accounting contract in 
order to provide an overview of the contract as a whole. This in turn 
allows us to determine the accounting for relevant costs to obtain 
and/or fulfil a contract. The five steps are described below. For the 
accounting policy for deferred costs to obtain and/or fulfil a contract 
refer to note 3.9.1.

(i) Step 1: Identify the contract with customer

In order to identify an accounting contract, the contract must be 
legally enforceable. Any components of the contract which are 
accounted for under other accounting standards are then identified 
and separated out as they cannot be considered for revenue 
recognition. 

104 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F25

F26 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 105

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 27  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 28  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

We receive contributions to extend, relocate or amend our network 
assets. Where the counterparty makes a contribution for network 
construction activities that is not considered a government grant, 
and does not purchase any ongoing services under the same (or 
linked) contract(s), we recognise revenue over the period of the 
network construction activities.

Other items we classify as revenue from other sources include late 
payment fees, which are recognised when charged and their 
collectability is reasonably assured.

(c) Government grants

Government grants are recognised where there is reasonable 
assurance that the grant will be received and Telstra will comply with 
all attached conditions. Government grants relating to costs are 
deferred and recognised in the income statement as other income 
over the period necessary to match them with the costs that they are 
intended to compensate.

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.3 Recognition and measurement (continued)

(a) Revenue from contracts with customers (continued)

(i) Step 1: Identify the contract with customer (continued)

The accounting contract may not align with the legal contract and in 
some cases multiple legal contracts may need to be combined to 
form one accounting contract. In other instances, a legal contract 
may only provide a framework agreement (i.e. an offer) and an 
accounting contract only exists when the customer commits to 
purchase goods or services.

(ii) Step 2: Identify the performance obligations in the contract

After the accounting contract and its term have been established, we 
determine the performance obligations within the contract. 
Performance obligations include promised distinct goods or services 
control of which is transferred from Telstra to the customer and 
material rights, but exclude fulfilment activities (i.e. other activities 
that are necessary under the contract but that do not result in a 
transfer of goods or services). 

Performance obligations can be explicitly stated in a contract or can 
be implied when the customer has a valid expectation that an 
additional good or service will be delivered. 

A material right is accounted for as a separate performance 
obligation if the customer purchasing additional distinct goods or 
services receives an incremental discount of at least 5% compared 
to other customers. 

We account for a series of goods or services which are substantially 
the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer as a 
single performance obligation. 

A good or service is distinct if it is capable of being distinct, i.e. a 
customer can benefit from it on its own or together with other readily 
available resources, and it is distinct within the context of the 
contract, i.e. no transformative relationship exists with other 
promised goods or services.

(iii) Step 3: Determine the transaction price

After all performance obligations have been identified, we determine 
the transaction price, which represents the total amount of revenue 
to be recognised under the accounting contract. In doing so, we 
assume that the contract will not be cancelled, renewed or modified.

The transaction price may include fixed and/or variable, cash and/or 
non-cash consideration. It may also need to be adjusted for:    

• a significant financing component (if the period between when we 
would transfer the good or service to the customer and when the 
customer would pay for the good or service is expected to be 
greater than one year) 

• consideration accounted for under other accounting standards 

(such as lease repayments) 

• amounts collected on behalf of third parties (such as government 

taxes).

Examples of variable consideration include discounts, rebates, 
refunds, credits and price concessions. To estimate an amount of 
variable consideration, we use either the most likely amount or the 
expected value method depending on which better predicts the 
variable amount. After estimating it, we constrain the variable 
consideration to the amount that is highly probable of not resulting 
in a significant cumulative revenue reversal.

(iv) Step 4: Allocate the transaction price to the performance 
obligations in the contract

After the transaction price has been determined, we allocate it to the 
performance obligations generally based on their relative 
standalone selling price (SSP). SSP is the price for which we would 
sell the goods or services underlying the performance obligations on 
a standalone basis, i.e. not in a bundle. We determine SSPs at 
contract inception using an observable price for a standalone sale of 
substantially the same good or service under similar circumstances 
and to a similar class of customers. If no observable price is 
available, we estimate the SSP using an appropriate method, e.g. 
adjusted market assessment approach, expected cost plus a margin 
approach or a residual approach.

In some instances, in order to correctly reflect the amount of revenue 
to be recognised, we apply allocation exceptions for variable 
consideration, discounts or a significant financing component in 
order to allocate these elements to some but not all performance 
obligations. 

(v) Step 5: Recognise revenue when or as a performance obligation is 
satisfied

After the transaction price has been allocated to the performance 
obligations, we determine when revenue should be recognised, i.e. 
when a performance obligation is satisfied by us which is when 
control of the distinct good or service is transferred to the customer. 

Customers obtain control over a good or service when they benefit 
from the good or service and decide how to use the good or service. 

If any of the following three criteria are met, we recognise revenue 
over time:

• the customer simultaneously receives and consumes all benefits 

as we perform (this applies to routine or recurring services)

• our performance creates or enhances an asset controlled by the 
customer (this is relevant when the asset is built on a customer’s 
site)

• the asset has no alternative use to us and we have an enforceable 
right to payment (for example, an asset is being built to order).

If none of the criteria are met, we recognise revenue at a point in time. 

We use either input or output methods to measure progress when 
satisfying the performance obligations over time. Output methods 
use direct measurements of the value to the customer, i.e. they are 
based on the goods or services for which control has transferred to 
date relative to the remaining goods or services promised under the 
contract (for example, milestones reached). It is applied when the 
value of the goods or services transferred to the customer can be 
measured directly. Input methods use our efforts or inputs in the 
satisfaction of the performance obligation relative to the total 
expected efforts or inputs in satisfying that performance obligation 
(for example, our labour hours used). It is applied when the value of 
the underlying goods or services transferred to the customer cannot 
be measured. 

When a performance obligation is satisfied at a point in time, the 
allocated transaction price is recognised when control is transferred 
to the customer. In determining whether the control over the good 
has transferred to the customer, we consider the customer’s 
obligation to pay, transfer of legal title to the good, physical 
possession of the good, the customer’s acceptance and risks and 
rewards of ownership. 

2.2 Income (continued)

2.2.3 Recognition and measurement (continued)

(a) Revenue from contracts with customers (continued)

(vi) Accounting after contract inception

The five-step approach provides an accounting contract overview at 
its inception. However, some judgements and estimates may change 
over the accounting contract term. Where relevant, we account for 
the following events after contract inception:

• exercised or forfeited customer options (both material rights and 

marketing offers, i.e. non beneficial options)
• changes in estimates of variable consideration 
• changes in how the customer exercises its contractual rights
• special arrangements, e.g. bill and hold or consignment 

arrangements.

(vii) Contract modifications

From time to time, our contracts are renegotiated after contract 
inception and their scope and/or price change. We account for 
contract modifications either as:

• a separate contract which will not require any reallocation to 

performance obligations in the original contract

• a retrospective cumulative change to revenue (creating either a 

catch up or deferral of past revenues for all performance 
obligations in the original contract) 

• a prospective change to revenue with a reallocation of revenues 

amongst remaining performance obligations in the original 
contract, or

• both a cumulative change and prospective change to revenue in 

the original contract.

(b) Revenue from other sources

Revenue from other sources includes income arising from 
arrangements other than those accounted for using the five-step 
approach. This is because in some cases income generated in the 
course of our ordinary activities does not relate to our performance 
under contracts with customers or it is explicitly accounted for under 
other accounting standards. 

Contract terminations generally trigger different rights and 
obligations under the legal contract. These rights and obligations are 
not related to our performance and were not considered at inception 
of the accounting contract when applying the five-step approach. 
Therefore, where relevant, any income over and above the recovery of 
the consideration due for the delivered goods or services is not 
classified as revenue from customer contracts. Instead, we classify 
it as revenue from other sources. 

We earn revenue from some of our lease arrangements described in 
note 3.3, in particular from:

• transitioning operating subleases of mobile handsets offered to 
our retail customers (Telstra as a lessor), which we lease from a 
third party in a back-to-back arrangement (Telstra as a lessee). We 
also earn revenue from property operating leases. Operating lease 
income is recognised on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

• finance leases where Telstra is a dealer-lessor of customer 

premise equipment. We recognise revenue from sale of these 
goods at point in time at the commencement date of the lease.

Where a (combined) accounting contract includes lease and non-
lease components and Telstra is a lessor, we allocate the 
consideration to lease and non-lease components applying the 
relative standalone selling prices requirements for revenue from 
contracts with customers. Refer to note 3.3.3 for our updated lease 
accounting policies following the adoption of the new lease 
accounting standard.

106 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F27

F28 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 107

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 29  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 30  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.3 Expenses

In our income statement, we classify our expenses (apart from 
finance costs) by nature as this classification more accurately 
reflects the type of operations we undertake.

Telstra Group

Included in our labour expenses are the following:
Employee redundancy
Share-based payments
Defined contribution plan expense
Defined benefit plan expense

Included in our goods and services purchased are the following:
Network payments
Cost of goods sold

Other expenses
Impairment losses (excluding net losses on financial assets)
Rental expense on operating leases
Expenses relating to lease arrangements
Service contracts and other agreements
Promotion and advertising
General and administration
Other operating expenses

Depreciation and amortisation
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Depreciation of right-of-use assets
Amortisation of intangible assets

Finance costs
Interest on borrowings (excluding interest on finance leases in the comparative period)
Interest on lease liabilities (Telstra as a lessee)
Other

Less: interest on borrowings capitalised

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

157
23
210
51

3,155
3,490

129
-
256
1,473
268
1,089
369
3,584

2,757
1,017
1,564
5,338

678
109
315
1,102
(57)
1,045

642
23
226
52

2,791
3,771

608
1,349
-
1,590
310
990
387
5,234

2,742
-
1,540
4,282

771
21
181
973
(105)
868

The following paragraphs detail further information about our 
expenses and finance costs: 

• ‘share-based payments’ expense relates to both cash-settled and 
equity-settled share plans. Refer to note 5.2 for further details.
• ‘rental expenses on operating leases’ were accounted for under 

the previous lease accounting requirements. Following adoption of 
the new lease accounting standard from 1 July 2019, ‘other 
expenses’ continue to include ‘expenses relating to lease 
arrangements’ (Telstra as a lessee) for certain types of costs and 
losses accounted for under the new requirements. These amounts 
have been detailed in note 3.3.1.

• ‘impairment losses’ include $124 million impairment of deferred 
contract costs (2019: $100 million) and $5 million impairment of 
property, plant and equipment and software assets (2019: $499 
million). Refer to notes 3.1, 3.2 and 3.9 for further details on the 
impairment of property, plant and equipment, intangible assets 
and deferred contract costs, respectively.

• ‘other operating expenses’ include a $50 million provision related 
to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) 
investigation. Refer to note 7.3 for further details. 

• ‘interest on borrowings’ has been capitalised using a capitalisation 

rate of 4.6 per cent (2019: 4.9 per cent)

• ‘interest on lease liabilities’ for the financial year 2020 relates to all 
leases accounted for under the new lease accounting standard, 
whereas the comparative period only includes interest on finance 
leases accounted for under the previous requirements

• other finance costs include unrealised valuation impacts on our 
borrowings and derivatives. These include net losses which arise 
from changes in the fair value of derivative financial instruments to 
the extent that hedge accounting is not effective or the hedge 
accounting criteria are not met. These fair values increase or 
decrease because of changes in financial indices and prices over 
which we have no control. All unrealised amounts unwind to nil at 
maturity of the underlying instrument.

2.4 Income taxes

This note sets out our tax accounting policies and provides an analysis of our income tax expense and deferred tax balances, including 
a reconciliation of tax expense to accounting profit.

Current income tax is based on the accounting profit adjusted for differences in accounting and tax treatments of income and expenses 
(i.e. taxable income).

Deferred income tax, which is accounted for using the balance sheet method, arises because the accounting income is not always the 
same as taxable income. This creates temporary differences, which usually reverse over time. Until they reverse, a deferred tax asset 
or liability must be recognised on the balance sheet.

This note also provides disclosures which form part of the requirements of the Australian Board of Taxation’s Voluntary Tax 
Transparency Code.

2.4.1 Income tax expense

Table A provides a reconciliation of notional income tax expense to actual income tax expense.

Table A

Telstra Group

Major components of income tax expense
Current tax expense
Deferred tax resulting from the origination and reversal of temporary differences
Over provision of tax in prior years

Reconciliation of notional income tax expense to actual income tax expense
Profit before income tax expense
Notional income tax expense calculated at the Australian tax rate of 30% (2019: 30%)
Notional income tax expense differs from actual income tax expense due to the tax effect of:
Non-taxable and non-deductible items
Deferred tax assets derecognised
Amended assessments
Over provision of tax in prior years
Different tax rates in overseas jurisdictions
Income tax expense on profit
Income tax (benefit)/expense recognised during the year directly in other comprehensive income or equity

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

980
(16)
(7)
957

$m

953
(20)
(10)
923

2,796
839

3,072
922

118
18
1
(7)
(12)
957
(9)

37
1
(18)
(10)
(9)
923
13

Tables B and C include disclosures which form part of the requirements of the Australian Board of Taxation’s Voluntary Tax Transparency 
Code. Any disclosed amounts are determined in accordance with the Australian Accounting Standards. 

Table B provides a breakdown of effective income tax rates and Tax Transparency Code effective income tax rates for both the Australian 
Economic Group (the Telstra Entity and its Australian resident controlled entities) and the Telstra Group. 

Table B

Telstra Group

Effective income tax rate
Tax Transparency Code effective income tax rate

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Group

34.2%
34.5%

Australia
35.2%
35.1%

Group

30.0%
30.8%

Australia
33.2%
34.4%

The effective income tax rate for the Telstra Group of 34.2 per cent 
(2019: 30.0 per cent) was calculated as income tax expense divided 
by profit before income tax expense.  

The Tax Transparency Code effective income tax rate (TTC ETR) for 
the Telstra Group of 34.5 per cent (2019: 30.8 per cent) differs to the 
effective income tax rate due to excluding the impact of under or over 
provision of tax in prior years and amended assessments.  

The 2019 TTC ETRs have been updated to include the impact of the 
net over provision of tax and amended 2019 assessments reflected 
in the current year income tax expense. The TTC ETR forms part of the 
requirements of the Voluntary Tax Transparency Code to disclose the 
income tax expense borne by Telstra in respect of the Australian and 
global operations for the individual year.  

108 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F29

F30 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 109

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 31  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 32  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.4 Income taxes (continued)

2.4.1 Income tax expense (continued)

Non-taxable and non-deductible items include the tax effect of:

Table D details the amount of deferred tax assets and liabilities 
recognised in the statement of financial position. These deferred tax 
assets and liabilities include impact of foreign exchange movements.

2.4.2 Deferred tax assets/(liabilities) (continued)

2.4.2 Deferred tax assets/(liabilities)

2.4 Income taxes (continued)

2.4.4 Recognition and measurement

• non-deductible impairment of our investment in NXE Australia Pty 
Limited of $308 million included in our share of associate’s net loss 
• non-deductible provision of $50 million for the ACCC investigation
• attributable taxable income from Controlled Foreign Companies of 

Table D

Telstra Group

$26 million.

Deferred tax items recognised in the 
income statement
Trade and other receivables and 
contract assets
Allowance for doubtful debts
Deferred contract costs
Investments
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Intangible assets
Trade and other payables
Provision for employee entitlements
Other provisions
Lease liabilities (finance lease 
liabilities in prior year)
Defined benefit liability
Borrowings and derivative financial 
instruments
Contract liabilities and other revenue 
received in advance
Capital tax losses
Income tax losses
Other

Deferred tax items recognised in other 
comprehensive income or equity
Investments
Defined benefit asset
Borrowings and derivative financial 
instruments
Other

Net deferred tax liability
Comprising:
Deferred tax assets
Deferred tax liabilities

We derecognised deferred tax assets related to property assets 
considered disposed of for tax purposes. 

Table C provides a reconciliation of income tax expense to income tax 
paid during the year as part of the requirements of the Voluntary Tax 
Transparency Code. 

Table C

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Income tax expense
Over provision in prior years
Temporary differences recognised in 
deferred tax expense
Trade and other receivables and 
contract assets
Deferred contract costs
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Intangible assets
Trade and other payables
Provision for employee entitlements
Lease liabilities (finance lease 
liabilities in prior year)
Contract liabilities and other revenue 
received in advance
Other

Current tax expense
Income tax (refunds)/payments for 
prior years
Income tax payable next year
Other
Income tax paid

$m
957
7

22

20
11
(239)
(33)
41
32

195

(37)

4
16
980

(4)

(224)
2
754

$m
923
10

1

(56)
(101)
-
169
52
(15)

(5)

(28)

3
20
953

103

(103)
3
956

Estimating
provision for
income tax

We are subject to income tax 
legislation in Australia and in 
jurisdictions where we have foreign 
operations. Judgement is required in 
determining our worldwide provisions 
for income taxes and assessing 
recognition of deferred tax balances in 
the statement of financial position. 
Changes in tax legislation in the 
countries we operate in may affect the 
amount of provision for income taxes 
and deferred tax balances recognised.

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

(203)

(209)

63
(376)
(47)
(1,566)
(867)
(533)
123
257
141

925

106

(48)

445

20
31
(11)
(1,540)

(32)
(143)

176

-
1
(1,539)

66
(1,605)
(1,539)

36
(227)
(143)
(1,546)
-
(571)
174
289
148

19

98

(57)

405

120
29
(28)
(1,463)

(30)
(168)

190

1
(7)
(1,470)

59
(1,529)
(1,470)

Unrecognised
deferred tax
assets

We apply management judgement to 
recognise a deferred tax asset and 
review its carrying amount at each 
reporting date. The carrying amount is 
only recognised to the extent that it is 
probable that sufficient taxable profit 
will be available in the future to utilise 
this benefit. Any amount unrecognised 
could be subsequently recognised if it 
has become probable that future 
taxable profit will allow us to benefit 
from this deferred tax asset.

Table E details deferred tax assets not recognised in the statement 
of financial position.

Table E

Telstra Group

Deferred tax assets not recognised
Capital tax losses
Income tax losses
Deductible temporary differences

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

1,907
292
138
2,337

1,736
240
167
2,143

2.4.3 Tax consolidated group

Under the Australian taxation law, the Telstra Entity and its 
Australian resident wholly owned entities (members) form a tax 
consolidated group and are treated as a single entity for income tax 
purposes. The Telstra Entity is the head entity of the group and, in 
addition to its own transactions, it recognises the current tax 
liabilities and the deferred tax assets arising from unused tax losses 
and tax credits for all members in the group. 

Entities within the tax consolidated group have entered into a tax 
sharing agreement and a tax funding agreement with the head entity.

The tax sharing agreement specifies methods of allocating any tax 
liability in the event the head entity defaults on its group payment 
obligations and the treatment where a member exits the tax 
consolidated group.

Under the tax funding agreement the head entity and each of the 
members have agreed to pay/receive a current tax payable to/
receivable from the head entity based on the current tax liability or 
current tax asset recorded in the financial statements of the 
members. The Telstra Entity will also compensate the members for 
any deferred tax assets relating to unused tax losses and tax credits. 

Amounts receivable by the Telstra Entity of $55 million (2019: $46 
million) and payable by the Telstra Entity of $24 million (2019: $109 
million) under the tax funding agreement are due in the next financial 
year upon final settlement of the current tax payable for the tax 
consolidated group.

Our income tax expense is the sum of current and deferred income 
tax expenses. Current income tax expense is calculated on 
accounting profit after adjusting for non-taxable and non-deductible 
items based on rules set by the tax authorities. Deferred income tax 
expense is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply for 
the period in which the deferred tax asset is realised or the deferred 
tax liability is settled. Both our current and deferred income tax 
expenses are calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or 
substantively enacted at the reporting date.

Our current and deferred taxes are recognised as an expense in the 
income statement, except when they relate to items that are directly 
recognised in other comprehensive income or equity. In this case, our 
current and deferred tax expenses are also recognised directly in 
other comprehensive income or equity.

Our current and deferred taxes must also recognise the impact of any 
uncertain tax positions. If it is probable that a relevant tax authority 
would accept our tax treatment, our tax balances are recognised 
under that tax treatment. Otherwise, for each uncertain tax position 
for which it is not probable that the relevant tax authority will accept 
the tax treatment, we use the most likely amount or the expected 
value to estimate our tax balances. 

We apply the balance sheet method for calculating our deferred tax 
balances. Deferred tax is the expected tax payable or recoverable on 
all taxable and deductible temporary differences determined with 
reference to the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their carrying 
amount for financial reporting purposes as at the reporting date.

We generally recognise deferred tax liabilities for all taxable 
temporary differences, except to the extent that the deferred tax 
liability arises from:

• the initial recognition of goodwill
• the initial recognition of an asset or liability in a transaction that is 
not a business combination and affects neither our accounting 
profit nor our taxable income at the time of the transaction.

For our investments in controlled entities, joint ventures and 
associated entities, recognition of deferred tax liabilities is required 
unless we are able to control the timing of our temporary difference 
reversal and it is probable that the temporary difference will not 
reverse.

Deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable 
that taxable profit will be available against which the deductible 
temporary differences, and the carried forward unused tax losses 
and tax credits, can be utilised.

Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are offset in the 
statement of financial position where they relate to income taxes 
levied by the same taxation authority and to the extent that we intend 
to settle our current tax assets and liabilities on a net basis. 

110 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F31

F32 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 111

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 33  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 34  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

Section 2. Our performance (continued)

2.5 Earnings per share

2.6 Notes to the statement of cash flows

2.6 Notes to the statement of cash flows (continued)

2.6.1 Reconciliation of profit to net cash provided by operating 
activities

2.6.2  Cash and cash equivalents

This note outlines the calculation of Earnings per Share (EPS), 
which is the amount of post-tax profit attributable to each 
share. EPS excludes profit attributable to non-controlling 
interest and takes into account the average number of shares 
weighted by the number of days on issue.

We calculate basic and diluted EPS. Diluted EPS reflects the 
effects of the equity instruments allocated to our employee 
share schemes under the Telstra Growthshare Trust and the 
Telstra Employee Share Ownership Plan.

Telstra Group

Earnings used in the calculation of 
basic and diluted EPS
Profit for the year attributable to equity 
holders of Telstra Entity

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

1,819

2,154

Weighted average number of ordinary 
shares

Number of shares 
(millions)

Weighted average number of ordinary 
shares used in the calculation of basic 
EPS
Dilutive effect of certain employee 
share instruments
Weighted average number of ordinary 
shares used in the calculation of 
diluted EPS

Basic EPS
Diluted EPS

11,880

11,880

15

20

11,895

11,900

cents

cents

15.3
15.3

18.1
18.1

When we calculate the basic EPS, we adjust the weighted average 
number of ordinary shares to exclude the shares held in trust by 
Telstra Growthshare Trust (Growthshare) and by the Telstra 
Employee Share Ownership Plan Trust II (TESOP99).

Information about equity instruments issued under the Growthshare 
and TESOP99 share plans can be found in note 5.2.

Table A

Telstra Group

Profit for the year
Add/(subtract) items classified as 
investing/financing activities
Finance income
Finance costs
Net gain on disposal of property, plant 
and equipment and intangible assets
Net (gain)/loss on disposal of 
businesses, controlled entities and 
equity accounted investments
Revenue of a dealer-lessor
Net loss on lease related transactions
Government grants received relating to 
investing activities
Add/(subtract) non-cash items
Depreciation and amortisation
Share-based payments
Defined benefit plan expense
Share of net loss/(profit) from joint 
ventures and associated entities
Impairment losses (excluding 
inventories, trade and other 
receivables)
Other
Cash movements in operating assets 
and liabilities
(Increase)/decrease in trade and other 
receivables and contract assets
Decrease in inventories
Increase in prepayments and other 
assets
Increase in deferred contract costs
(Decrease)/increase in trade and other 
payables
Decrease in contract liabilities and 
other revenue received in advance
Increase/(decrease) in net taxes 
payable
Decrease in provisions
Net cash provided by operating 
activities

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m
1,839

$m
2,149

(274)
1,045

(402)

(13)

(122)
(2)

(16)

5,338
23
51

305

5

(24)

(169)

37

(15)

(109)

(544)

(62)

203

(84)

(238)
868

(686)

85

-
-

(11)

4,282
23
52

(12)

501

(8)

177

28

(51)

(78)

121

(431)

(33)

(55)

7,010

6,683

Table B

Telstra Group

Cash at bank and on hand
Bank deposits and negotiable 
certificates of deposit
Cash and cash equivalents in the 
statement of cash flows

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m
238

261

499

$m
219

385

604

2.6.3 Recognition, measurement and presentation

(a) Cash and cash equivalents 

Cash and cash equivalents include cash at bank and on hand, bank 
deposits and negotiable certificates of deposit that are held to meet 
short-term cash commitments rather than for investment purposes.

Bank deposits and negotiable certificates of deposit are classified as 
financial assets held at amortised cost.

(b) Short-term borrowings in financing cash flows 

Where our short-term borrowings are held for the purposes of 
meeting short-term cash commitments, we report the cash receipts 
and subsequent repayments in financing activities on a net basis in 
the statement of cash flows.

(c) Goods and Services Tax (GST) (including other value-added 
taxes)

We record our revenue, expenses and assets net of any applicable 
GST, except where the amount of GST incurred is not recoverable 
from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). In these circumstances the 
GST is recognised as part of the cost of acquisition of the asset or as 
part of the expense item.

Receivables and payables balances include GST where we have 
either included GST in our price charged to customers or a supplier 
has included GST in their price charged to us. The net amount of GST 
due to the ATO but not paid is included in our current trade and other 
payables.

112 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F33

F34 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 113

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 35  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 36  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)
Notes to the financial statements (continued)
Section  3.  Our  core  assets,  lease
Section 3. Our core assets, lease 
arrangements and working capital
arrangements and working capital
This section describes our core long-term tangible (owned and 
leased) and intangible assets underpinning the Group’s 
This section describes our core long-term tangible (owned and 
performance and provides a summary of our asset impairment 
leased) and intangible assets underpinning the Group’s 
assessment. This section also describes our short-term assets 
performance and provides a summary of our asset impairment 
and liabilities, i.e. our working capital supporting the operating 
assessment. This section also describes our short-term assets 
liquidity of our business.
and liabilities, i.e. our working capital supporting the operating 
liquidity of our business.

SECTION 3. 

3.1 Property, plant and equipment

OUR CORE ASSETS, LEASE ARRANGEMENTS AND WORKING CAPITAL

Table A shows movements in net book value of our tangible assets 
during the financial year.   

Table A
Telstra Group

Land and 
site 
improve- 
ments

Buildings

Commu- 
nication 
assets

Other plant 
and 
equipment

Total 
property, 
plant and 
equipment

Net book value at 1 July 2018
Reclassification of long-term capacity assets
Restated net book value at 1 July 2018
Additions
Depreciation expenses
Impairment losses
Disposals
Disposals through sale of controlled entities
Assets held for sale
Net foreign currency exchange differences
Other transfers
Restated net book value at 30 June 2019
At cost
Accumulated depreciation and impairment

Net book value at 1 July 2019
Change in accounting policy arising from AASB 16: 
'Leases'
Restated net book value at 1 July 2019
Additions
Transfers from assets held for sale
Depreciation expenses
Impairment losses
Disposals
Derecognition due to finance leases
Net foreign currency exchange differences
Other transfers
Net book value at 30 June 2020
At cost
Accumulated depreciation and impairment

$m
49
-
49
-
(3)
-
-
-
-
-
16
62
65
(3)

62

-

62
-
-
(1)
-
(3)
-
-
-
58
62
(4)

$m
612
-
612
141
(98)
(3)
-
-
(44)
2
(9)
601
1,390
(789)

601

(43)

558
65
-
(61)
(1)
-
-
1
4
566
1,278
(712)

$m
21,065
(535)
20,530
2,975
(2,544)
(51)
(21)
-
(60)
47
(16)
20,860
60,683
(39,823)

20,860

(14)

20,846
2,467
15
(2,607)
-
-
(3)
24
(115)
20,627
61,879
(41,252)

$m
382
-
382
60
(97)
(3)
-
(2)
(13)
3
(17)
313
1,251
(938)

313

(12)

301
22
8
(88)
(2)
-
-
-
7
248
1,075
(827)

$m
22,108
(535)
21,573
3,176
(2,742)
(57)
(21)
(2)
(117)
52
(26)
21,836
63,389
(41,553)

21,836

(69)

21,767
2,554
23
(2,757)
(3)
(3)
(3)
25
(104)
21,499
64,294
(42,795)

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.1 Property, plant and equipment (continued)

The following paragraphs provide further information about our fixed 
asset classes:

• additions to property, plant and equipment include $41 million 

(2019: $74 million) of capitalised borrowing costs directly 
attributable to qualifying assets

• buildings include leasehold improvements related to right-of-use 
assets recognised under our leasing arrangements (Telstra as a 
lessee)

• our property, plant and equipment assets include building assets 
which are mainly used by us to generate revenue, however we also 
generate an insignificant rental income from those assets under 
our operating leases (Telstra as a lessor). Given the dual use of 
these assets and the insignificance of the rental income, those 
assets continue to be presented as owned assets not subject to 
operating leases. 

• communication assets include certain network land and building 
assets that are essential to the operation of our communication 
assets

• as at 30 June 2020, we had property, plant and equipment under 
construction amounting to $1,158 million (2019: $1,006 million). 
As these assets were not installed and ready for use, no 
depreciation has been charged on these assets.

3.1.1  Impairment assessment

(a) Impairment testing

All non-current tangible assets are reviewed for impairment 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the 
carrying amounts may not be recoverable. For our impairment 
assessment we identify cash generating units (CGUs), i.e. the 
smallest groups of assets that generate cash inflows that are largely 
independent of cash inflows from other assets or groups of assets. 

The recoverable amount of an asset is the higher of its fair value less 
cost of disposal and its value in use. Fair value less cost of disposal 
is measured with reference to quoted market prices in an active 
market. Value in use represents the present value of the future 
amount expected to be recovered through the cash inflows and 
outflows arising from the asset’s continued use and subsequent 
disposal.

We recognise any reduction in the carrying value as an expense in the 
income statement in the reporting period in which the impairment 
loss occurs.

(b) Telstra Entity ubiquitous telecommunication network 

An impairment assessment is performed at the level of our Telstra 
Entity ubiquitous telecommunications network CGU. 

Cash
generating
units (CGUs) for
impairment
assessment

We apply management judgement to 
determine our CGUs. 

We have determined that assets that 
form part of the Telstra Entity 
ubiquitous telecommunications 
network, comprising the customer 
access network and the core network, 
are considered to be working together 
to generate our cash inflows. No one 
item of telecommunications 
equipment is of any value without the 
other assets to which it is connected to 
deliver our products and services.

During the financial year 2020 we have identified the potential 
impacts arising from the COVID-19 pandemic as an impairment 
indicator. As a result we have performed impairment testing of our 
Telstra Entity ubiquitous telecommunications network using a value 
in use calculation to determine the recoverable amount of this CGU. 
To the extent possible we have utilised the estimates, assumptions 
and judgements that reflect the COVID-19 pandemic uncertainties in 
our impairment testing. We have concluded that the discounted cash 
flows generated by our ubiquitous telecommunications network 
continue to support its carrying value, thus no impairment loss was 
required. 

3.1.2 Recognition and measurement

(a) Initial recognition

Property, plant and equipment, including construction in progress, is 
recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment. 
Cost includes the purchase price and costs directly attributable to 
bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for its 
intended use. 

We capitalise borrowing costs that are directly attributable to the 
acquisition, construction or production of a qualifying asset. All other 
borrowing costs are recognised as an expense in our income 
statement when incurred.

(b) Depreciation

Items of property, plant and equipment, including buildings and 
leasehold property but excluding freehold land, are depreciated on a 
straight-line basis in the income statement over their estimated 
useful lives. We start depreciating assets when they are installed and 
ready for use. The useful lives of our significant property, plant and 
equipment classes are detailed in Table B. 

Table B

Telstra Group

Buildings
Communication assets
Other plant and equipment

Useful life (years)

As at 30 June

2020

2019

5 - 55
3 - 57
4 - 13

5 - 55
2 - 57
4 - 13

Useful lives and
residual values
of tangible
assets

We apply management judgement to 
estimate useful lives and residual 
values of our assets and review them 
each year. If useful lives or residual 
values need to be modified, the 
depreciation expense changes from 
the date of reassessment until the end 
of the revised useful life (for both the 
current and future years). 

This assessment includes a 
comparison with international trends 
for telecommunication companies 
and, in relation to communications 
assets, a determination of when the 
asset may be superseded 
technologically or made obsolete.

The net effect of the assessment of 
useful lives was a $37 million (2019: 
$253 million) decrease in depreciation 
expense.

114 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F35

F36 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 115

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 37  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 38  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.2 Goodwill and other intangible assets

This note provides details of our goodwill and other intangible 
assets and their impairment assessment. 

Our impairment assessment compares the carrying values of 
our CGUs with their recoverable amounts determined using a 
‘value in use’ calculation. The value in use calculations use key 
assumptions such as cash flow forecasts, discount rates and 
terminal growth rates.

Table A

Telstra Group

Goodwill

Software 
assets

Licences

Other intan-
gible assets

Total intan- 
gible assets

Net book value at 1 July 2018
Reclassification of long-term capacity assets
Restated net book value at 1 July 2018
Additions
Acquisition of controlled entities
Amortisation expense
Impairment losses
Disposal through sale of controlled entities
Net foreign currency exchange differences
Other transfers
Restated net book value at 30 June 2019
At cost
Accumulated amortisation and impairment

Net book value at 1 July 2019
Additions
Amortisation expense
Impairment losses
Net foreign currency exchange differences
Other transfers
Net book value at 30 June 2020
At cost
Accumulated amortisation and impairment

$m
1,049
-
1,049
-
1
-
-
-
26
-
1,076
1,171
(95)

1,076
-
-
-
9
-
1,085
1,172
(87)

$m
4,520
-
4,520
1,091
-
(1,216)
(442)
(5)
3
32
3,983
10,917
(6,934)

3,983
734
(1,234)
(1)
1
27
3,510
11,046
(7,536)

$m
2,195
-
2,195
56
-
(230)
-
(1)
1
2
2,023
2,878
(855)

2,023
403
(239)
(1)
-
3
2,189
3,265
(1,076)

$m
158
535
693
29
-
(94)
-
-
4
(8)
624
1,432
(808)

624
22
(91)
-
(1)
74
628
1,508
(880)

$m
7,922
535
8,457
1,176
1
(1,540)
(442)
(6)
34
26
7,706
16,398
(8,692)

7,706
1,159
(1,564)
(2)
9
104
7,412
16,991
(9,579)

The following paragraphs detail further information about our 
intangible assets classes:

• additions to software assets include $16 million (2019: $31 

million) of capitalised borrowing costs directly attributable to 
qualifying assets

• as at 30 June 2020, we had software assets under development 
amounting to $211million (2019: $372 million). As these assets 
were not installed and ready for use, no amortisation has been 
charged on the amounts.

• impairment expense of $442 million recognised in the financial 

year 2019 related to our legacy IT systems

• software assets mostly comprise internally generated assets
• licences comprise of the spectrum licenses and apparatus 

licenses obtained to operate a range of radiocommunications 
devices. 

During the financial year 2020, there have been no changes to our 
CGUs with allocated goodwill except for the integration of three 
entities previously disclosed within ‘Other’ into Telstra Enterprise 
Australia Group. Prior to the integration, these three entities were 
assessed individually.

In addition to at least annual impairment testing requirements for 
CGUs with allocated goodwill, during the financial year 2020 we have 
also identified the potential impacts arising from the COVID-19 
pandemic as an impairment indicator. 

As a result, and to the extent possible, we have utilised the 
estimates, assumptions and judgements that reflect the COVID-19 
pandemic uncertainties in our impairment testing. We have 
concluded that the discounted cash flows generated continue to 
support the carrying values, thus no impairment loss was required.

(c) Value in use

We have used the following key assumptions in determining the 
recoverable amount of our CGUs to which goodwill has been 
allocated:

Table C

Telstra Group

Telstra Enterprise 
International Group
Telstra Enterprise 
Australia Group

Discount rate

Terminal value 
growth rate

2020

2019

2020

2019

%

9.5

%

9.2

13.1

12.8

%

2.0

2.3

%

3.0

3.0

Discount rate represents the pre-tax discount rate applied to the 
cash flow projections. The discount rate reflects the market 
determined, risk-adjusted discount rate that is adjusted for specific 
risks relating to the CGU and the countries in which it operates.

Terminal value growth rate represents the growth rate applied to 
extrapolate our cash flows beyond the forecast period. These growth 
rates are based on our expectation of the CGUs’ long-term 
performance in their markets. 

Sensitivity analysis also examined the effect of a change in a key 
assumption on the remaining CGUs. The discount rate would need to 
increase by 47 basis points (2019: 293 basis points) or the terminal 
value growth rate would need to decrease by 82 basis points (2019: 
413 basis points) before the recoverable amount of any of the CGUs 
would equal its carrying value. No other changes in key assumptions 
will result in a material impairment charge for any of the CGUs.

3.2 Goodwill and other intangible assets (continued)

3.2.1 Impairment assessment

(a) Impairment testing

Goodwill and intangible assets with an indefinite useful life are not 
subject to amortisation and are assessed for impairment at least on 
an annual basis, or whenever an indication of impairment arises. 
Assets that are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment 
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the 
carrying amount may not be recoverable. 

The recoverable amount of an asset is the higher of its fair value less 
cost of disposal and its value in use. 

Impairment losses are recognised in the income statement in the 
reporting period when the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the 
recoverable amount.

For our impairment assessment, we identify CGUs, to which goodwill 
is allocated, and which cannot be larger than an operating segment. 

Our impairment testing compares the carrying value of an individual 
CGU with its recoverable amount determined using a value in use 
calculation.

Determining
CGUs and their
recoverable
amount for
impairment
assessment

We apply management judgement to 
identify our CGUs and determine their 
recoverable amounts using a ‘value in 
use’ calculation for our impairment 
assessment. These judgements include 
cash flow forecasts, as well as the 
selection of growth rates, terminal 
growth rates and discount rates based 
on past experience and our expectations 
for the future. 

Our cash flow projections are based on 
five-year management-approved 
forecasts unless a different period is 
justified. The forecasts use management 
estimates to determine income, 
expenses, capital expenditure and cash 
flows for each asset and CGU. 

(b) Cash generating units with allocated goodwill

The carrying amount of goodwill has been allocated to the CGUs as 
detailed in Table B.

Table B

Telstra Group

Telstra Enterprise International Group ¹
Telstra Enterprise Australia Group ²
Other ³

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
587
437
61
1,085

$m
578
367
131
1,076

1  These CGUs operate in overseas locations. Therefore the goodwill allocated to these 
CGUs will fluctuate in line with movements in applicable foreign exchange rates.

2  The Telstra Enterprise Australia Group includes goodwill from past acquisitions 
integrated into this business. 

3  Other includes individually immaterial CGUs. 

116 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F37

F38 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 117

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 39  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 40  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.2 Goodwill and other intangible assets (continued)

3.2.2 Recognition and measurement 

Category

Recognition and measurement

Goodwill

Goodwill acquired in a business combination is measured at cost. Cost represents the excess of what we 
pay for the business combination over the fair value of the identifiable net assets acquired at the date of 
acquisition.

Goodwill is not amortised but is tested for impairment on an annual basis or when an indication of 
impairment arises.

Goodwill amount arising on acquisition of joint ventures or associated entities constitutes part of the 
cost of the investment.

Internally generated 
intangible assets

Internally generated intangible assets include mainly IT development costs incurred in design, build and 
testing of new or improved IT products and systems.

Research costs are expensed when incurred.

Capitalised development costs include:

• external direct costs of materials and services consumed
• payroll and payroll-related costs for employees (including contractors) directly associated with the 

project

• borrowing costs that are directly attributable to the qualifying assets.

Refer to ‘Capitalisation of development costs’ for management judgement on recognition of development 
costs. 

Internally generated intangible assets have a finite life and are amortised on a straight-line basis over 
their useful lives.

Acquired intangible 
assets

We acquire other intangible assets either as part of a business combination or through a separate 
acquisition. Intangible assets acquired in a business combination are recorded at their fair value at the 
date of acquisition and recognised separately from goodwill. Intangible assets acquired through a 
specific acquisition are recorded at cost.

Refer to ‘Determining fair value of identifiable intangible assets’ for management judgement on 
measurement of fair value of intangible assets acquired as part of a business combination. 

Intangible assets that are considered to have a finite life are amortised on a straight-line basis over the 
period of expected benefit. Intangible assets that are considered to have an indefinite life are not 
amortised but tested for impairment on an annual basis or when an indication of impairment exists.

Capitalisation
of development
costs

Management judgement is required to 
determine whether to capitalise 
development costs. 

Development costs are only 
capitalised if the project is assessed to 
be technically and commercially 
feasible, we are able to use or sell the 
asset and we have sufficient resources 
and intent to complete the 
development. 

3.2 Goodwill and other intangible assets (continued)

3.3 Lease arrangements

3.2.2 Recognition and measurement (continued)

Determining
fair value of
identifiable
intangible
assets

Management judgement is required to 
determine the appropriate fair value of 
identifiable intangible assets acquired 
in business combinations. This 
involves estimating timing and 
amounts of future cash flows derived 
from the use of these assets as well as 
an appropriate discount rate to be 
applied to the forecast cash flows. 
Such estimates are based on current 
forecasts, extrapolated for an 
appropriate period and taking into 
account growth rates, operating costs 
and the expected useful life of the 
assets.

(a) Amortisation

The weighted average amortisation periods of our identifiable 
intangible assets are as follows:

Table D

Telstra Group

Software assets
Licences
Other intangibles

Expected benefit 
(years)

As at 30 June

2020

2019

8
14
16

8
14
16

Useful lives of
intangible
assets

We apply management judgement to 
determine the amortisation period 
based on the expected useful lives of 
each asset class. 

We review the useful lives of our 
identifiable intangible assets each 
year. The net effect of the 
reassessment of useful lives for the 
financial year 2020 was a $87 million 
(2019: $130 million) decrease in 
amortisation expense. 

This note provides details about our leasing arrangements, 
where Telstra is either a lessee or a lessor, including 
arrangements where Telstra is an intermediate lessor (i.e. 
subleases). 

We have adopted the new lease accounting standard from 1 July 
2019. Note 1.5 details changes in our accounting policies and a 
summary of impacts on the first time adoption. This note provides 
disclosures required under the new accounting standard and relates 
to all our lease arrangements in place during the financial year 2020.

3.3.1 Telstra as a lessee

Our lease arrangements where Telstra is a lessee include the 
following lease categories:

• properties, including office buildings, retail space, warehouses 

and network sites (mainly land and data centre buildings)

• spaces on mobile towers
• mobile handsets leased under transitioning contracts, which are 

subleased to our consumer and small business customers

• communication assets dedicated to solution management that we 
provide to our customers largely in a back-to-back finance lease 
arrangements and which arise from our transitioning contracts 
with the financiers

• renewable energy plants
• motor vehicles
• audio visual communications equipment
• personal computers, laptops, printers and other related 

equipment, which are accounted for as leases of low value assets.

From 25 June 2019, we ceased to offer subleases for mobile 
handsets to our retail customers. Amounts recognised in relation to 
those leases relate to contracts entered into in the prior reporting 
periods which will continue to be accounted for till the earlier of the 
end of the lease or its termination. 

None of our leases include residual value guarantees. Other features 
of our leases are described below.

(a) Leases with extension, termination and purchase options

Leases for communication assets dedicated to solution 
management, which arise from our transitioning finance leases, 
include purchase options. These assets are largely provided to our 
enterprise customers in a back-to-back dealer-lessor finance lease 
arrangements (refer to note 3.3.2 for further details about Telstra as 
a lessor) and purchase options allow us to transfer the legal title to 
the relevant equipment to the end customer at the end of the lease.

Our mobile handset leases, which arise from our transitioning 
operating leases, include purchase options if certain conditions are 
met to provide flexibility to the end retail customer in these back-to-
back arrangements.

We do not have any significant purchase options in our property 
leases.

Extension options are included in a number of our commercial and 
network property leases and are taken up to maximise the 
operational flexibility in terms of managing the assets used in our 
core business operations.

118 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F39

F40 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 119

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 41  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 42  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

3.3.1 Telstra as a lessee (continued)

(a) Leases with extension, termination and purchase options 
(continued)

Our mobile handset leases and motor vehicle leases include both 
extension and termination options to allow flexibility in managing our 
customer subleases for mobile handsets and our business needs for 
motor vehicles.

The majority of extension and termination options in our lease 
contracts are exercisable only by us and not by the respective lessor, 
with the exception of ‘holdover periods’ in our property leases, where 
generally either party can terminate the lease.

The extension, termination and purchase options are considered 
when determining lease term.

Determining lease term We apply management judgement to determine a lease term for leases with 

extension, termination or purchase options. We also consider lease modifications 
where we continue to use the same underlying asset for an extended term.

Our property lease terms are negotiated on an individual basis and contain a wide 
range of different terms and conditions, with typical fixed term periods between 
five and 15 years. Where Telstra is a lessee of mobile handsets, our communication 
assets dedicated to solution management and motor vehicles, i.e. the leased 
assets are more generic in nature and/or of lower values, generally master lease 
agreements are in place with a range of fixed lease terms between two and five 
years. 

In determining the lease term, we consider all facts and circumstances that create 
an economic incentive to exercise an extension, termination or purchase option, 
including holdover periods where relevant. These factors differ depending on the 
contractual arrangements and the nature of the underlying assets.

In particular, we consider contractual terms on which the lease term can be 
extended or terminated, the price value at which a purchase option (if relevant) can 
be exercised, potential relocation costs, asset specific factors and any relevant 
leasehold improvements, our wider strategy and policy decisions, and any other 
relevant facts.

Extension options are only included in the lease term if the lease is reasonably 
certain to be extended. Periods beyond termination options are only included in the 
lease term if it is reasonably certain that the lease will not be terminated.

The level of certainty required to make the judgements about the lease term is high. 
The longer the fixed lease term, the less certain a lessee is to exercise an option to 
extend the lease.

When determining lease term for our office buildings, the extension options have 
generally not been included in the lease liabilities due to a competitive market 
place and our commercial ability to either substantially renegotiate or replace 
these assets instead of exercising the extension options.

For our back-to-back leases of mobile handsets offered to mass market 
customers, the determined lease term generally matches the legal contract term 
because it is not reasonably certain at each contract level that these leases will be 
either extended or terminated or that the purchase option will be exercised.

None of our termination options have been considered reasonably certain to be 
exercised; therefore, the lease terms have not been shortened and all future cash 
flows have been included in the lease liability.

The lease term assessment is reviewed if a significant event or a significant change 
in circumstances occurs which affects this assessment and that is within our 
control as a lessee. 

(c) Leases with variable lease payments that do not depend on an 
index or a rate 

Some of our leases, such as leases of renewable energy plants, 
include variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or a 
rate. Such payments are not included in the measurement of the 
lease liability and are expensed as incurred in ‘other expenses’ in the 
income statement.

(d) Right-of-use assets

Table A shows movements in net book value of our right-of-use 
assets during the financial year 2020.

Right-of-use assets for underlying assets

Land

Buildings

Other

Total

$m
-
1,480
1,480
173
4
(184)
(4)
-
-
1,469
1,657
(188)

$m
-
1,419
1,419
136
44
(270)
(5)
(9)
(2)
1,313
1,573
(260)

$m
-
852
852
122
-
(563)
(155)
(8)
-
248
612
(364)

$m
-
3,751
3,751
431
48
(1,017)
(164)
(17)
(2)
3,030
3,842
(812)

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

3.3.1 Telstra as a lessee (continued)

(b) Leases with lease payment increases

Under most of our lease arrangements, we pay fixed lease payments, 
which are included in the measurement of lease liabilities on initial 
recognition or at the time of reassessment. The fixed lease payments 
include average fixed increases of three per cent in a number of our 
property leases. However, some of our property leases contain other 
escalation clauses, including increases subject to the consumer 
price index, the greater of fixed increase or the consumer price index 
or increases subject to market rates. Market rent review terms are 
used to respond to competitive market trends for these type of 
properties and to minimise our fixed costs. No material adjustments 
to lease liabilities resulting from such escalation clauses were 
recognised during the financial year 2020.

Table A

Telstra Group

Net book value at 1 July 2019
Change in accounting policy arising from AASB 16: 'Leases'
Restated net book value at 1 July 2019
Additions
Transfers from assets held for sale
Depreciation expense
Terminations
Derecognition due to finance subleases
Net foreign currency exchange differences
Net book value at 30 June 2020
At cost
Accumulated depreciation and impairment

The following paragraphs provide further information about our 
right-of-use asset classes:

• leased data centre land and building classified as held for sale at 
30 June 2019 were reclassified to right-of-use assets during the 
financial year 2020 as they are no longer held for sale. Refer to note 
3.10 for further details.

• other terminated leases mainly include derecognised right-of-use 
assets for our mobile handset leases (Telstra as a lessee), which 
ceased following terminations of the back-to-back customer 
operating leases.

Table B provides information about the weighted average useful lives 
of our right-of-use assets.

Table B

Telstra Group

Right-of-use assets, including:
Land
Buildings
Other

Weighted 
average 
useful life 
(years)

As at 
30 June

2020

12
9
2

120 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F41

F42 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 121

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 43  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 44  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

3.3.1 Telstra as a lessee (continued)

(e) Lease liabilities 

From 1 July 2019, lease liabilities are shown separately in the 
statement of financial position, with the exception of amounts not 
included in the measurement of lease liabilities. These include 
leases of low value assets or leases with variable payments which do 
not depend on an index or a rate, for which associated outstanding 
rental payments as at balance date continue to be included in trade 
and other payables. In the 2019 comparative information, finance 
lease balances are included in the statement of financial position 
within borrowings.

We use the incremental borrowing rate for property leases which 
comprise the majority of our lease portfolio. The weighted average 
discount rate as at 30 June 2020 was 2.8 per cent.

Determining
incremental
borrowing rate
for property
leases

We apply management judgement to 
determine incremental borrowing 
rates for our property leases because 
the interest rates implicit in leases are 
not readily determinable for those 
arrangements. 

The incremental borrowing rates are 
determined with reference to rates 
sourced from market based credit 
adjusted yield curves which are 
independently derived and reasonably 
reflect the credit risk of the lessee. The 
discount rates also reflect:

• the lease term (based on the 

weighted average repayment term)

• any guarantees which may be in 

place

• the impact of any security if 

significant to pricing.

Table C presents maturity analysis of our lease liabilities.

Table C

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Undiscounted future cash flows
Within 1 year
Within 1 to 2 years
Within 2 to 5 years
After 5 years
Total undiscounted lease liabilities
Future finance charges
Present value of lease liabilities
Included in the financial statements 
as:
Current
Non-current

$m

633
471
1,105
1,560
3,769
(471)
3,298

611
2,687
3,298

$m

91
62
73
116
342
(51)
291

78
213
291

Measurement of lease liabilities reflects judgements made about 
discounted future cash flows arising from reasonably certain 
extension options and lease modifications, which must be 
reassessed should the circumstances change. 

Potential future cash outflows of $2,750 million are not reflected in 
the measurement of lease liabilities as they relate to leases which 
are yet to commence and/or extension options that we assessed as 
not reasonably certain. More than 80 per cent of those cash flows will 
occur after five years. These outflows represent contractual 
undiscounted future cash flows estimated based on fixed lease 
payments only, payable over the legally non-cancellable lease term 
(for leases yet to commence) and/or over all extension options 
exercisable only by us (i.e. excluding holdover periods) for leases 
already recognised in the statement of financial position and for 
those yet to commence.

The weighted average incremental 
borrowing rate as at 30 June 2020 was 
2.5 per cent.

Such cash flows are not contractually payable until options have 
been legally exercised (if at all) and/or until the effective dates of 
already executed new contracts.

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

3.3.1 Telstra as a lessee (continued)

(f) Amounts recognised in the income statement and cash outflows 
for leases 

Table D presents amounts recognised in the income statement and 
the cash outflows in the financial year 2020 related to our lease 
arrangements where Telstra is a lessee. The comparative 
information has not been presented as we have adopted the new 
lease accounting standard from 1 July 2019 without restatement of 
the comparative periods.

Table D

Telstra Group

Amounts recognised in the income statement
Income from operating subleases of right-of-use 
assets (Telstra as an intermediate lessor) (included 
in revenue from other sources)
Depreciation of right-of-use assets (included in 
depreciation and amortisation expense)
Interest expense on lease liabilities (included in 
finance costs)
Net loss on termination of leases (included in other 
expenses)
Net gain on sale and leaseback transactions 
(included in other income)
Expense relating to leases of low value assets 
(included in other expenses)
Expense relating to variable lease payments 
(included in other expenses)
Cash outflows for leases
Lease payments reported in cash flows from 
operating activities
Lease payments reported in cash flows from 
financing activities (principal portion)
Lease payments reported in cash flows from 
financing activities (interest portion)

Year 
ended 
30 June

2020

$m

468

(1,017)

(109)

(226)

4

(27)

(3)

(30)

(993)

(109)

Net loss on termination of leases mainly includes early termination 
charges for our mobile handset leases (Telstra as a lessee), which 
have been partly recovered from revenue recognised on termination 
of the back-to-back customer operating leases disclosed as part of 
the ‘income from operating subleases of right-of-use assets (Telstra 
as an intermediate lessor)’. 

3.3.2  Telstra as a lessor (including a dealer-lessor and an 
intermediate lessor)

Our lease arrangements where Telstra is a lessor, including a dealer-
lessor and intermediate lessor, include the following main 
categories:

• leases of owned properties and subleases of right-of-use property 

assets, including office and network buildings

• subleases of mobile handsets to our consumer and small business 
customers arising from transitioning contracts as we ceased to 
offer this product from 25 June 2019

• finance leases where Telstra is a dealer-lessor of communication 

assets dedicated to solution management. 

None of our leases include residual value guarantees. Our key 
finance and operating leases are described below.

(a) Finance leases 

(i) Finance leases where Telstra is a dealer-lessor

We enter into finance lease arrangements predominantly for 
communication assets dedicated to solution management that we 
provide to our customers under our customer sales contracts. We 
account for these leases as dealer-lessor finance leases and 
recognise selling profit in accordance with our policy for outright 
sales at the lease commencement date. Therefore, we have no risks 
associated with remaining rights in the underlying assets. The 
weighted average remaining term of the finance leases in our 
customer contracts is five years (2019: five years).

(ii) Subleases of right-of-use assets 

Generally, we rent office and network buildings for own use only and 
not with the intention to earn rental income. However, where our 
needs or the intended use of the rented properties change and we 
have assessed that exiting a lease is uneconomical, we sublease 
right-of-use property assets under finance lease arrangements and 
on the market terms for the remaining non-cancellable lease term of 
the head lease. 

These subleases are classified as finance leases and at the lease 
commencement date we record a selling profit or loss on the de-
recognised right-of-use asset and recognise a finance lease 
receivable. Given these are subleases of the right-of-use assets, we 
have no risks associated with any retained rights in the underlying 
assets as the properties are vacated and returned to the landlords at 
the end of the non-cancellable lease term. 

(iii) Finance lease receivable maturity analysis 

Table E sets out the maturity analysis of undiscounted lease 
payments receivable and the unearned finance income for our 
finance lease receivables. No unguaranteed residual values accrue 
under our finance leases.

Table E

Telstra Group

Undiscounted lease payments 
receivable under finance leases
Within 1 year
Within 1 to 2 years
Within 2 to 3 years
Within 3 to 4 years
Within 4 to 5 years
After 5 years
Total undiscounted lease payments 
receivables
Less: unearned finance income
Net investment in the lease
Allowance for doubtful debts

Included in the financial statements 
as
Current finance lease receivables
Non-current finance lease receivables

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

99
79
47
28
21
48

322

(33)
289
(1)
288

90
198
288

109
58
35
20
12
55

289

(36)
253
(1)
252

99
153
252

122 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F43

F44 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 123

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 45  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 46  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

(c) Amounts recognised in the income statement 

3.3.2  Telstra as a lessor (including a dealer-lessor and an 
intermediate lessor) (continued)

(a) Finance leases (continued)

(iii) Finance lease receivable maturity analysis (continued)

Following adoption of the new lease accounting standard from 1 July 
2019, the balances at 30 June 2020 include all finance lease 
receivables accounted for under the new requirements. The 
balances at 30 June 2019 have been accounted for under the 
previous lease accounting requirements, therefore finance lease 
receivables excluded any balances arising from finance subleases of 
right-of-use assets recognised on transition on 1 July 2019.

The interest rate implicit in the leases is fixed at lease inception for 
the entire lease term. The average interest rate implicit in the leases 
was 3.8 per cent (2019: 5.0 per cent) per annum. 

During the financial year 2020, we added $171 million new finance 
lease receivables, including $25 million resulting from the first time 
adoption of the new lease accounting standard, recognised interest 
income of $13 million and received $135 million for the principal 
portion of finance lease receivables. 

Refer to note 3.4 for details regarding impairment assessment of our 
finance lease receivables.

(b) Operating leases 

(i) Subleases of mobile handsets 

In prior financial years, we offered mobile plans to our consumer and 
small business customers where the customer could lease a 
handset and purchase a bundle of services under a term accounting 
contract. Leases of those handsets were in back-to-back 
arrangements with a third party, where Telstra was a lessee. From 25 
June 2019, we ceased to offer these mobile plans, however, all such 
lease arrangements represented transitioning contracts on adoption 
of the new lease accounting standard and we continue to account for 
them until the earlier of the end of the lease term or customer 
termination. 

To provide flexibility to our mass market retail customers, the 
handset lease plans include options to extend the lease, terminate 
the lease early or to purchase the handset at the end of the lease. The 
lease term has not been adjusted for any of these options because 
none of them are considered reasonably certain at the lease contract 
level.

(ii) Maturity analysis of undiscounted future lease payments 
receivable 

Table F sets out maturity analysis of undiscounted future lease 
payments receivable under our operating leases.

Table F

Telstra Group

Within 1 year
Within 1 to 2 years
Within 2 to 3 years
Within 3 to 4 years
Within 4 to 5 years
After 5 years

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
78
2
2
1
-
3
86

$m
388
126
7
5
1
3
530

Table G presents amounts recognised in the income statement in the 
financial year 2020 related to our lease arrangements where Telstra 
is a lessor, including amounts related to lease arrangements where 
Telstra is an intermediate lessor. The comparative information has 
not been presented as we have adopted the new lease accounting 
standard from 1 July 2019 without restatement of the prior period.

Table G
Telstra Group

Revenue from finance leases (Telstra as a dealer-
lessor) (included in revenue from other sources)
Income from operating leases (Telstra as a direct or an 
intermediate lessor) (included in revenue from other 
sources)
Net gain on derecognition due to finance leases, 
including subleases (included in other income)
Finance income from finance leases (Telstra as a 
lessor) (included in finance income)

Year 
ended 
30 June

2020

$m

122

474

1

13

Income from operating leases includes mostly income from 
operating subleases of right-of-use assets (Telstra as an 
intermediate lessor) as disclosed in Table D in note 3.3.1. 

3.3.3 Recognition and measurement 

(a) Lease identification and lease term 

A contract (or linked contracts) is, or contains, a lease if it conveys the 
right to control the use of an identified asset, including a physically 
distinct portion of an asset, for a period of time in exchange for 
consideration. The customer has the right to control the use of an 
identified asset if the supplier has no substantive substitution rights, 
and the customer obtains substantially all of the economic benefits 
from use of the identified asset and has the right to direct its use.

A (combined) contract may include lease and non-lease 
components, which are accounted for separately. Lessee allocates 
the consideration to lease and non-lease components based on their 
relative standalone prices. Lessor allocates the consideration to 
lease and non-lease components applying the relative standalone 
selling prices requirements for revenue from customer contracts 
(refer to note 2.2 for further details).

If a lease has been identified at inception of the arrangement, a lease 
term is determined considering a non-cancellable period and 
reasonably certain extension, termination or purchase options. This 
includes consideration of any holdover periods, where either 
counterparty has enforceable rights to terminate the lease. Holdover 
periods relate to periods when, for a variety of reasons, the lessee 
continues to occupy the property or use the asset beyond the legally 
agreed lease term and either party can terminate the lease during 
the holdover period by giving a notice.

In determining the lease term, all facts and circumstances that 
create an economic incentive to exercise an extension, termination 
or purchase options must be considered. These factors differ 
depending on the terms of contractual arrangements, the nature of 
the underlying assets, leasehold improvements, industry practices 
and strategic planning. Leases are accounted for from the lease 
commencement date, i.e. the date when the lessor makes the 
underlying asset available for use by the lessee.

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

3.3.3 Recognition and measurement (continued)

(b) Telstra as a lessee

A lessee recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability at a 
lease commencement date. The lease liability is initially measured 
as a net present value of the following lease payments:

Where we lease right-of-use property assets, costs of improvements 
to these properties are capitalised under our property, plant and 
equipment policy as leasehold improvements and amortised over 
the shorter of the useful life of the improvements and the term of the 
lease.

We reassess lease liability (and a make a corresponding adjustment 
to the related right-of-use asset) whenever:

• fixed payments (including any in-substance lease payments), less 

• the lease term has changed (reflecting reassessment of or 

any lease incentives receivable

• variable lease payments that are based on an index or a rate, 
initially using the index or rate as at the commencement date
• amounts expected to be payable by the lessee under residual 

value guarantees

exercise of an extension or termination options previously not 
included in the measurement of the lease liability) or there is a 
change in the assessment of exercise of a purchase options, in 
which case the lease liability is remeasured by discounting the 
revised lease payments using a revised discount rate

• the exercise price of a purchase option, if the purchase option was 

• the lease payments change due to changes in an index or a rate or 

assessed as reasonably certain to be exercised

• payments for penalties for terminating the lease, if the lease term 

reflects that the lessee will exercise that option.

Lease payments expected to be made under a reasonably certain 
extension option are also reflected in the measurement of the lease 
liability.

Where lease arrangements include market rent review clauses, 
which generally can be triggered by either counterparty within a set 
time frame by a notice given either during the non-cancellable lease 
period or when the extension option is exercised, until the outcome of 
a market rent review (if triggered) is concluded, the legal obligations 
are to pay previously agreed lease payments. Therefore, lease 
liabilities are measured excluding any expected impacts from 
market rent reviews until they are legally binding and can be reliably 
measured.

The lease payments are discounted using the interest rate implicit in 
the lease, unless that rate is not readily determinable, in which case 
the lessee’s incremental borrowing rate is used.

Lease payments are allocated between principal and finance cost. 
The finance cost is charged to the income statement over the lease 
term so as to produce a constant periodic rate of interest on the 
remaining balance of the liability for each period. 

Variable lease payments that do not depend on an index or a rate are 
recognised in the income statement in the period in which the event 
or condition that triggers those payments occurs.

Payments associated with leases of low value assets are recognised 
on a straight-line basis as an expense in the income statement. 

Right-of-use assets cost comprises the initial measurement of the 
corresponding lease liability, lease payments made at or before the 
commencement date and any initial direct costs. Where an 
obligation exists to dismantle, remove or restore a leased asset or 
the site it is located on and a provision has been raised, the right-of-
use asset also includes these restoration costs.

Right-of-use assets are subsequently measured at cost less 
accumulated depreciation and impairment losses.

Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated on a straight-line 
basis over the shorter of the asset’s useful life and the lease term. If 
it is reasonably certain that we will exercise the purchase option, the 
right-of-use asset is depreciated over the underlying asset’s useful 
life. The depreciation starts at the commencement date of the lease.

Right-of-use assets are reviewed for impairment under the same 
policy as our property, plant and equipment assets. Refer to note 
3.1.1 for further details regarding impairment testing.

change in the expected lease payments under a guaranteed 
residual value, in which case the lease liability is remeasured by 
discounting the revised lease payments using the initial discount 
rate

• a lease contract is modified and the lease modification is not 

accounted for as a separate lease, in which case the lease liability 
is remeasured by discounting the revised lease payments using a 
revised discount rate.

In the statement of cash flows, cash payments for both the principal 
portion and the interest portion of the lease liability are classified as 
cash flows from financing activities. Cash payments for leases of low 
value assets and variable lease payments that do not depend on an 
index or a rate and are not included in the measurement of the lease 
liability are classified as cash flows from operating activities. 
Proceeds from sale of leases, including proceeds from sale and 
leaseback transactions, are classified as cash flows from investing 
activities.

(c) Telstra as a lessor (including a dealer-lessor and an 
intermediate lessor)

We distinguish between finance leases, which effectively transfer 
substantially all the risks and benefits incidental to ownership of the 
leased asset from the lessor to the lessee, and operating leases 
under which the lessor effectively retains substantially all such risks 
and benefits. Lease classification is made at the inception date and 
is only reassessed if there is a lease modification.

Where we are an intermediate lessor, we account for the head lease 
and the sublease as two separate contracts. The sublease is 
classified as a finance or operating lease by reference to the right-of-
use asset arising from the head lease.

Where we lease assets via a finance lease, a finance lease receivable 
(i.e. a net investment in the lease) is recognised at the lease 
commencement date and measured at the present value of the lease 
payments receivable plus the present value of any unguaranteed 
residual value expected to accrue at the end of the lease term and 
discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease.

Finance lease receipts are allocated between finance income and a 
reduction of the finance lease receivable over the term of the lease in 
order to reflect a constant periodic rate of return on the net 
investment outstanding in respect of the lease. 

In the statement of cash flows, cash receipts for both the principal 
portion and the interest portion of the finance lease receivable are 
classified as cash flows from investing activities.

124 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F45

F46 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 125

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 47  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 48  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.3 Lease arrangements (continued)

3.4 Trade and other receivables and contract assets

3.3.3 Recognition and measurement (continued)

(c) Telstra as a lessor (including a dealer-lessor and an 
intermediate lessor) (continued)

Where we are a dealer-lessor, at the commencement of the lease, we 
also recognise a selling profit or loss (being the difference between 
revenue from other sources and the cost of sale) from the sale of the 
underlying asset in addition to the finance lease receivable. The sale 
is recognised in accordance with our policy for outright sales from 
contracts with customers as described in note 2.2.

Income from operating leases is recognised on a straight-line basis 
over the term of the relevant lease and presented as revenue from 
other sources in the income statement.

(d) Sale and leaseback transactions 

When we sell and lease back the same asset, the accounting 
treatment depends on whether the control of the asset has been 
transferred as assessed under our policy for outright sales from 
contracts with customers as described in note 2.2.

If the transfer of the asset satisfies the revenue recognition 
requirements, we measure the right-of-use asset arising from the 
leaseback at the proportion of the previous carrying amount of the 
asset that relates to the right-of-use retained by us as a seller-
lessee. Accordingly, we recognise only the amount of any gain or loss 
that relates to the rights transferred to the buyer-lessor.

If the transfer of an asset does not satisfy the revenue recognition 
requirements, as a seller-lessee we continue to recognise the 
transferred asset and we recognise a financial liability equal to the 
transfer proceeds. 

3.4.1 Current and non-current trade and other receivables and 
contract assets 

Table A

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

Current

Trade receivables from 
contracts with customers

Finance lease receivables

3.3

Accrued revenue

Other receivables

Contract assets

Non-current

Trade receivables from 
contracts with customers

Finance lease receivables

Amounts owed by joint ventures 
and associated entities

Other receivables

Contract assets

3.8

3.3

6.2

3.8

3,248

3,151

90

565

355

4,258

863

5,121

977

198

16

8

1,199

229

1,428

99

795

159

4,204

1,188

5,392

473

153

-

17

643

137

780

The majority of our receivables are in the form of contracted 
agreements with our customers. In general, the terms and conditions 
of these contracts require settlement between 14 and 30 days from 
the date of invoice. Credit risk associated with trade and other 
receivables and contract assets has been provided for.

Our trade receivables include receivables with deferred payment 
terms over 12, 24 or 36 months. 

Contract assets relate to our rights to consideration for goods or 
services provided to the customers but for which we do not have an 
unconditional right to payment at the reporting date. 

Refer to note 3.8 for further details regarding trade receivables from 
contracts with customers and contract assets. 

3.4 Trade and other receivables and contract assets 
(continued)

3.4.1 Current and non-current trade and other receivables and 
contract assets (continued)

(a) Impairment of trade and other receivables and contract assets

Trade and other receivables and contract assets are exposed to 
customers’ credit risk and are subject to impairment assessment. 

If a credit loss is expected, an allowance for doubtful debt is raised to 
reduce the carrying amount of trade and other receivables and 
contract assets. 

A credit loss is a shortfall between the cash flows that are due in 
accordance with the contract and the cash flows that we expect to 
receive, discounted at the original effective interest rate. The 
estimated expected credit loss is calculated using one or a 
combination of a portfolio approach and/or an individual account by 
account assessment.

Contract assets relate to the transferred goods and services where a 
valid invoice is yet to be issued to the customer and have 
substantially the same risk characteristics as the trade receivables 
for the same types of contracts. Therefore, the expected loss rates 
for trade receivables are a reasonable approximation of the loss 
rates for the contract assets.

(i) Portfolio approach

The portfolio approach is based on historical credit loss experience 
and, where appropriate, adjusted to reflect current conditions and 
estimates of future economic outlook. This approach is mostly 
applied to balances arising from our consumer and small business 
customer contracts. Under this approach, receivables and contract 
assets are grouped based on shared credit risk characteristics, such 
as:

• account status (services still active or not)
• customers’ payment history 
• the days past due.

For each grouping, the expected credit loss is then calculated on the 
probability that an account within the group will default, that is it will 
become past due by more than 90 days, and the expected loss rate 
should they default, both represented as a percentage of the 
exposure at default determined at customer account level.

Our provision rates range from 0.2 per cent (2019: 0.2 per cent) for 
balances not past due to 81.7 per cent (2019: 91.0 per cent) for 
balances where the payment is overdue by more than 90 days and 
the customer’s services have been deactivated.

(ii) Individual approach

The individual approach is an account by account assessment based 
on past credit history, knowledge of debtor’s financial situation, such 
as insolvency or entering a payment plan, or other known credit risk 
specific to the debtor, such as judgement based on the debtor’s 
industry. This approach is applied to balances arising from contracts 
with large corporate and government customers as well as to 
accounts in Telstra Enterprise, Telstra InfraCo and Telstra Consumer 
& Small Business segments where some detrimental change in 
payment behaviour has been noticed or certain thresholds have been 
exceeded by a customer.

Balances arising from our transactions with nbn co (reported in 
Telstra InfraCo segment and in ‘All Other’ category) are separately 
assessed based on the Australian government credit risk rating.

Estimating
allowance for
doubtful debts

We apply management judgement to 
estimate the allowance for doubtful 
debts for our trade and other 
receivables measured at amortised 
cost and for contract assets. 

For trade receivables and contract 
assets arising from our Telstra 
Consumer & Small Business and 
Telstra Enterprise Australian 
customers, we have implemented a 
scenario based approach 
incorporating base, good and bad 
economic scenarios. The overall 
impairment is calculated as a 
weighted average of the three 
scenarios.

Our prior analysis showed that 
generally overall macroeconomic 
factors, such as unemployment rates, 
interest rates or gross domestic 
product had no strong correlation with 
our bad debt losses. However, if the 
macroeconomic factors are above 
certain thresholds, a correlation with 
those factors becomes observable. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic 
impacts, it is expected that an 
increase in unemployment rates and 
decline in gross domestic product will 
exceed the relevant thresholds. 
Therefore, when estimating the 
expected credit loss we have 
incorporated assumptions of eight to 
10 per cent unemployment rates and 
approximately eight per cent decline in 
gross domestic product as well as 
multiple possible recovery scenarios. 
We have also considered impacts from 
specific management actions, our 
observable customer behaviours so far 
and how the pandemic may impact our 
industry in particular. 

As a result, we have increased the 
allowance for doubtful debts by $36 
million to reflect risks and 
uncertainties brought about by the 
COVID-19 pandemic. Should the 
macroeconomic assumptions change 
in the future, it could have a material 
impact on our allowance for doubtful 
debts in the subsequent years.

126 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F47

F48 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 127

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 49  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 50  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.4 Trade and other receivables and contract assets 
(continued)

3.4.1 Current and non-current trade and other receivables and 
contract assets (continued)

Movements in the allowance for doubtful debts in respect of all our 
trade and other receivables and contracts assets, regardless of the 
method used in measuring the impairment allowance, are detailed in 
Table C.

3.4 Trade and other receivables and contract assets 
(continued)

3.6 Trade and other payables

3.4.2 Recognition and measurement (continued)

Telstra Group

(a) Impairment of trade and other receivables and contract assets 
(continued)

Table C

The impairment allowance for trade receivables from contracts with 
customers, finance lease receivables and contract assets is 
measured using a simplified approach (i.e. based on the probability 
of default over the lifetime of the financial asset and loss given 
default). The aging analysis and loss allowance in relation to these 
are detailed in Table B. 

Table B

As at 30 June

Telstra Group

2020

2019

Gross

Allow-
ance

Gross

Allow-
ance

$m

$m

$m

$m

Not past due, 
including measured 
at:
- amortised cost
- fair value

Past due 1 - 30 days
Past due 31 - 60 
days
Past due 61 - 90 
days
Past 91 days

3,516
1,346
4,862
447

141

89

267
5,806

(33)
-
(33)
(2)

(2)

(9)

3,008
1,506
4,514
481

138

86

(13)
-
(13)
(2)

(4)

(5)

(155)
(201)

125
5,344

(119)
(143)

Ageing analysis in Table B is based on the original due date of trade 
receivables, including where repayment terms for certain long 
outstanding trade receivables have been renegotiated.

Contract assets are not yet due for collection, thus the entire balance 
has been included in the ‘not past due’ category.

Accrued revenue, amounts owed by joint ventures and associated 
entities and other receivables (before allowance for doubtful debts) 
totalling $953 million (2019: $980 million) are subject to impairment 
assessment using the general approach and include 79 per cent 
(2019: 86 per cent) of balances with counterparties with an external 
credit rating of A- or above.

We hold security for a number of trade receivables, including past 
due or impaired receivables, in the form of guarantees, letters of 
credit and deposits. During the financial year 2020, the securities we 
called upon were insignificant. These trade receivables, along with 
our trade receivables that are neither past due nor impaired, 
comprise customers who have a good debt history and are 
considered recoverable. Further, we limit our exposure to credit risk 
from trade receivables by establishing a maximum payment period 
and, in certain instances, cease providing further services after 90 
days from the past due date. As part of our response to the COVID-19 
pandemic, we temporarily suspended ceasing the services towards 
the end of the financial year 2020. The impairment allowance has 
been adjusted, as relevant.

Telstra Group

Opening balance 1 July
Additional allowance
Amount used
Amount reversed
Closing balance 30 June

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m
(152)
(113)
19
36
(210)

$m
(192)
(45)
35
50
(152)

Impairment allowance related to accrued revenue, amounts owed by 
joint ventures and associated entities and other receivables (i.e. 
balances not presented in Table B) amounted to $9 million (2019: $9 
million).

3.4.2 Recognition and measurement

Trade and other receivables and contract assets are financial assets. 

Trade and other receivables are initially recorded at fair value and 
subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective 
interest method, with the exception of certain trade receivables from 
contracts with customers, which are subsequently measured at fair 
value. Refer to note 4.4.5 for further details on trade receivables from 
contracts with customers measured at fair value.

Contract assets arise from our contracts with customers and are 
initially recorded at the transaction price allocated as compensation 
for goods or services provided to customers for which the right to 
collect payment is subject to providing other goods or services under 
the same contract (or group of contracts) and/or we are yet to issue 
a valid invoice. Contract assets are subsequently measured to reflect 
relevant transaction price adjustments (where required) and are 
transferred to trade receivables when the right to payment becomes 
unconditional, i.e. when the other goods or services under the same 
contract (or group of contracts) have been transferred and/or a valid 
invoice has been issued.   

(a) Impairment of financial assets 

We estimate the expected credit losses for our financial assets 
(including contract assets) measured at amortised cost on either of 
the following basis:

• a general approach, i.e. 12-month expected credit loss which 

results from all possible default events within the 12 months after 
the reporting date, however, if the credit risk of a financial asset at 
the reporting date has increased significantly since its initial 
recognition, loss allowance is calculated based on lifetime 
expected credit losses (applicable to accrued revenue, amounts 
owed by joint ventures and associated entities, and other 
receivables), or

• a simplified approach, i.e. lifetime expected credit loss which 

results from all possible default events over the expected life of a 
financial instrument (applicable to trade receivables from 
contracts with customer, contract assets and lease receivables).

Any customer account with debt more than 90 days past due is 
considered to be in default.

(a) Impairment of financial assets (continued)

Trade and other receivables and contract assets are written off 
against the allowance for doubtful debts or directly against their 
carrying amounts and expensed in the income statement when all 
collection efforts have been exhausted and the financial asset is 
considered uncollectable. Factors indicating there is no reasonable 
expectation of recovery include insolvency and significant time 
period since the last invoice was issued.

3.5 Inventories

Telstra Group

Current
Goods for resale
Raw materials and network inventory

Non-current
Network inventory

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

353
65
418

28
28

369
79
448

35
35

3.5.1 Recognition and measurement

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value. 
For the majority of inventory items, we assign cost using the 
weighted average cost basis.

Net realisable value of items expected to be sold is the estimated 
selling price less estimated costs of completion and the estimated 
costs incurred in marketing, selling and distribution. It approximates 
fair value less costs to sell.

Estimating net
realisable value

At the reporting date, we applied 
management judgement to determine 
net realisable value of inventories by 
making certain price assumptions to 
project selling prices into the future. 
We also made assumptions about 
current and future technologies.

Net realisable value of items expected to be consumed, for example 
used in the construction of another asset, is the net value expected 
to be earned through future use.

Current
Trade payables
Accrued expenses
Accrued capital expenditure
Accrued interest
Other payables

Non-current
Other payables

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

988
1,774
438
221
559
3,980

4
4

849
2,163
239
267
1,010
4,528

68
68

Trade payables and other payables are non-interest bearing 
liabilities. Our payment terms vary, however payments are generally 
made within 20 days to 90 days from the invoice date.

From time to time, Telstra’s suppliers utilised or offered supply 
finance arrangements at their sole discretion. When that took place, 
Telstra was not a party to contracts under which the suppliers 
received financing from third parties, and Telstra did not receive any 
fees or commissions associated with the supply chain finance 
arrangements. Under the use of supply chain finance arrangements, 
suppliers transferred their rights to the amounts due from Telstra to 
third parties, i.e. the counterparty that was paid changed. We have 
assessed that amounts financed by our vendors under supply chain 
finance arrangements did not represent financing activities for 
Telstra. This was because payments made by Telstra continued to 
represent a payment for goods and services, and the payment terms 
did not significantly differ, if at all, from our standard contract terms.

During the financial year 2020, we made the decision to stop 
enabling a supply chain finance option facilitated by Telstra and to 
implement this in a way that did not disadvantage our suppliers. As 
of 30 June 2020, the vast majority of suppliers who previously had 
access to this supply chain finance arrangement no longer had 
access to it, and we have moved suppliers with a low annual spend to 
20 day payment terms. However, this supply chain financing 
arrangement remains in place for an interim period for some 
suppliers, including a small number of our larger suppliers and for 
some others who saw the early payment as being helpful to their 
liquidity especially during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As at 30 June 2020, the amount payable under supply chain finance 
arrangements which was reclassified from ‘Trade payables’ to ‘Other 
payables’ was $143 million (2019: $593 million). 

3.6.1 Recognition and measurement

Trade and other payables, including accruals, are recorded when we 
are required to make future payments as a result of purchases of 
assets or services. Trade and other payables are financial liabilities 
initially recognised at fair value and carried at amortised cost using 
the effective interest method.

128 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F49

F50 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 129

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 51  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 52  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.7 Contract liabilities and other revenue received in 
advance

Contract liabilities arise from our contracts with customers and 
represent amounts paid (or due) to us by customers before receiving 
the goods and/or services promised under the contract.

We also recognise revenue received in advance for consideration 
received upfront under contracts giving rise to revenue from other 
sources or other income, for example from nbn disconnection fees or 
from sale of assets. 

Table A presents customer payments received in advance under 
different types of our commercial arrangements. 

Table A

Telstra Group

Current

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Note

$m

$m

Contract liabilities

3.8

1,540

1,431

Other revenue received in 
advance

Non-current

Contract liabilities

Other revenue received in 
advance

3.8

71

226

1,611

1,657

947

255

1,006

265

1,202

1,271

3.8 Trade receivables from customer contracts, contract 
assets and contract liabilities

3.8.1 Recognition of trade receivables, contract assets and 
contract liabilities 

Trade receivables, contract assets and contract liabilities arise from 
our contracts with customers described in note 2.2.1. 

The relationship between our performance and the customer’s 
payment will determine if trade receivables, contract assets or 
contract liabilities are recognised. 

The timing of revenue recognition may differ from customer 
invoicing. Trade receivables from contracts with customers 
represent an unconditional right to receive consideration (primarily 
cash), which normally arises when the goods and services promised 
to the customer have been transferred and/or a valid invoice has 
been issued. 

By contrast, contract assets mainly refer to amounts allocated as 
consideration for goods or services provided to customers for which 
the right to collect payment is subject to providing other goods or 
services under the same contract (or group of contracts) and/or we 
are yet to issue a valid invoice. 

Contract liabilities represent amounts paid (or due) to us by 
customers before receiving the goods and/or services promised in 
the contract. 

Contract assets and contract liabilities also arise due to timing 
differences between invoicing and recognition of certain discounts, 
credits or other incentives, including those arising from our 
framework agreements. These items adjust revenue recognised in a 
given period but they can be invoiced upfront, over the contract term 
or when certain performance conditions have been met.   

Customer contract assets and liabilities are presented, respectively, 
in current and non-current assets and current and non-current 
liabilities based on the amounts expected to be collected or 
recognised as revenue within or after 12 months from the reporting 
period end.

In general, we invoice customers in advance for services provided 
under our prepaid or fixed (usually monthly) fee contracts and in 
arrears for usage based contracts (e.g. carriage services under 
enterprise contracts) or excess charges in our legacy mass market 
contracts. In those cases we would recognise a contract liability and 
a contract asset, respectively. 

Under our mass market no-lock-in mobile and fixed service plans 
and under our legacy mobile fixed term contracts which offer a 
bundle of hardware and services, the customer enters into two 
separate legal contracts. Where these are combined for revenue 
recognition, we recognise a trade receivable for the hardware 
payment contract under which we have an unconditional right to 
payment despite the deferred payment terms resulting in invoicing 
over the extended term. 

Under some of our fixed mass market plans, wholesale and 
enterprise arrangements, we charge upfront connection or other 
fees for contract fulfilment activities, which represent transaction 
price adjustments and at the time give rise to a contract liability given 
they have been collected before the goods and services have been 
transferred.

We also recognise a contract liability for our domestic and 
international network capacity arrangements, under which we 
receive upfront payments in advance of services which will be 
provided over an average contract term between 10 and 33 years. 

3.8.2 Movements in net contract assets and contract liabilities

Our billing arrangements for goods and services as well as different 
types of discounts, credits or other incentives can vary depending on 
the type and nature of the contracts with customers. As a result, at 
times under the same accounting contract, we may recognise both a 
contract asset and a contract liability. At each reporting period, any 
balances arising from the same accounting contract are presented 
net in the statement of financial position as either a net contract 
asset or a net contract liability. 

The net presentation mainly impacts our small business and 
enterprise framework arrangements offering loyalty programs and 
technology funds, and nbn Definitive Agreements, where multiple 
legal contracts have been combined as one accounting contract. 

Table A presents opening and closing balances of our current and 
non-current contract assets and contract liabilities and their total 
net movement for the period.

Table A

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Current contract assets
Non-current contract assets
Total contract assets
Current contract liabilities
Non-current contract liabilities
Total contract liabilities
Total net contract liabilities
Increase in net contract liabilities for 
the year

$m
863
229
1,092
(1,540)
(947)
(2,487)
(1,395)

(283)

$m
1,188
137
1,325
(1,431)
(1,006)
(2,437)
(1,112)

(43)

3.8 Trade receivables from customer contracts, contract 
assets and contract liabilities (continued)

3.8.2 Movements in net contract assets and contract liabilities 
(continued)

Generally, contract assets increase when we recognise revenue for 
goods and services transferred to the customer in advance of their 
invoicing and decrease when we invoice customers for goods and 
services provided previously (i.e. when contract assets are 
transferred to trade receivables). 

On the other hand, contract liabilities increase when we receive 
consideration in advance of transferring the goods and services to 
the customer, and decrease when we recognise revenue for the 
goods and services previously prepaid by the customer. 

Other changes in our contract assets and contract liabilities 
represent movements resulting from changes in the transaction 
prices due to timing of invoicing and recognition of discounts, credits 
and other incentives. 

The overall increase of $283 million (2019: $43 million) in the net 
contract liabilities incorporated the $1,722 million (2019: $1,521 
million) revenue recognised in the reporting period that was included 
in the contract liabilities balance at the beginning of the period. 

Refer to note 3.4.1 for details regarding impairment assessment of 
contract assets. 

3.9 Deferred contract costs

Certain costs related to our contracts with customers are deferred in 
the statement of financial position and amortised on a basis 
consistent with the transfer of goods and services to which these 
costs relate. 

Deferred contract costs comprise of deferred costs to obtain or fulfil 
an accounting customer contract. Table A provides movements in 
net book values of the deferred contract costs. 

Table A

Telstra Group

Net book value at 1 July 2018, including
Current
Non-current

Additions
Amortisation expense
Impairment losses
Net book value at 30 June 2019, including
Current
Non-current

Net book value at 1 July 2019, including
Current
Non-current

Additions
Amortisation expense
Impairment losses
Net book value at 30 June 2020, including
Current
Non-current

Costs to 
obtain a 
contract

Commis- 
sions

Costs to fulfil a contract

Set-up costs

Costs of 
service 
provider

Total costs 
to fulfil a 
contract

Total 
deferred 
contract 
costs

$m
1,026
n/a
1,026

553
(394)
(100)
1,085
n/a
1,085

1,085
n/a
1,085

607
(407)
(124)
1,161
n/a
1,161

$m
61
-
61

25
(29)
-
57
-
57

57
-
57

9
(19)
-
47
-
47

$m
162
69
93

586
(563)
-
185
95
90

185
95
90

677
(634)
-
228
82
146

$m
223
69
154

611
(592)
-
242
95
147

242
95
147

686
(653)
-
275
82
193

$m
1,249
69
1,180

1,164
(986)
(100)
1,327
95
1,232

1,327
95
1,232

1,293
(1,060)
(124)
1,436
82
1,354

130 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F51

F52 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 131

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 53  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 54  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)
Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2019

Section 3. Our core assets, lease arrangements and working capital (continued)

3.9 Deferred contract costs (continued)

3.10 Assets and liabilities held for sale

As at 30 June 2019, $121 million of assets and $79 million of 
liabilities of a disposal group were classified as held for sale, 
including assets and liabilities related to three data centres within 
the Telstra Enterprise segment. 

On 1 April 2020 we sold off one of the data centres and recognised 
sale proceeds of $58 million and a net gain of $12 million. 

We did not receive the consents required for sale of the remaining 
two data centres. As a result we have ceased to classify these assets 
and liabilities as held for sale and measured them at their carrying 
amounts before they were classified as held for sale, adjusted for 
depreciation of property, plant and equipment and right-of-use 
assets, and respective lease payments and interest expense for 
lease liabilities.

3.9.1 Recognition and measurement

We capitalise costs to obtain an accounting contract when the costs 
are incremental, i.e. would not have been incurred if the contract had 
not been obtained and are recoverable either directly via 
reimbursement by the customer or indirectly through the contract 
margin. 

We elect to recognise the incremental costs of obtaining contracts as 
an expense when incurred if the period of benefit is one year or less.

Costs to fulfil a contract are costs incurred in satisfying the 
performance obligations under a customer contract. These costs 
relate directly to an identified performance obligation or indirectly to 
other activities that are necessary under the contract but that do not 
result in a transfer of goods or services, i.e. they are fulfilment 
activities. 

Costs to fulfil a contract include set-up costs and costs of a service 
provider, which represent the costs incurred in relation to services 
which will be transferred to our customers in the future reporting 
periods. 

We capitalise costs to fulfil a contract if all of the following apply: 

• the costs are not required to be accounted for under another 

accounting standard

• the costs relate directly to a contract or a specifically identified 

anticipated contract (for example, costs relating to services to be 
provided under renewal of an existing contract)

• the costs generate or enhance resources that we control and will 

be used to satisfy future performance obligations under the 
contract 

• we expect to recover the costs.

We amortise deferred contract costs over the term that reflects the 
expected period of benefit of the expense. This period may extend 
beyond the initial contract term to the estimated customer life or 
average customer life of the class of customers. We use the 
amortisation pattern consistent with the method used to measure 
progress and recognise revenue for the related goods or services. 

We assess whether deferred contract costs are impaired whenever 
events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying 
amounts may not be recoverable. 

Amortisation
period of
deferred
contract costs

We have applied management 
judgement to estimate the 
amortisation period of deferred 
contract costs to obtain a contract.

For sales commissions paid on 
acquisition of the initial contract which 
are not commensurate with 
recontracting commissions, the 
amortisation period reflects the 
average estimated customer life for 
respective types of contracts.

Section 4. Our capital and risk management
Section 4. Our capital and risk management

This section sets out the policies and procedures applied to manage 
This section sets out the policies and procedures applied to manage 
our capital structure and the financial risks we are exposed to. Our 
our capital structure and the financial risks we are exposed to. Our 
total capital is defined as equity and net debt. We manage our 
total capital is defined as equity and net debt. We manage our  
capital structure in order to maximise shareholders’ return, 
capital structure in order to maximise shareholders’ return,  
maintain optimal cost of capital and provide flexibility for strategic 
maintain optimal cost of capital and provide flexibility for strategic 
investments.
investments.

SECTION 4. OUR CAPITAL AND RISK MANAGEMENT

4.1 Dividend

This note includes dividends paid for the previous year final 
dividend and the current year interim dividend. From the 
financial year 2018, our dividend comprises both ordinary and 
special dividends.

As the current year final dividend resolution was passed on 13 
August 2020, no provision had been raised as at 30 June 2020.

We currently pay dividend to equity holders of the Telstra Entity twice 
a year, an interim and a final dividend. Table A below provides details 
of the dividends paid during the financial year 2020. 

Table A

Year ended 30 June

Telstra Entity

2020

2019

2020

2019

Previous year final 
dividend paid
Interim dividend 
paid

$m

$m

cents

cents

951

1,308

952

951

8.0

8.0

1,903

2,259

16.0

11.0

8.0

19.0

The Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) will continue to operate for 
the final dividend in the financial year 2020. The election date for 
participation in the DRP is 28 August 2020.

On 13 August 2020, the Directors of Telstra Corporation Limited 
resolved to pay a fully franked final dividend for the financial year 
2020 of 8 cents per ordinary share, comprising a final ordinary 
dividend of 5 cents and a final special dividend of 3 cents. The final 
dividend will be fully franked at a tax rate of 30 per cent. The record 
date for the final dividend will be 27 August 2020, with payment to be 
made on 24 September 2020. From 26 August 2020, shares will trade 
excluding entitlement to the dividend.

As at 30 June 2020, the final dividend for the financial year 2020 was 
not determined or publicly recommended by the Board, therefore no 
provision for the dividend had been raised in the statement of 
financial position. However, a provision for the final dividend payable 
amounting to $951 million has been raised as at the date of 
resolution. 

There are no income tax consequences for the Telstra Group 
resulting from the resolution and payment of the final dividend, 
except for $408 million of franking debits arising from the payment of 
this dividend that will be adjusted in our franking account balance.

Table B provides information about franking credits available for use 
in subsequent reporting periods. 

Table B

Telstra Group

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Franking account balance
Franking credits that will arise from the 
payment of income tax payable as at 30 
June (at a tax rate of 30% on a tax paid 
basis)

$m
98

207

305

$m
168

87

255

We believe that our current balance in the franking account, 
combined with the franking credits that will arise on income tax 
instalments expected to be paid in the financial year 2021, will be 
sufficient to fully frank our 2020 final dividend. 

4.2 Equity

This note provides information about our share capital and 
reserves presented in the statement of changes in equity.

We have established the Telstra Growthshare Trust (the Trust) 
to allocate and administer the Company's employee share 
schemes. The Trust is consolidated as it is controlled by us. 
Shares that are held within the Trust, known as treasury shares, 
are used to satisfy future vesting of entitlements in these 
employee share schemes. These treasury shares reduce our 
contributed equity.

4.2.1 Share capital

Table A details components of our share capital balance. 

Table A

Telstra Group

Contributed equity
Share loan to employees
Shares held by employee share plans
Net services received under employee 
share plans

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
4,530
(7)
(39)

(33)

$m
4,530
(10)
(50)

(23)

4,451

4,447

132 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F53

F54 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 133

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 55  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 56  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

(c) Net services received under employee share plans

We measure the fair value of services received under employee share 
plans by reference to the fair value of the equity instruments granted. 
The net services received under employee share plans represent the 
cumulative value of all instruments issued.

4.2.2 Reserves

Table B details our reserve balances. 

4.2 Equity (continued)

4.2.1 Share capital (continued)

(a) Contributed equity

As at 30 June 2020, we have 11,893,297,855 (2019: 11,893,297,855) 
authorised fully paid ordinary shares on issue. Each of our fully paid 
ordinary shares carries the right to one vote at a meeting of the 
Company. Holders of our shares also have the right to receive 
dividends and to participate in the proceeds from sale of all surplus 
assets in proportion to the total shares issued in the event of the 
Company winding up.

(b) Shares held by employee share plans

As at 30 June 2020, the number of shares held by employee share 
plans totalled 9,107,647 (2019: 10,200,395). During the financial 
year 2020, 6,091,319 shares were purchased on-market for the 
purposes of the employee incentive schemes at the average price per 
share of $3.64.

4.2 Equity (continued)

4.2.3 Recognition and measurement

Issued and paid up capital is recognised at the fair value of the 
consideration received by the Telstra Entity.

Any transaction costs arising on the issue of ordinary shares are 
recognised directly in equity, net of income tax, as a reduction of the 
share proceeds received.

Services received under employee share plans (i.e. share-based 
payments) increase our share capital balance and vested employee 
share plans decrease the share capital balance resulting in a net 
movement in our equity. Non-recourse loans provided to employees 
to participate in these employee share plans are recorded as a 
reduction in share capital. 

We also record the purchase of the Telstra Entity shares 
underpinning our employee share plan as a reduction in share 
capital.

General 
reserve

Total 
reserves

4.3 Capital management

Table B

Telstra Group

Balance at 1 July 2018
Other comprehensive income

Balance at 30 June 2019
Other comprehensive income
Balance at 30 June 2020

Cash flow 
hedging 
reserve

Foreign 
currency 
transla- 
tion 
reserve

Foreign 
currency 
basis 
spread 
reserve

Fair value 
of equity 
instru- 
ments 
reserve

$m
70

39

109
21
130

$m
(211)

2

(209)
32
(177)

$m
(6)

(15)

(21)
(4)
(25)

$m
23

47

70
14
84

The table below details the nature and purpose of our reserve 
balances.

Reserve

Nature and purpose

$m
(7)

-

(7)
-
(7)

$m
(131)

73

(58)
63
5

Foreign currency 
translation reserve

Represents exchange differences arising from the conversion of the non-Australian controlled entities’ 
financial statements into Australian dollars. This reserve is also used to record our percentage share of 
exchange differences arising from our equity accounted non-Australian investments in joint ventures 
and associated entities.

Cash flow hedging 
reserve

Represents the effective portion of gains or losses on remeasuring the fair value of hedge instruments, 
where a hedge qualifies for hedge accounting.

Foreign currency basis 
spread reserve

Represents changes in the fair value of our derivative financial instruments attributable to movements 
in foreign currency basis spread. Currency basis is included in interest on borrowings in the income 
statement over the life of the borrowing.

Fair value of equity 
instruments reserve

Represents changes in fair value of equity instruments we have elected to measure at fair value through 
other comprehensive income.

General reserve

Represents other items we have taken directly to equity.

Our capital management is undertaken in accordance with 
financial parameters regularly reviewed and approved by the 
Board. 

We manage our capital structure which aims to provide returns 
for shareholders and benefits for other stakeholders, while:
• safeguarding our ability to continue as a going concern
• maintaining an optimal capital structure and cost of capital 

that provides flexibility for strategic investments.

In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, we may 
issue or repay debt, adjust the amount of dividend paid to 
shareholders or return capital to shareholders.

As part of our capital management we monitor net debt. This 
note provides information about components of our net debt 
and related finance costs. 

Our dividend policy together with dividends paid during the financial 
year 2020 have been detailed in note 4.1. 

4.3.1 Net debt

Net debt equals total interest bearing financial liabilities and 
derivative financial instruments, less cash and cash equivalents. At 
30 June 2020 net debt was $16,844 million (2019: $14,727 million). 
Table A lists the carrying value of our net debt components and 
includes totals of current and non-current balances.

Table A

Telstra Group

Lease liabilities
Borrowings
Net derivative financial instruments
Gross debt
Cash and cash equivalents
Net debt

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
(3,298)
(15,829)
1,784
(17,343)
499
(16,844)

$m
-
(17,253)
1,922
(15,331)
604
(14,727)

Our gross and net debt increased following the adoption of the new 
lease accounting standard on 1 July 2019 under which lease 
liabilities are recognised for all our leases (Telstra as a lessee) and 
included in debt balances at 30 June 2020. 

The 30 June 2020 borrowings balance excludes any lease liabilities 
which are presented separately in the statement of financial 
position. The 30 June 2019 borrowings balance includes finance 
lease liabilities of $291 million accounted for under the previous 
lease accounting requirements. 

No significant components of net debt are subject to any externally 
imposed capital requirements. With the exception of a minor ($8 
million) breach in our subsidiary, we did not have any defaults or 
breaches under any of our agreements with our lenders during the 
financial year 2020.

Table B summarises the key movements in net debt during the 
financial year and provides our gearing ratio.

Table B

Telstra Group

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Net debt at 1 July
Debt issuance
Commercial paper (net)
Revolving bank facilities (net)
Debt repayments
Lease liability payments
Finance lease payments
Net cash outflow
Fair value gain/(loss) impacting:
Equity
Other expenses
Finance costs
Other non-cash movements
Lease liability (Telstra as a lessee)
Finance leases
Other loans
Total non-cash movements
Total (increase)/decrease in gross 
debt
Net decrease in cash and cash 
equivalents (includes effects of foreign 
exchange rate changes)
Total (increase)/decrease in net debt
Net debt at 30 June

Total equity
Total capital

Gearing ratio

$m
(14,727)
(1,180)
(255)
(260)
2,781
993
-
2,079

50
(24)
(5)

(4,000)
-
(112)
(4,091)

(2,012)

(105)

$m
(14,739)
(1,570)
537
200
801
-
79
47

(23)
(10)
19

-
(5)
-
(19)

28

(16)

(2,117)
(16,844)

12
(14,727)

(15,147)
(31,991)

%
52.7%

(14,530)
(29,257)

%
50.3%

Leases (Telstra as a lessee) included in non-cash movements during 
the period incorporate the lease liability recognised on transition on 
1 July 2019 as disclosed in note 1.5.

134 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F55

F56 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 135

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 2020 
2020.Financial Report.book  Page 57  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 58  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.3 Capital management (continued)

4.3.1 Net debt (continued)

During the financial year 2020, we repaid $2,659 million of term debt 
(Australian dollar equivalent). This included:

Gearing ratio equals net debt divided by total capital, where total 
capital equals equity, as shown in the statement of the financial 
position, plus net debt. The gearing ratio for the financial year 2020 
reflects changes from the adoption of the new lease accounting 
standard.

(a) Borrowings and repayment of debt

Debt issuance for the financial year 2020 of $1,180 million 
(Australian dollar equivalent), comprised:

• 10 year €500 million Euro bond ($856 million Australian dollar 

equivalent)

• three year $150 million bilateral facility
• $174 million other loans.

• $1,499 million Euro bond
• $300 million Australian dollar floating rate note
• $800 million Australian dollar bilateral facility
• $60 million Australian dollar private placements.

We also repaid other loans of $122 million. The above also includes 
the cash settlement of derivative instruments, where applicable.

4.3.2 Borrowings

Table C details the carrying and fair values of borrowings included in 
the statement of financial position.

4.3 Capital management (continued)

(b) Finance costs

4.3.2 Borrowings (continued)

(a) Recognition and measurement

Table D presents our net finance costs. Interest expense on 
borrowings are net amounts after offsetting interest income and 
interest expense on associated derivative instruments. Our hedging 
strategies are discussed further in note 4.3.3.

Recognition and measurement

Table D

Telstra Group

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Initial 
recognition 
and 
measurement

Borrowings are recognised initially on the 
trade date (the date on which we become a 
party to the contractual provisions of the 
instrument).

Table C

Telstra Group

Current borrowings
Domestic - bonds and private placements
Offshore - bonds and private placements
Bank and other loans
Commercial paper
Finance leases

Non-current borrowings
Domestic - bonds and private placements
Offshore - bonds and private placements
Bank and other loans
Finance leases

Total borrowings

Our policy is to swap foreign currency denominated borrowings into 
Australian dollars using cross currency and interest rate swaps. 
Refer to note 4.4 for further details.

Generally, all our borrowings are unsecured. No assets are pledged 
as security for our borrowings. All our borrowings are interest 
bearing. 

Refer to Table F in note 4.3.4 for the principal value of our borrowings.

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

Carrying 
value

Fair value

Carrying 
value

Fair value

$m

$m

$m

$m

Subsequent 
measurement

985
971
432
375
-
2,763

1,047
11,740
279
-
13,066
15,829

995
971
435
378
-
2,779

1,219
12,744
285
-
14,248
17,027

360
1,622
23
139
78
2,222

2,031
11,881
906
213
15,031
17,253

364
1,678
24
139
78
2,283

2,239
12,698
957
213
16,107
18,390

All loans and borrowings are initially 
recorded at fair value, which typically 
reflects the proceeds received, net of 
directly attributable transaction costs.

After initial recognition, all interest 
bearing loans and borrowings are stated 
at amortised cost, using the effective 
interest method. Any difference between 
proceeds received net of direct 
transaction costs and the amount payable 
at maturity is recognised over the term of 
the borrowing using the effective interest 
method.

Loans or borrowings that are in 
designated fair value hedge relationships 
are adjusted for fair value movements 
attributable to the hedged risk. Refer to 
note 4.3.3 for our hedging policies.

Gains or losses are recognised in the 
income statement when the loan or 
borrowing is derecognised.

Derecognition

Borrowings are derecognised when our 
contractual obligations are discharged, 
canceled or expired.

Borrowings are classified as non-current borrowings except for 
those that mature in less than 12 months from the reporting date, 
which are classified as current borrowings.

Interest income on cash
Finance income from finance leases 
(Telstra as a lessor)
Finance income from contracts with 
customers
Net interest income on defined benefit 
plan
Total finance income
Interest expense on:
Borrowings
Lease liabilities
Finance leases
Gross interest on debt
Finance costs from contracts with 
customers
Net gains on financial instruments 
included in remeasurements

Interest capitalised
Total finance costs
Net finance costs

$m
13

13

244

4

274

(678)
(109)
-
(787)

(326)

11

(315)
57
(1,045)
(771)

$m
17

16

197

8

238

(771)
-
(21)
(792)

(217)

36

(181)
105
(868)
(630)

Net finance costs for the financial year 2020 include interest on lease 
liabilities related to all leases accounted for under the new lease 
accounting standard from 1 July 2019, whereas the comparative 
period only includes interest expense on finance lease liabilities 
accounted for under the previous lease accounting requirements.

Net gains on financial instruments included in remeasurements 
comprise unrealised valuation impacts on our borrowings and 
derivatives, and are recorded in the income statement. These include 
net unrealised gains or losses which arise from changes in the fair 
value of derivative financial instruments to the extent that hedge 
accounting is not achieved or is not effective. These fair values 
increase or decrease because of changes in financial indices and 
prices over which we have no control.

136 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F57

F58 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 137

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 59  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 60  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.3 Capital management (continued)

4.3.3 Derivatives

Table E shows the carrying value of each class of derivative financial 
instruments. 

4.3 Capital management (continued)

4.3.3 Derivatives (continued)

In order to qualify for hedge accounting, prospective hedge 
effectiveness testing must meet all of the following criteria:

• an economic relationship exists between the hedged item and 

(b) Use of derivatives to manage risks

hedging instrument

Derivatives are financial instruments that derive their value 
from the price of an underlying item such as interest rate, 
foreign currency exchange rate, credit spread or other index.

Table E

Telstra Group

Current derivative financial instruments
Cross currency swaps
Interest rate swaps
Forward foreign exchange contracts

Non-current derivative financial instruments
Cross currency swaps
Interest rate swaps

Total derivative financial instruments

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

Assets

Liabilities

Assets

Liabilities

$m

128
18
1
147

1,781
230
2,011
2,158

$m

-
(2)
(52)
(54)

(91)
(229)
(320)
(374)

$m

118
43
18
179

1,738
345
2,083
2,262

$m

-
(54)
(3)
(57)

(12)
(271)
(283)
(340)

The terms of a derivative contract are determined at inception, 
therefore any movements in the price of the underlying item over 
time will cause the contract value to fluctuate, which is reflected in 
the change in fair value of the derivative. Derivatives which are in an 
asset position (i.e. the market has moved in our favour) are referred 
to as being ‘in the money’ and derivatives in a liability position as ‘out 
of the money’.

Both parties are therefore exposed to the credit quality of the 
counterparty. We are exposed to credit risk on derivative assets as a 
result of the potential failure of the counterparties to meet their 
contractual obligations. 

Refer to note 4.4.3 for information about our credit risk policies.

Instruments used

(a) Recognition and measurement

Initial recognition and 
subsequent 
measurement

Derivative financial instruments are recognised on the date on which we commit to purchase or sell an 
asset or liability. All derivatives are initially recognised at fair value and subsequently remeasured at fair 
value at each reporting date. Where the fair value of a derivative is positive, it is carried as an asset, and 
where negative, as a liability. Refer to note 4.4.5 for details on the determination of fair value.  

Right to set-off

We record derivative financial instruments on a net basis in our statement of financial position where we:

• have a legally recognised right to set-off the derivative asset and the derivative liability, and we intend 

to settle on a net basis or simultaneously

• enter into master netting arrangements relating to a number of financial instruments, have a legal 

right of set-off, and intend to exercise that right.

For our interest rate swaps, we do not offset the receivable or payable with the underlying financial asset 
or financial liability being hedged as the transactions are usually with different counterparties and are 
not generally settled on a net basis.

Derecognition

Derivative assets are derecognised when the rights to receive cash flows from the derivative assets have 
expired or have been transferred and we have transferred substantially all the risks and rewards of 
ownership. 

Derivative liabilities are derecognised when the contractual obligations are discharged, cancelled or 
expired.

Impact to the income 
statement

The method of recognising the resulting gain or loss depends on the designation of the derivative as a 
hedging instrument and the nature of the item being hedged. 

Derivative financial instruments are included as non-current assets 
or liabilities, except for those that mature in less than 12 months 
from the reporting date, which are classified as current.

We enter into derivative transactions in accordance with policies 
approved by the Board to manage our exposure to market risks and 
volatility of financial outcomes that arise as part of our normal 
business operations. We do not speculatively trade in derivative 
financial instruments. 

Hedging refers to the way in which we use financial instruments, 
primarily derivatives, to manage our exposure to financial risks. The 
gain or loss on the underlying item (the ‘hedged item’) is expected to 
move in the opposite direction to the gain or loss on the derivative 
(the ‘hedging instrument’), therefore offsetting our risk position. 
Hedge accounting allows the matching of the gains and losses on 
hedged items and associated hedging instruments in the same 
accounting period to minimise volatility in the income statement. 

• the effect of credit risk does not dominate the value changes 

resulting from the economic relationship

• the hedge ratio is the same as that resulting from actual amounts 
of hedged items and hedging instruments for risk management.

To the extent permitted by Australian Accounting Standards, we 
formally designate and document our financial instruments by 
hedge type as follows: 

Objectives of this hedging 
arrangement

Fair value hedges

Cash flow hedges

To hedge the exposure to changes in the fair 
value of borrowings which are issued at a 
fixed rate, or denominated in foreign 
currency, by converting to floating rate 
borrowings denominated in Australian 
dollars.

To hedge the exposure to changes in cash 
flows from borrowings that bear floating 
interest rates or are denominated in foreign 
currency. Cash flow hedging is also used to 
mitigate the foreign currency exposure 
arising from highly probable and committed 
future foreign currency cash flows.

We enter into cross currency and interest 
rate swaps to mitigate our exposure to 
changes in the fair value of our long-term 
borrowings.

We enter into interest rate and cross 
currency swaps to hedge future cash flows 
arising from our borrowings. 

We use forward foreign exchange contracts 
to hedge a portion of firm commitments and 
highly probable forecast transactions.

Economic relationships

In all our hedge relationships, the critical terms of the hedging instrument and hedged item 
(including face values, cash flows and currency) are aligned.

Discontinuation of hedge 
accounting

Hedge accounting is discontinued when a hedging instrument expires, is sold, terminated, or 
no longer meets the criteria for hedge accounting. At that time, any cumulative gains or losses 
relating to cash flow hedges recognised in equity are initially retained in equity and 
subsequently recognised in the income statement as the previously hedged item affects profit 
or loss. For fair value hedges, the cumulative adjustment recorded against the carrying value 
of the hedged item at the date hedge accounting ceases is amortised to the income statement 
using the effective interest method. 

(c) Embedded derivatives

Derivatives embedded in host contracts that are financial assets are 
not separated from financial asset hosts and a hybrid contract is 
classified in its entirety at either amortised cost or fair value.

Derivatives embedded in other financial liabilities or host contracts 
are treated as separate financial instruments when their risks and 
characteristics are not closely related to those of the host contracts 
and the host contracts are not measured at fair value through profit 
or loss.

138 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F59

F60 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 139

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 61  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 62  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.3 Capital management (continued)

4.3.4 Gross debt by hedge type

Table F shows the carrying value and principal value of each 
component of our gross debt including derivative financial 
instruments categorised by hedge type. Principal value represents 
contractual obligations less future finance charges, excluding fair 
value remeasurements and for foreign denominated balances 
equates to the principal value in the underlying currency converted 
at the spot exchange rate as at 30 June 2020.

Table F

Telstra Group

Borrowings by hedge designation
Fair value hedges
Cash flow hedges
Not in a hedge relationship
Finance leases
Total borrowings
Lease liabilities
Total borrowings and lease liabilities
Derivative assets by hedge designation
Fair value hedges
Cash flow hedges
Not in a hedge relationship
Total derivative assets
Derivative liabilities by hedge designation
Fair value hedges
Cash flow hedges
Not in a hedge relationship
Total derivative liabilities
Total gross debt

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

Carrying 
value

Principal 
value

Carrying 
value

Principal 
value

$m

$m

$m

$m

(5,052)
(7,522)
(3,255)
-
(15,829)
(3,298)
(19,127)

945
1,213
-
2,158

(50)
(279)
(45)
(374)
(17,343)

(4,802)
(7,541)
(3,256)
-
(15,599)
(3,298)
(18,897)

763
1,212
-
1,975

(44)
(8)
(44)
(96)
(17,018)

(4,320)
(9,045)
(3,597)
(291)
(17,253)
-
(17,253)

1,016
1,243
3
2,262

-
(337)
(3)
(340)
(15,331)

(3,951)
(9,073)
(3,600)
(291)
(16,915)
-
(16,915)

733
1,259
13
2,005

-
-
(11)
(11)
(14,921)

(a) Fair value hedges

All changes in the fair value of the underlying item relating to the 
hedged risk are recognised in the income statement together with 
the changes in the fair value of derivatives. The net difference is 
recorded in the income statement as ineffectiveness. The carrying 
value of borrowings in effective fair value hedge relationships is 
adjusted for gains or losses attributable to the risk(s) being hedged. 

Table G outlines the cumulative amount of fair value hedge 
adjustments that are included in the carrying amount of borrowings 
in the statement of financial position. 

Table G

Telstra Group

Principal value
Unamortised discounts/premiums
Amortised cost
Cumulative fair value hedge 
adjustments
Carrying amount

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
(4,799)
8
(4,791)

$m
(3,951)
9
(3,942)

(261)

(378)

(5,052)

(4,320)

Table H shows the ineffectiveness recognised in the income 
statement. We have excluded foreign currency basis spreads from 
our designated fair value and cash flow hedge relationships.

Table H

Telstra Group

Remeasurement of hedged item used 
to measure ineffectiveness
Change in value of hedging instruments
Net loss/(gain) before tax from 
ineffectiveness
Net loss/(gain) after tax

Year ended 30 June

2020

(Gain)/
loss

2019

(Gain)/
loss

$m

(111)

122

11

8

$m

92

(115)

(23)

(16)

4.3 Capital management (continued)

4.3.4 Gross debt by hedge type (continued)

(b) Cash flow hedges

The portion of the gain or loss on the hedging instrument that is 
effective (offsets the movement on the hedged item) is recognised 
directly in the cash flow hedging reserve in equity and any ineffective 
portion is recognised within finance costs directly in the income 
statement.

Gains or losses deferred in the cash flow hedging reserve are 
subsequently:

• transferred to the income statement when the hedged transaction 

affects profit or loss

• included in the measurement of the initial cost of the assets where 
the hedged item is for purchases of property, plant and equipment

• transferred immediately to the income statement if a forecast 

hedged transaction is no longer expected to occur.

Table I presents the hedge gains or losses transferred to and from 
the cash flow hedging reserve.

Table I

Telstra Group

Cash flow hedging reserve
Changes in fair value of cash flow 
hedges
Changes in fair value transferred to 
other expenses
Changes in fair value transferred to 
goods and services purchased
Changes in fair value transferred to 
finance costs
Changes in fair value transferred to 
property, plant and equipment
Income tax on movements in the cash 
flow hedging reserve

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

72

200

(115)

(334)

(27)

128

(4)

(16)

38

(12)

151

(2)

(1)

2

During the current and prior financial years, there was no material 
impact on profit or loss resulting from ineffectiveness of our cash 
flow hedges or from discontinuing hedge accounting for forecast 
transactions no longer expected to occur.

Table J shows when the cash flows are expected to occur with 
respect to items in cash flow hedges (i.e. notional cash outflows). 
These amounts are the undiscounted cash flows reported in 
Australian dollars and represent our foreign currency exposures at 
the reporting date.

Table J

Telstra Group

Non-capital items
Within 1 year
Capital items
Within 1 year
Borrowings
Within 1 year
Within 1 to 5 years
After 5 years

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

(592)

(1,234)

(85)

(97)

(275)
(5,086)
(3,061)
(9,099)

(1,898)
(3,763)
(4,554)
(11,546)

Non-capital items will be recognised in the income statement in the 
same period in which the cash flows are expected to occur. For 
capital items, the hedged assets affect the income statement as the 
assets are depreciated over their useful lives.

(c) Derivatives not in a formal hedge relationship

Some derivatives may not qualify for hedge accounting or are 
specifically not designated as a hedge as natural offset achieves 
substantially the same accounting results. This includes forward 
foreign currency contracts that are used to economically hedge 
exchange rate fluctuations associated with trade payables or other 
liability and asset balances denominated in a foreign currency.

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management

Our underlying business activities result in exposure to 
operational risks and a number of financial risks, including 
interest rate risk, foreign currency risk, credit risk and liquidity 
risk.

Our overall risk management program seeks to mitigate these 
risks in order to reduce volatility on our financial performance 
and to support the delivery of our financial targets. Financial 
risk management is carried out centrally by our treasury 
department under policies approved by the Board. 

This note summarises how we manage these financial risks. 
There have been no material changes to our risk management 
policies since 30 June 2019.

Our financial risk management strategies ensure that we can 
withstand market disruptions for extended periods. In relation to 
liquidity risk we continue to have access to ample liquidity to support 
our short term liquidity requirements and protect against 
unforeseen events. 

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic we took additional measures 
to enhance our liquidity reserves by further increasing access to 
committed bank facilities. 

140 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F61

F62 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 141

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 63  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 64  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

Our credit risk exposure is spread across a number of highly rated 
counterparties. The fair value measurement includes the valuation 
of counterparty credit risk and whilst there has been some increase 
in credit spreads the impact has had no material impact to our 
financial results. Counteracting this is the reduction in risk free rates 
as a result of actions taken by governments to stimulate the 
economy. 

Post the COVID-19 pandemic we were able to successfully access 
debt capital markets in a window where there was high liquidity and 
successfully issued a benchmark Euro bond in the amount of €500 
million. 

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had no impact to our 
hedge relationships which continue to meet the criteria for hedge 
accounting.

4.4.1 Managing our interest rate risk

Interest rate risk arises from changes in market interest rates. 
Borrowings issued at fixed rates expose us to fair value interest 
rate risk. Variable rate borrowings give rise to cash flow interest 
rate risk, which is partially offset by cash and cash equivalents 
balances held at variable rates.

We manage interest rate risk on our net debt portfolio by:

• setting our target ratio of fixed interest debt to variable interest 

debt, as required by our debt management policy

• ensuring access to diverse sources of funding
• reducing risks of refinancing by establishing and managing our 

target maturity profiles

• entering into cross currency and interest rate swaps. Refer to note 

4.3.3 for further details on derivatives.

(a) Exposure

Table C in note 4.3.2 sets out the carrying value of borrowings. The 
use of cross currency and interest rate swaps allows us to manage 
the level of exposure our borrowings have to interest rate risks. Table 
A below shows our fixed to floating ratio based on the carrying value 
of our borrowings pre and post-hedging.

For internal risk management purposes, from June 2020 debt issued 
at a fixed rate or hedged from floating to fixed is considered fixed for 
the life of the transaction. Comparative information has been 
restated to accord with the current year presentation.

Table A

Telstra Group

Fixed rate

Floating rate

Total borrowings

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

Pre-hedge 
borrowings

Post-hedge 
borrowings

Pre-hedge 
borrowings

Post-hedge 
borrowings

Note

4.3

$m

(14,849)

(980)

(15,829)

$m

(9,794)

(6,035)

(15,829)

$m

(15,813)

(1,440)

(17,253)

$m

(11,493)

(5,760)

(17,253)

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4.2 Managing our foreign currency risk

4.4.1 Managing our interest rate risk (continued)

(b) Sensitivity

We have performed a sensitivity analysis based on the interest rate 
risk exposures of our financial instruments as at 30 June. In 
accordance with our policy to swap foreign currency borrowings into 
Australian dollars, interest rate sensitivity relates primarily to 
movements in the Australian interest rates. 

We have selected a sensitivity range of plus 100 basis points (2019: 
10 per cent) and minus 25 basis points (2019: 10 per cent) as a 
reasonably possible shift in interest rates based on the current level 
of both short-term and long-term interest rates and historical 
volatility. The sensitivity reflects a change in benchmark rates only. 
This is not a forecast or prediction of future market conditions.

Table B shows the results of our sensitivity analysis on the impacts 
to profit after tax and on equity.

Table B

As at 30 June

Telstra Group

2020

Basis point

Gain/(loss)

2019

Per cent

Equity

Net 
profit/
(loss)

Equity

Net 
profit/
(loss)

$m

(36)

10

$m

37

(10)

$m

(8)

8

$m

15

(15)

Interest rates 
(+100bp;+10%)
Interest rates      
(-25bp;-10%)

The results of the sensitivity analysis are driven by the following main 
factors:

• any increase or decrease in interest rates will impact our net 

unhedged floating rate financial instruments and therefore will 
directly impact profit or loss

• changes in the fair value of derivatives which are part of effective 

cash flow hedge relationships are deferred in equity

• there is minimal net impact on profit or loss as a result of fair value 
movements on derivatives designated in effective fair value hedge 
relationships as there will be an offsetting adjustment to the 
underlying borrowing

• the analysis does not include the impact of any management 
action that might take place if the interest rate shifts were to 
occur.

Foreign currency risk is our risk that the value of a financial 
commitment, forecast transaction, recognised asset or liability 
will fluctuate due to changes in foreign exchange rates. We 
issue debt offshore and operate internationally and hence we 
are exposed to foreign exchange risk from various currencies. 

This risk exposure arises primarily from:
• borrowings denominated in foreign currencies
• trade and other creditor balances denominated in foreign 

currencies

• firm commitments or highly probable forecast transactions 
for receipts and payments settled in foreign currencies or 
with prices dependent on foreign currencies

• translation risk associated with our net investments in 

foreign controlled entities (foreign operations).

(a) Borrowings 

We mitigate the foreign currency exposure on foreign currency 
denominated borrowings by converting borrowings to Australian 
dollars using cross currency swaps.

Table C shows the Australian dollar equivalent carrying value of 
offshore bonds and private placements by underlying currency. As at 
30 June 2020, all offshore borrowings were swapped into Australian 
dollars (2019: all Australian dollars).

Table C

Telstra Group

Euro
United States dollar
Japanese yen
Other
Total offshore bonds and private 
placements

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
(8,697)
(3,628)
(138)
(248)

$m
(9,555)
(3,562)
(136)
(250)

(12,711)

(13,503)

As at 30 June 2020, we also held $260 million United States dollar 
denominated commercial paper (2019: $50 million) with an 
Australian dollar equivalent carrying value of $375 million (2019: $71 
million). Commercial paper denominated in United States dollars 
was converted into Australian dollars using foreign exchange swaps.

(b) Trading

We have some exposure to foreign currency risk from our operating 
(transactional) activities. We manage this risk by:

• hedging a proportion of the exposure of foreign exchange 

transaction risk arising from firm commitments or highly probable 
forecast transactions denominated in foreign currencies in 
accordance with our risk management policy. These transactions 
may be physically settled in a foreign currency or in Australian 
dollars but with direct reference to quoted currency rates in 
accordance with a contractual formula. 

• economically hedging a proportion of foreign currency risk 

associated with trade and other asset and liability balances.

142 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F63

F64 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 143

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 65  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 65  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 66  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)
Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)
Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)
4.4.2 Managing our foreign currency risk (continued)

4.4.2 Managing our foreign currency risk (continued)
We hedge the above risks using forward foreign exchange contracts. 
(b) Trading (continued)
Table D summarises the impact of outstanding forward foreign 
We hedge the above risks using forward foreign exchange contracts. 
exchange contracts that are hedging our transactional currency 
Table D summarises the impact of outstanding forward foreign 
exposures.
exchange contracts that are hedging our transactional currency 
exposures.
Table D

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

Telstra Group
Table D

Telstra Group

Exposure

Exposure

Commercial paper borrowings
United States dollars
Commercial paper borrowings
Transactions to and from WOCE
United States dollars
British pounds sterling
Transactions to and from WOCE
United States dollars
British pounds sterling
Other (various currencies)
United States dollars
Forecast transactions
Other (various currencies)
United States dollars
Forecast transactions
Indian Rupee
United States dollars
Philippine peso
Indian Rupee
Trade payables
Philippine peso
United States dollars
Trade payables
Total in Australian dollars
United States dollars
Total in Australian dollars
(c) Natural offset

m

m
(260)

(260)
(27)
(372)
(27)
-
(372)
-
(447)
(1,413)
(447)
-
(1,413)
-
(65)

(65)

Local currency

Local currency

As at 30 June 2020

Forward foreign exchange 
contract receive/(pay)
Forward foreign exchange 
Austra- 
contract receive/(pay)
lian 
Austra- 
dollars
lian 
dollars

Average 
exchange 
Average 
rate
exchange 
$
rate

$m

m

$m
(396)

$
0.66

Exposure

Exposure

Local currency

Local currency

As at 30 June 2019

Forward foreign exchange 
contract receive/(pay)
Forward foreign exchange 
Austra- 
contract receive/(pay)
lian 
Austra- 
dollars
lian 
dollars

Average 
exchange 
Average 
rate
exchange 
$
rate

$m

m

m
50

$m
(70)

$
0.72

m
260

260
30
200
30
-
200
-
195
565
195
-
565
-
65

65

(396)
(54)
(314)
(54)
6
(314)
6
(289)
(11)
(289)
-
(11)
-
(98)
(1,156)
(98)
(1,156)

0.66
0.55
0.64
0.55
-
0.64
-
0.66
51.95
0.66
-
51.95
-
0.67

0.67

m

m
(50)

(50)
(24)
(345)
(24)
-
(345)
-
(904)
-
(904)
(1,422)
-
(1,422)
(91)

(91)

50
21
266
21
-
266
-
351
-
351
1,138
-
1,138
91

91

(70)
(38)
(380)
(38)
(4)
(380)
(4)
(487)
-
(487)
(30)
-
(30)
(130)
(1,139)
(130)
(1,139)

0.72
0.55
0.70
0.55
-
0.70
-
0.72
-
0.72
38.24
-
38.24
0.70

0.70

(c) Natural offset
Our direct foreign exchange exposure arising from the impact of 
translation of the results of our foreign entities to Australian dollars 
Our direct foreign exchange exposure arising from the impact of 
is, in part, naturally offset at the Group level by foreign currency 
translation of the results of our foreign entities to Australian dollars 
denominated operating and capital expenditure of business units, 
is, in part, naturally offset at the Group level by foreign currency 
for which we do not have hedge accounting in place.
denominated operating and capital expenditure of business units, 
for which we do not have hedge accounting in place.
(d) Sensitivity

(d) Sensitivity
We have performed a sensitivity analysis based on our foreign 
currency risk exposures existing at balance date. Table E shows the 
We have performed a sensitivity analysis based on our foreign 
impact that a 10 per cent shift in applicable exchange rates would 
currency risk exposures existing at balance date. Table E shows the 
have on our profit after tax and on equity.
impact that a 10 per cent shift in applicable exchange rates would 
have on our profit after tax and on equity.
Table E

As at 30 June

Telstra Group
Table E

Telstra Group

2020

As at 30 June

2019

2020

Gain/(loss)

2019

Net 
profit/
Net 
(loss)
profit/
(loss)

$m

$m
26

26
(32)

(32)

Exchange rates 
(+10%)
Exchange rates 
Exchange rates 
(+10%)
(-10%)
Exchange rates 
(-10%)

Equity

Gain/(loss)

Equity

$m

$m
(56)

(56)
68

68

Net 
profit/
Net 
(loss)
profit/
(loss)

$m

$m
45

45
(55)

(55)

Equity

Equity

$m

$m
(47)

(47)
57

57

A shift of 10 per cent has been selected as a reasonably possible 
change taking into account the current level of exchange rates and 
A shift of 10 per cent has been selected as a reasonably possible 
the volatility observed both on a historical basis and on market 
change taking into account the current level of exchange rates and 
expectations of future movements. This is not a forecast or 
the volatility observed both on a historical basis and on market 
prediction of future market conditions. We have disclosed the 
expectations of future movements. This is not a forecast or 
sensitivity analysis on a total portfolio basis and not separately by 
prediction of future market conditions. We have disclosed the 
currency.
sensitivity analysis on a total portfolio basis and not separately by 
currency.
We are exposed to equity impacts from foreign currency movements 
associated with our offshore investments and our derivatives in cash 
We are exposed to equity impacts from foreign currency movements 
flow hedges of offshore borrowings. The translation of our foreign 
associated with our offshore investments and our derivatives in cash 
entities’ results into the Group’s presentation currency has not been 
flow hedges of offshore borrowings. The translation of our foreign 
included in the above sensitivity analysis as this represents 
entities’ results into the Group’s presentation currency has not been 
translation risk rather than transaction risk.
included in the above sensitivity analysis as this represents 
translation risk rather than transaction risk.
Any unhedged foreign exchange positions associated with our 
transactional exposures will directly affect profit or loss as a result of 
Any unhedged foreign exchange positions associated with our 
foreign currency movements. 
transactional exposures will directly affect profit or loss as a result of 
foreign currency movements. 
Our largest concentration of foreign currency risk on our offshore 
borrowings is attributable to the Euro and United States dollar. 
Our largest concentration of foreign currency risk on our offshore 
However, there is no significant impact on profit or loss from foreign 
borrowings is attributable to the Euro and United States dollar. 
currency movements associated with our borrowings portfolio in 
However, there is no significant impact on profit or loss from foreign 
effective fair value or cash flow hedges as an offsetting entry will be 
currency movements associated with our borrowings portfolio in 
recognised on the associated hedging instrument.
effective fair value or cash flow hedges as an offsetting entry will be 
recognised on the associated hedging instrument.
The analysis does not include the impact of any management action 
that might take place if these events occurred.
The analysis does not include the impact of any management action 
that might take place if these events occurred.

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4.4 Managing our liquidity risk 

Our objective is to maintain a balance between continuity and 
flexibility of funding through the use of liquid financial instruments, 
long-term and short-term borrowings, and committed available 
bank facilities. 

We manage liquidity risk by:

• defining minimum levels of cash and cash equivalents
• defining minimum levels of cash and cash equivalents plus 

undrawn bank facilities

• closely monitoring rolling forecasts of liquidity reserves on the 

basis of expected business cash flows

• using instruments which trade in highly liquid markets with highly 

rated counterparties

• investing surplus funds within various types of liquid instruments.

We believe that our contractual obligations can be met through 
existing cash and cash equivalents, operating cash flows and other 
funding arrangements we reasonably expect to have available to us.

We have access to commercial paper programs which continue to be 
supported by a combination of liquid financial assets, and access to 
committed bank facilities. Table F shows our total and undrawn 
committed bank facilities as at 30 June. These facilities are 
traditionally shorter term in nature and mature on a staggered basis 
over the next five years, including $2 billion maturing in the next 12 
months. Drawings under our bank facilities and commercial paper 
issues are shown on a gross basis in the statement of cash flows.

Table F

Telstra Group

Facilities available
Facilities used
Facilities unused

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m
4,090
(260)
3,830

$m
3,200
-
3,200

We reduce refinancing risk by ensuring that our borrowings mature 
at different periods. 

4.4.3 Managing our credit risk

Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty will default on its 
contractual obligations resulting in a financial loss. We are 
exposed to credit risk from our operating activities (primarily 
customer credit risk) and financing activities. 

We manage credit risk by:

• applying Board approved credit policies
• monitoring exposure to high risk debtors
• requiring collateral where appropriate
• assigning credit limits to all financial counterparties.

We may also be subject to credit risk on transactions not included in 
the statement of financial position, such as when we provide a 
guarantee for another party. Details of our contingent liabilities are 
disclosed in note 7.4.2. 

(a) Customer credit risk

Trade and other receivables and contract assets consist of a large 
number of customers, spread across the consumer, business, 
enterprise, government and international sectors. Other than nbn co, 
we do not have any significant credit risk exposure to a single 
customer or group of customers. 

Refer to note 3.4 for details about our trade and other receivables 
and contract assets and how we manage customer credit risk.

(b) Treasury credit risk

We are exposed to credit risk from the investment of surplus funds 
(primarily deposits) and from the use of derivative financial 
instruments.

We have a number of exposures to individual counterparties. To 
manage this risk, we have Board approved policies that limit the 
amount of credit exposure to any single counterparty. Counterparty 
credit ratings and market conditions are reviewed continually with 
limits being revised and utilisation adjusted where appropriate. We 
also manage our credit exposure using a value at risk (VaR) 
methodology, which is an industry standard measure that estimates 
the maximum potential exposure of our risk positions as a result of 
future movements in market rates. This helps to ensure that we do 
not underestimate credit exposure with any single counterparty. 
Using VaR analysis at 30 June 2020, 95 per cent (2019: 94 per cent) 
of our derivative credit exposure was with counterparties that have a 
credit rating of A- or better. Management does not expect any 
significant losses from non-performance by any of these 
counterparties.

144 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F65

F66 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 145

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F65

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 67  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 68  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4.4 Managing our liquidity risk (continued)

Table G shows the maturity profile of our financial liabilities including 
estimated interest payments. The amounts disclosed are 
undiscounted contractual future cash flows and therefore do not 
reconcile to the amounts in the statement of financial position.

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4.5 Valuation and disclosures within fair value hierarchy 
(continued)

The table below summaries the methods used to estimate the fair 
value of our financial instruments.

Table G

Telstra Group

Domestic - bonds and 
private placements
Offshore - bonds and 
private placements
Commercial paper
Bank and other loans
Interest on borrowings, 
excluding lease liabilities
Lease liabilities
Finance lease liabilities
Trade/other payables and 
accrued expenses
Derivative financial assets
Derivative financial 
liabilities
Total

Contractual maturity

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

1 to 2 
years

2 to 5 
years

Total

More 
than 5 
years

Less 
than 1 
year

1 to 2 
years

2 to 5 
years

Total

More 
than 5 
years

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

-

(500)

(550)

(2,035)

(360)

(985)

(500)

(550)

(2,395)

Less 
than 1 
year

$m

(985)

(947)

(2,820)

(4,964)

(3,752)

(12,483)

(1,623)

(938)

(6,204)

(4,400)

(13,165)

(377)
(432)

(809)

(633)
-

(3,980)

-
(53)

(348)

(471)
-

(4)

-
(227)

(702)

-
-

(377)
(712)

(214)

(2,073)

(1,105)
-

(1,560)
-

(3,769)
-

(139)
(24)

(551)

-
(91)

-

-

(3,984)

(4,528)

-
(80)

(459)

-
(62)

(7)

-
(528)

(776)

-
(73)

(14)

-
(300)

(139)
(932)

(301)

(2,087)

-
(116)

-
(342)

(47)

(4,596)

2,504

2,972

5,384

3,920

14,780

3,345

1,283

6,638

4,621

15,887

(2,474)

(2,314)

(4,650)

(3,945)

(13,383)

(3,332)

(1,238)

(5,393)

(4,532)

(14,495)

(8,133)

(3,038)

(6,764)

(6,101)

(24,036)

(7,303)

(2,486)

(6,850)

(5,625)

(22,264)

4.4.5 Valuation and disclosures within fair value hierarchy

The financial instruments included in the statement of 
financial position are measured either at fair value or their 
carrying value approximates fair value, with the exception of 
borrowings, which are held at amortised cost.

To determine fair value, we use both observable and 
unobservable inputs. We classify the inputs used in the 
valuation of our financial instruments according to a three level 
hierarchy as shown below. The classification is based on the 
lowest level input that is significant to the fair value 
measurement as a whole.

Fair value hierarchy:

• level 1: quoted (unadjusted) market prices in active markets for 

identical assets or liabilities

• level 2: the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value 
measurement is directly (as prices) or indirectly (derived from 
prices) observable

• level 3: one or more key inputs for the instrument are not based on 

observable market data (unobservable inputs).

During the financial year 2020, there were no changes in valuation 
techniques for recurring fair value measurements of our financial 
instruments. There were also no transfers between fair value 
hierarchy levels.

Level

Level 1

Level 2

Financial instrument

Fair value

Listed investments in equity 
instruments

Quoted prices in active markets.

Borrowings, cross currency 
and interest rate swaps

Valuation techniques maximise the use of observable market data. 
Present value of the estimated future cash flows using appropriate 
market based yield curves, which are independently derived. Yield 
curves are sourced from readily available market data quoted for all 
major currencies.

Forward foreign exchange 
contracts

Quoted forward exchange rates at reporting date for contracts with 
similar maturity profiles.

Level 3

Trade receivables from 
contracts with customers

Trade receivables from contracts with customers measured at fair 
value are such where due to the variability of the contractual cash 
flows the instrument does not meet the classification requirements 
of financial assets at amortised cost.

A valuation technique is used where the estimated future cash flows 
are discounted to their present value using a discount rate that 
reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and 
the risks specific to the asset. Expected cash inflows are estimated 
based on the terms of the customer contract taking into account 
possible variations in the amount and timing of cash flows. Discount 
rate is determined using a risk free rate plus a risk adjustment 
reflecting the credit risk associated with the cash flow.

Unlisted investments in equity 
instruments

Valuation techniques (where one or more of the significant inputs is 
not based on observable market data) include reference to 
discounted cash flows and fair values of recent orderly sell 
transactions between market participants involving instruments 
that are substantially the same.

Contingent consideration

Initial recognition: expectations of future performance of the 
business. Subsequent measurement: present value of the future 
expected cash flows.

146 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F67

F68 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 147

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 69  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 70  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

Section 4. Our capital and risk management (continued)

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4.5 Valuation and disclosures within fair value hierarchy 
(continued)

Table H categorises our financial instruments which are measured at 
fair value, according to the valuation methodology applied.

Table H

Telstra Group

Assets
Trade receivables from contracts 
with customers
Derivative financial instruments
Investments in listed securities
Investments in unlisted securities

Liabilities
Derivative financial instruments

Total

As at 30 June 2020

As at 30 June 2019

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

-

-
-
-
-

-
-
-

-

2,158
-
-
2,158

(374)
(374)
1,784

1,346

-
-
21
1,367

-
-
1,367

1,346

2,158
-
21
3,525

(374)
(374)
3,151

-

-
9
-
9

-
-
9

-

2,262
-
-
2,262

(340)
(340)
1,922

1,506

-
-
16
1,522

-
-
1,522

1,506

2,262
9
16
3,793

(340)
(340)
3,453

Our borrowings as per Table C in note 4.3.2 are classified as level 2 in 
the fair value hierarchy.

Table J details movements in the level 3 trade receivables from 
contracts with customers.

Table I details movements in the level 3 unlisted security balances. 

Table I

Telstra Group

Opening balance 1 July
Purchases
Remeasurement recognised in other 
comprehensive income (net of tax)
Contribution to Telstra Ventures Fund 
II, L.P.
Closing balance 30 June

Table J

Year ended 30 June

Telstra Group

2020

2019

$m
16
7

(2)

-

21

$m
25
1

1

(11)

16

Opening balance 1 July
Recognised during the period
Settlements by customers
Net interest income recognised in the 
income statement
Remeasurements recognised in the 
income statement
Closing balance 30 June

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m
1,506
1,564
(1,756)

37

(5)

$m
1,502
1,632
(1,664)

44

(8)

1,346

1,506

During the financial year 2020, we have not received any dividends 
from our investments in these equity instruments and there have 
been no transfers to or from equity in relation to these investments.

We recognise trade receivables from contracts with customers as 
part of our ordinary activities. Settlements of those receivables are 
part of the receipts from customers in the operating cash flows. 

4.4 Financial instruments and risk management (continued)

4.4.6 Offsetting and netting arrangements

Table K presents financial assets and financial liabilities that are 
offset, or subject to, enforceable master netting arrangements or 
other similar agreements but not offset. The column ‘net amounts’ 
shows the impact on the statement of financial position if all set-off 
rights were exercised.

Table K
Telstra Group

Effects of offsetting in the statement of 
financial position

Related amounts not offset in the 
statement of financial position

Gross 
amounts

Gross 
amounts 
offset in the 
statement of 
financial 
position

Net amounts 
presented in 
the 
statement of 
financial 
position

Financial 
instruments

Collateral 
received or 
pledged

Net amounts

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

A

B

C=A-B

D

E

F=C-D-E

Trade and other receivables and 
contract assets
Trade and other payables
Derivative financial assets
Derivative financial liabilities
Total

Trade and other receivables and 
contract assets
Trade and other payables
Derivative financial assets
Derivative financial liabilities
Total

640

(429)
2,158
(374)
1,995

829

(473)
2,262
(340)
2,278

As at 30 June 2020

563

(352)
2,158
(374)
1,995

As at 30 June 2019

696

(340)
2,262
(340)
2,278

65

(65)
344
(344)
-

54

(54)
337
(337)
-

77

(77)
-
-
-

133

(133)
-
-
-

10

-
-
-
10

10

-
-
-
10

488

(287)
1,814
(30)
1,985

632

(286)
1,925
(3)
2,268

Related amounts not offset in the statement of financial position 
reflect amounts subject to conditional offsetting arrangements.

Our rights of set-off that are not otherwise included in column B, 
related to:

• our inter-operative tariff arrangements with some of our 
international roaming partners, where we have executed 
agreements that allow the netting of amounts payable and 
receivable by us on cessation of the contract

• our wholesale customers, where we have executed Customer 

Relationship Agreements that allow for the netting of amounts 
payable and receivable by us in certain circumstances where there 
is a right to suspend the supply of services or on the expiration or 
termination of the agreement

• our derivative financial instruments, where we have executed 

master netting arrangements under our International Swaps and 
Derivatives Association agreements. These agreements allow for 
the netting of amounts payable and receivable by us or the 
counterparty in the event of default or a credit event. In line with 
contractual provisions, in the event of insolvency all derivatives 
with a positive or negative fair value that exist with the respective 
counterparty are offset against each other, leaving a net receivable 
or liability.

148 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F69

F70 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 149

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 71  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 72  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Section 5. Our people
Section 5. Our people

We are working to attract and retain employees with the  
We are working to attract and retain employees with the 
skills and passion to best serve our markets. This section  
skills and passion to best serve our markets. This section 
provides information about our employee benefits  
provides information about our employee benefits 
obligations. It also includes details of our employee share  
obligations. It also includes details of our employee share 
plans and compensation paid to key management  
plans and compensation paid to key management 
personnel.
personnel.

SECTION 5. OUR PEOPLE

5.1 Employee benefits

5.1.1 Aggregate employee benefits

Our employee related obligations include: 

• liabilities for wages and salaries and related on-costs (presented 

within current trade and other payables)

• annual leave, long service leave and employee incentives 

(presented within current and non-current employee benefits) and

• redundancy provisions (presented within current other 

provisions).

Table A provides a summary of all these employee obligations.

For the amounts of the provision presented as current, we do not 
have an unconditional right to defer settlement for any of these 
obligations. However, based on past experience, we do not expect all 
employees to take the full amount of accrued leave or require 
payment within the next 12 months. Amounts disclosed in Table B 
have been determined in accordance with an actuarial assessment 
and reflect leave that is not expected to be taken or paid within the 
next 12 months.

Table B

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

435

$m

495

Table A

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Leave obligations expected to be 
settled after 12 months

Accrued labour and on-costs
Current employee benefits
Non-current employee benefits
Current redundancy provisions

$m
424
727
127
-
1,278

$m
644
804
158
1
1,607

We apply estimates and judgement in measuring our provisions for 
employee benefits. 

Long service
leave provision

We applied management judgement to 
determine the following key 
assumptions used in the calculation of 
long service leave entitlements:

• 3.5 per cent (2019: 4.0 per cent) 
weighted average projected 
increases in salaries

• 2.3 per cent (2019: 2.7 per cent) 

discount rate.

The discount rate used to calculate the 
present value has been determined by 
reference to market yields at 30 June 
2020 on nine year (2019: 10 year) high 
quality corporate bonds which have 
due dates similar to those of our 
liabilities. 

5.1.2 Recognition and measurement

The liabilities for employee benefits relating to wages and salaries, 
annual leave and other current employee benefits are accrued at 
their nominal amounts. These are calculated based on remuneration 
rates expected to be current at the settlement date and include 
related costs.

Certain employees who have been employed by Telstra for at least 10 
years are entitled to long service leave of three months (or more 
depending on the actual length of employment). We accrue liabilities 
for long service leave not expected to be paid or settled within 12 
months of reporting date at the present values of future amounts 
expected to be paid. This is based on projected increases in wage and 
salary rates over an average of 10 years, experience of employee 
departures and periods of service.

Provisions are recognised when:

• the Telstra Group has a present legal or constructive obligation to 
make a future sacrifice of economic benefits as a result of past 
transactions or events

• it is probable that a future sacrifice of economic benefits will arise
• a reliable estimate can be made of the amount of the obligation.

We recognise a provision for redundancy costs when a detailed 
formal plan for the redundancies has been developed and a valid 
expectation has been created that the redundancies will be carried 
out in respect of those employees likely to be affected. 

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 5. Our people (continued)

5.2 Employee share plans

We have a number of employee share plans that are available to executives and employees as part of their remuneration packages. 
Active share plans are conducted through the Telstra Growthshare Trust (Growthshare). Telstra wholly owns Telstra Growthshare Pty 
Ltd, the corporate trustee for Growthshare (the Trustee). The results of the Trustee are consolidated into our Telstra Group Financial 
Report.

A transaction will be classified as share-based compensation where the Group receives services from employees and pays for these 
either in shares or similar equity instruments or in cash but the amounts due are based on the price of the equity instruments.

This note summarises the primary employee share plans conducted through Growthshare and the key events in the share-based 
payment arrangements during the financial year. 

We have granted the following types of equity instruments as part of 
our equity-settled plans:

• restricted shares
• performance rights
• retention rights.

Restricted shares are Telstra shares that are subject to a restriction 
period. 

Performance rights are rights to Telstra shares subject to the 
satisfaction of certain performance measures and service conditions 
over a defined performance period.

Retention rights are rights to Telstra shares if the retention rights 
vest.

Telstra retains the flexibility to settle performance rights granted 
under the Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP) and retention 
rights in a cash amount equivalent to the value of the shares that 
would otherwise have been provided on vesting of the rights.

A summary of the key terms of our main equity-settled plans is 
presented in the tables below. Further information can be found in 
note 5.2.1.

Table A provides a summary of the restricted shares that were 
outstanding at 30 June 2020.

Table A
Telstra Group
able A 

Financial year 
granted

Restriction period 

Number of restricted 
shares allocated and 
outstanding at 
30 June 2020

EVP restricted shares

FY20

FY19

FY18

1 to 4 years from the end 
of the initial performance 
period

The restricted shares for 
FY20 will be allocated in 
the first half of the 
financial year 2021 

2 years from the end of 
the initial performance 
period

1 to 2 years from the end 
of the initial performance 
period

            1,252,021

                                   277,694

Short-term incentive (STI) restricted 
shares

FY20, FY19, FY18, FY17

3 years from the end of 
the performance period

Employee Share Plan (ESP) restricted 
shares

FY18

3 years from February 
2018

TESOP 99 restricted shares

FY00, FY98

Until the loan has been 
paid in full

5,914,876

1,699,200

2,024,900

Upon vesting, the EVP and STI restricted shares will be transferred to 
the executive in August on the first day of Telstra’s share trading 
window under its Securities Trading policy following Telstra’s full 
year results announcement. 

150 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F71

F72 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 151

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 2020    
2020.Financial Report.book  Page 73  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 74  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 5. Our people (continued)

Section 5. Our people (continued)

5.2 Employee share plans (continued)

Table B provides a summary of the EVP performance rights that 
existed at 30 June 2020. 

Table B
Telstra Group

Financial year 
granted

Date of testing 
against 
performance 
hurdles

Performance 
hurdles

EVP performance rights

FY20

30 Jun 2024

Relative Total 
Shareholder Return 
(RTSR)

Number of 
performance 
rights allocated 
and outstanding at 
30 June 2020

The performance 
rights for FY20 will be 
allocated in the first 
half of the financial 
year 2021

FY19

FY18

30 Jun 2023

RTSR

                        1,878,032

50% 30 Jun 2021 
50% 30 Jun 2022

RTSR

833,082

The definition of RTSR is set out in the Remuneration Report 
Glossary.

5.2.1 Description of share based payment arrangements 

(a) Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP) 

The EVP has been implemented for the CEO and eligible Group 
Executives since the financial year 2018. Under the EVP, the amount 
earned by an executive is determined at the end of an initial one year 
performance period based on certain factors, including Telstra’s 
performance against certain predetermined performance measures 
and the executive’s individual performance (including their 
performance relative to other executives), with the Board retaining 
discretion to adjust the outcome to ensure it is appropriate. A 
component of the amount earned under the EVP is provided in 
restricted shares and a component in performance rights. Refer to 
the Remuneration Report for further details on the FY20 EVP 
structure.

The FY20 allocation of restricted shares and performance rights 
under the FY20 EVP are expected to be made in November 2020. 
Shareholder approval will be sought at the 2020 Annual General 
Meeting for the CEO’s EVP equity grants.

(i) Restricted shares (equity-settled)

FY20 EVP restricted shares will be granted in four equal tranches, 
with one tranche eligible to vest each year for the four years following 
the end of the initial one year performance period. Refer to Table A for 
the restriction periods for the prior years’ plans. No further 
performance hurdles will apply once the restricted shares are 
allocated. During the restriction period, executives are entitled to 
vote and earn dividends on their restricted shares from the actual 
allocation date. However, they are restricted from dealing with the 
shares during this period.    

If an executive leaves Telstra other than for a Permitted Reason (the 
definition of which is set out in the Remuneration Report Glossary) 
before the end of the relevant restriction period, the restricted 
shares will be forfeited. Restricted shares may also be forfeited if 
certain clawback (malus) events occur before the restricted shares 
are transferred to the executive following the end of the relevant 
restriction period.

(ii) Performance rights (equity-settled)

Once allocated, the FY20 EVP performance rights will be tested 
against a RTSR measure over a five year period (FY19 EVP: over five 
years) inclusive of the initial one year performance period.

The number of the FY20 EVP performance rights that vest will be 
determined on a straight-line basis, with 50 per cent of the 
performance rights vesting if Telstra’s RTSR ranks at the 50th 
percentile of the Comparator Group over the performance period, up 
to 100 per cent of the performance rights vesting where Telstra’s 
RTSR ranks at the 75th percentile of the Comparator Group or above. 
No FY20 EVP performance rights will vest if Telstra’s RTSR ranks 
below the 50th percentile of the Comparator Group. Any 
performance rights that do not vest following testing against the 
RTSR measure will lapse.

The financial year 2019 and 2018 EVP performance rights will only 
vest if Telstra’s RTSR ranks at the 50th percentile or greater against 
a comparator group comprising the ASX100 excluding resource 
companies (Comparator Group) over the performance period. If the 
RTSR measure is not satisfied, all of the applicable performance 
rights in the relevant tranche will lapse.

No dividends are paid on performance rights prior to vesting. For 
performance rights that do vest, a cash payment equivalent to 
dividends paid by Telstra during the period between allocation of the 
performance rights and vesting will be made at or around the time of 
vesting, subject to applicable taxation. This cash entitlement is not 
included in the grant date fair values of the performance rights as 
this is accounted for separately.

If an executive leaves Telstra other than for a Permitted Reason 
before the end of the performance period, the performance rights 
will lapse. Performance rights may also lapse if certain clawback 
(malus) events occur before the performance rights vest following 
the end of the performance period.

5.2 Employee share plans (continued)

(e) TESOP99 (equity-settled)

5.2.1 Description of share based payment arrangements 
(continued)

(a) Executive Variable Remuneration Plan (EVP)  (continued)

(iii) Cash rights (cash-settled)

As at 30 June 2020 we recorded a $4 million liability (2019: $4 million) 
pertaining to the outstanding cash rights issued to the former 
executives that ceased employment for a permitted reason in the 
financial year 2019. 

(b) Retention rights (equity-settled)

During the financial year 2019, Telstra issued one-off retention 
rights to eligible employees. As at 30 June 2020, 7,610,669 retention 
rights were outstanding.

The retention rights were allocated in August 2018 in two tranches – 
5,065,355 (40 per cent) of the retention rights vested on 31 December 
2019 and the remaining 60 per cent will vest on 30 June 2021. The 
retention rights are not subject to performance hurdles. There will be 
no dividends or dividend equivalent amounts paid during the vesting 
period. If the holder leaves Telstra other than for a permitted reason 
before the end of the relevant vesting period, the retention rights are 
forfeited. Retention rights may also lapse if certain clawback (malus) 
events occur before the retention rights vest.

(c) STI restricted shares

As part of the Commonwealth's sale of its shareholding in the 
financial years 1998 and 2000, Telstra offered eligible employees the 
opportunity to buy ordinary shares of Telstra with an interest-free 
loan from Telstra. The shares are held by Telstra ESOP Trustee Pty 
Limited (TESOP Trustee) on behalf of the employee until the loan has 
been repaid in full. The Telstra Employee Share Ownership Plan II 
(TESOP 99) has 2,024,900 outstanding equity instruments as at 30 
June 2020 (2019: 2,903,300) with a total fair value of $6 million 
(2019: $11 million). This plan did not have a material impact on our 
results.

The employee share loan balance as at 30 June 2020 was $7 million 
(2019: $10 million), the weighted average loan still to be repaid was 
$3.27 (2019: $3.39) per instrument.

5.2.2 Fair value measurement

(a) EVP restricted shares

EVP restricted shares were measured based on the Board approved 
fixed dollar outcome for the financial year 2020, with a final number 
of shares to be allocated in November 2020. The estimated fair value 
per share was $3.44 (2019: $2.95).

(b) EVP performance rights

Table C provides a weighted average of the inputs used in measuring 
the fair value of EVP performance rights at grant date. 

Under the STI arrangements, 25 per cent of an eligible executive’s 
actual STI payment is provided as restricted shares which are 
restricted for three years from the end of the performance period. 

Table C                                            
Telstra GroupT

Performance hurdles are applied in determining the number of 
restricted shares allocated to executives, and therefore, restricted 
shares are not subject to any other performance hurdles once they 
have been allocated. During the restriction period, from the actual 
grant date, executives are entitled to vote and earn dividends on their 
restricted shares. However, they are restricted from dealing with the 
shares during this period.

If an executive leaves Telstra other than for a Permitted Reason 
before the end of the relevant restriction period, the restricted 
shares are forfeited. Restricted shares may also be forfeited if 
certain clawback (malus) events occur before the restricted shares 
are transferred to the executive following the end of the relevant 
restriction period.

Measurement date
Share price
Risk free rate
Dividend yield
Expected life in years
Expected stock volatility
Fair value ($)

Year ended 30 June 

2020
Aug 2019
$3.87
0.67%
5.22%
4.9 years
19%
$1.91

2019
Oct 2018
$3.11
2.26%
6.14%
4.7 years
20%
$1.98

The expected stock volatility is a measure of the amount by which the 
price is expected to fluctuate during a period. This is based on an 
annualised historical daily volatility of closing share prices over a 
certain period to the measurement date.

(d) Employee Share Plan (ESP) restricted shares (equity-settled)

(c) Retention rights

Restricted shares provided under the ESP were allocated to certain 
eligible employees at no cost (executives were excluded from the 
ESP).

The restricted shares are held by the Trustee on behalf of employees 
until the restriction period ends. For Australian based employees, 
the shares are released from trust on the earlier of three years from 
the date of allocation or the date on which the participating 
employee ceases relevant employment. Although the Trustee holds 
the restricted shares in trust, the employees retain beneficial 
interest (dividends, voting rights, bonus issues and right issues) in 
these shares until the end of the restriction period. 

There are no performance hurdles for these restricted shares.

No retention rights were granted in the financial year 2020.

Table D                                                                               
Telstra GroupT

Retention 
rights

Measurement date
Share price
Risk free rate
Dividend yield
Expected life in years
Fair value ($)

2019
Aug 2018
$3.08
1.99%
5.84%
2.3 years
$2.71

5.2.3 Expense recognised in profit or loss

For details of the related employee benefit expenses, refer to note 
2.3.

152 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F73

F74 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 153

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 75  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 76  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 5. Our people (continued)

Section 5. Our people (continued)

5.2 Employee share plans (continued)

5.3 Post-employment benefits

5.3 Post-employment benefits (continued)

(c) Categories of plan assets

5.2.4 Recognition and measurement

For each of our equity-settled share plans, we measure the fair value 
of the equity instrument at grant date and recognise the expense 
over the relevant vesting period in the income statement with a 
corresponding increase in equity (i.e. share capital). The expense is 
adjusted to reflect actual and expected levels of vesting.

Grant date is the date when there is a shared understanding between 
employees and Telstra of the terms and conditions of the plan and 
the employees have accepted the offer. This often occurs prior to the 
allocation of equity instruments to the employees.

The fair values of our equity instruments are calculated by taking into 
account the terms and conditions of the individual plan and as 
follows:

Equity instrument

Fair value approach

Restricted shares

Performance rights

Retention rights

We measure the value of the 
award by reference to the 
fixed dollar outcome 
approved by the Board

Black-Scholes methodology 
and utilises Monte Carlo 
simulations

Market value of Telstra’s 
share at grant date excluding 
estimated dividends lost 
between the grant date and 
the allocation date

A liability is recognised for the fair value of cash-settled 
transactions. The fair value is measured initially and at each 
reporting date up to and including the settlement date, with changes 
in fair value recognised in employee benefits expense in the income 
statement.

We participate in, or sponsor, defined benefit and defined 
contribution schemes for our employees. This note provides 
details of our Telstra Superannuation Scheme (Telstra Super) 
defined benefit plan.

Our employer contributions to Telstra Super are based on the 
recommendations from the actuary of Telstra Super in line with 
any legislative requirements. The net defined benefit asset/
(liability) at balance date is also affected by the valuation of 
Telstra Super’s investments and our obligations to members of 
Telstra Super.

5.3.1 Net defined benefit plan asset/(liability)

Table A details our net defined benefit plan asset/(liability) 
recognised in the statement of financial position.

Table A

Telstra Group

Fair value of defined benefit plan 
assets
Present value of the defined benefit 
obligation
Net defined benefit asset
Attributable to:
Telstra Super
Other

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

1,781

2,108

1,666

115

123
(8)
115

1,884

224

232
(8)
224

5.3.2 Telstra Superannuation Scheme (Telstra Super)

The Telstra Entity participates in Telstra Super, a regulated fund in 
accordance with the Superannuation Industry Supervision Act 
governed by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

Telstra Super’s board of directors operates and governs the plan, 
including making investment decisions.

Telstra Super has both defined benefit and defined contribution 
divisions. The defined benefit divisions, which are closed to new 
members, provide benefits based on years of service and final 
average salary paid as a lump sum. Post-employment benefits do not 
include payments for medical costs.

On an annual basis, we engage qualified actuaries to calculate the 
present value of the defined benefit obligations. 

Contribution levels made to the defined benefit divisions are 
determined by Telstra after obtaining the advice of the actuary and in 
consultation with Telstra Super Pty Ltd (the Trustee). These are 
designed to ensure that benefits accruing to members and 
beneficiaries are fully funded as they fall due. The benefits received 
by members of each defined benefit division take into account 
factors such as each employee’s length of service, final average 
salary, and employer and employee contributions.

Telstra Super is exposed to Australia’s inflation, credit risk, liquidity 
risk and market risk. Market risk includes interest rate risk, equity 
price risk and foreign currency risk. The strategic investment policy 
of the fund is to build a diversified portfolio of assets to match the 
projected liabilities of the defined benefit plan.

5.3.2 Telstra Superannuation Scheme (Telstra Super) (continued)

(a)  Reconciliation of changes in fair value of defined benefit plan 
assets

Table D details the weighted average allocation as a percentage of 
the fair value of total defined benefit plan assets by class based on 
their nature and risks. 

Table B provides a reconciliation of fair value of defined benefit plan 
assets from the opening to the closing balance. 

Table D

Table B

Telstra Super

Fair value of defined benefit plan 
assets at beginning of year
Employer contributions
Member contributions
Benefits paid (including contributions 
tax)
Plan expenses after tax
Interest income on plan assets
Actual asset (loss)/gain
Fair value of defined benefit plan 
assets at end of year

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

2,108

2,423

15
24

31
28

(400)

(465)

Telstra Super

Asset allocations
Equity instruments
Australian equity ¹
International equity ¹
Private equity
Debt instruments
Fixed interest ¹

(7)
49
(8)

(7)
82
16

Property
Cash and cash equivalents
Other

1,781

2,108

As at 30 June

2020

2019

%

6
7
2

63

9
11
2
100

%

7
8
3

58

8
11
5
100

1  These assets have quoted prices in active markets.

(i) Related party disclosures

As at 30 June 2020, Telstra Super owned 49,396,553 (2019: 
51,190,265) shares in the Telstra Entity at a cost of $184 million 
(2019: $145 million) and a market value of $155 million (2019: $197 
million). All these shares were fully paid at 30 June 2020. During the 
financial year 2020, we paid a dividend to Telstra Super of $8 million 
(2019: $8 million). We own 100 per cent of the equity of Telstra Super 
Pty Ltd, the Trustee of Telstra Super.

Telstra Super also holds promissory notes and bonds issued by the 
Telstra Entity. As at 30 June 2020, these securities had a cost of $16 
million (2019: $14 million) and a market value of $17 million (2019: 
$15 million).

All purchases and sales of Telstra shares, promissory notes and 
bonds by Telstra Super are on an arm’s length basis and are 
determined by the Trustee and/or its investment managers on behalf 
of the members of Telstra Super.

(b) Reconciliation of changes in the present value of the wholly 
funded defined benefit obligation

Table C provides a reconciliation of the present value of defined 
benefit obligation from the opening to the closing balance. 

Table C

Telstra Super

Present value of defined benefit 
obligation at beginning of year
Current service cost
Interest cost
Member contributions
Past service (credit)
Benefits paid
Actuarial loss due to change in financial 
assumptions
Actuarial loss/(gain) due to change in 
demographic assumptions
Actuarial loss due to experience
Present value of wholly funded 
defined benefit obligation at end of 
year

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

1,876

2,173

61
45
10
(8)
(400)

49

1

24

65
74
13
(10)
(465)

2

(2)

26

1,658

1,876

The actual return on defined benefit plan assets was 1.5 per cent 
(2019: 3.7 per cent). 

Net actuarial loss recognised in other comprehensive income for 
Telstra Super amounted to $82 million (2019: $10 million net loss). 

As a result of restructuring program, we settled the defined benefit 
plan obligations relating to the employees impacted by the 
redundancy and recognised a $8 million gain (2019: $10 million) on 
settlement. This is reflected in the past service credit. 

154 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F75

F76 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 155

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 77  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 78  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 5. Our people (continued)

Section 5. Our people (continued)

5.3 Post-employment benefits (continued)

5.3.2 Telstra Superannuation Scheme (Telstra Super) (continued)

Table F shows the expected proportion of benefits paid from the 
defined benefit obligation in future years.

5.4 Key management personnel compensation

Key management personnel (KMP) refer to those who have 
authority and responsibility for planning, directing and 
controlling the activities of the Telstra Group. KMP are deemed 
to include the following:

• the non-executive Directors of the Telstra Entity
• certain executives in the Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO’s) 

senior leadership team, including the CEO.

This note summarises the aggregate compensation of our KMP 
during the financial years 2020 and 2019, and provides 
information about other transactions with our KMP and their 
related parties.

5.4.1 KMP aggregate compensation

During the financial years 2020 and 2019, the aggregate 
compensation of our KMP was:

Telstra Group

Short-term employee benefits
Post-employment benefits
Other long-term benefits
Termination benefits
Share-based payments

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$000
18,052
301
555
1,100
5,826
25,834

$000
20,531
309
316
2,865
3,527
27,548

Refer to the Remuneration Report, which forms part of the Directors’ 
Report for further details regarding KMP remuneration.

5.4.2 Other transactions with our KMP and their related parties

During the financial years 2020 and 2019, apart from transactions 
trivial and domestic in nature and on normal commercial terms and 
conditions, there were no other transactions with our KMP and their 
related parties.

(d) Actuarial assumptions and sensitivity analysis

Table F

Telstra Super

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

Defined benefit
plan

Management judgement was used to 
determine the following key 
assumptions used in the calculation of 
our defined benefit obligations:

• 2.5 per cent (2019: 2.5 per cent) 

average expected rate of increase in 
future salaries

• 2.1 per cent (2019: 2.4 per cent) 

discount rate.

We have used an eight year (2019: 
eight year) high quality corporate bond 
rate to determine the discount rate as 
the term matches closest to the term 
of the defined benefit obligations.

Our assumption for the salary inflation 
rate for Telstra Super reflects our long-
term expectation for salary increases.

If the estimates prove to be different to 
actual experience, this may materially 
affect balances in the next reporting 
period.

Table E summarises how the defined benefit obligation as at 30 June 
2020 would have increased/(decreased) as a result of a change in the 
respective assumptions by one percentage point (1pp).

Table E
Telstra Super

Discount rate
Expected rate of increase in future 
salaries

(e) Employer contributions

Defined benefit 
obligation

1pp 
increase

1pp 
decrease

$m
(109)

86

$m
125

(77)

During the year, we paid contributions totalling $15 million (2019: 
$31 million) at the average rate of five per cent (2019: eight per cent) 
to our defined benefit divisions, following recommendations from the 
actuary of Telstra Super.

We expect to contribute at the rate of five per cent to our defined 
benefit divisions for the financial year 2021. This contribution rate 
could change depending on market conditions and actuarial review 
during the financial year 2021.

Within 1 year
Between 1 and 4 years
Between 5 and 9 years
Between 10 and 19 years
After 20 years

%
13
22
23
36
6
100

%
7
24
23
39
7
100

The weighted average duration of the defined benefit plan 
obligations at the end of the reporting period was eight years (2019: 
nine years).

5.3.3 Other defined benefit schemes

Our controlled entities also participate in both funded and unfunded 
defined benefit schemes, which are individually and in aggregate 
immaterial.

5.3.4 Recognition and measurement

(a) Defined contribution plans

Our commitment to defined contribution plans is limited to making 
contributions in accordance with our minimum statutory 
requirements and other obligations. The contributions are recorded 
as an expense in the income statement as they become payable. We 
recognise a liability when we are required to make future payments 
as a result of employee services provided.

(b) Defined benefit plans

(i) Telstra Superannuation Scheme

We currently sponsor a post-employment defined benefit plan under 
the Telstra Superannuation Scheme. 

At reporting date, where the fair value of the plan assets is less than 
the present value of the defined benefit obligations, the net deficit is 
recognised as a liability. In the reverse situation, the net surplus is 
recognised as an asset. We recognise the asset to the extent that we 
have the ability to control this surplus to generate future funds that 
will be available to us in the form of reductions in future 
contributions or as a cash refund.

The actuaries use the projected unit credit method to estimate the 
present value of the defined benefit obligations of the plan. This 
method determines each year of service as giving rise to an 
additional unit of benefit entitlement. Each unit is measured 
separately to calculate the final obligation. The present value is 
determined by discounting the estimated future cash outflows using 
rates based on high quality corporate bonds.

We recognise all our defined benefit costs in the income statement, 
with the exception of actuarial gains and losses that are recognised 
directly in other comprehensive income. 

Actuarial gains and losses are based on an actuarial valuation of 
each defined benefit plan at a reporting date. Actuarial gains and 
losses represent the differences between previous actuarial 
assumptions of future outcomes and the actual outcome, in addition 
to the effect of changes in actuarial assumptions.

156 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F77

F78 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 157

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 79  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 80  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Section 6. Our investments
Section 6. Our investments

This section outlines our group structure and includes  
This section outlines our group structure and includes 
information about our controlled entities, joint ventures and 
information about our controlled entities, joint ventures and 
associated entitites. It provides details of changes to these 
associated entities. It provides details of changes to these 
investments and their effect on our financial position and 
investments and their effect on our financial position and 
performance during the financial year. It also includes the  
performance during the financial year. It also includes the 
results of our material joint ventures and associated entities.
results of our material joint ventures and associated entities.

SECTION 6. OUR INVESTMENTS

6.1 Investments in controlled entities

6.1.1 List of our investments in controlled entities

A complete list of our controlled entities is available online at 
www.telstra.com/investor. 

Table A sets out our material operating controlled entities as at 30 
June 2020 (or ownership changes to such entities) determined by 
reference to a percentage of earnings before interest, income tax 
expense, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). The ownership 
percentages represent the relevant percentage of equity held by the 
subsidiary’s immediate and ultimate parent, respectively. 

Table A

Telstra Group

Name of entity

Ultimate parent entity

Telstra Corporation Limited

Controlled entities

Asia Global Crossing Finance Co. Ltd

Asia Netcom Pacnet (Ireland) Limited

Bridge Point Communications Pty Ltd

Telstra Health Pty Ltd
Fred IT Group Pty Ltd 1, 2

Neto E-Commerce Solutions Pty Ltd 

O2 Networks Pty Ltd
Ooyala Holdings Inc. 5
Pacific Business Solutions (China) 1, 2, 4

Pacnet Cable Limited

Pacnet Internet (A) Pty Ltd

Pacnet Internet (HK) Limited

Pacnet Limited

Pacnet Network (Philippines) Inc.

Pacnet Network (UK) Limited

Pacnet Network Limited

Pacnet Services (A) Pty. Ltd.

% of equity held by 
immediate parent

% of equity held by 
ultimate parent

As at 30 June

As at 30 June

2020

2019

2020

2019

%

%

%

%

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

50.0

67.4

100.0

-

50.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

50.0

67.4

100.0

100.0

50.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

50.0

67.4

100.0

-

50.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

50.0

67.4

100.0

100.0

50.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

Country of 
incorporation

Australia

Bermuda

Ireland

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

United States

China

Bermuda

Australia

Hong Kong

Bermuda

Philippines

United Kingdom

Bermuda

Australia

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

6.1 Investments in controlled entities (continued)

6.1.1 List of our investments in controlled entities (continued)

Table A (continued)

Telstra Group

Name of entity

Pacnet Services (Japan) Corp. 3
PT Teltranet Aplikasi Solusi 1, 4

Telstra Broadcast Services Pty Limited
Telstra Cable (HK) Limited  
Telstra Global (HK) Limited  

Telstra Holdings Pty Ltd

Telstra Inc.

Telstra International (Aus) Limited

Telstra International Limited

Telstra International Philippines Inc.

Telstra Internet (S) Pte Ltd 

Telstra iVision Pty Ltd

Telstra Japan K.K.

Telstra Limited

Telstra Multimedia Pty Limited

Telstra Pay TV Pty Ltd
Telstra Services (Taiwan) Inc. 3

Telstra Services (USA) Inc. 

Telstra Services Asia Pacific (HK) Limited  

Telstra Singapore Pte Ltd 

Sapio Pty Ltd 1
Telstra Telecommunications Private Limited 4
Telstra Web Holdings Inc. 3

% of equity held by 
immediate parent

% of equity held by 
ultimate parent

As at 30 June

As at 30 June

2020

2019

2020

2019

%

%

%

%

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

49.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

51.0

74.0

64.0

49.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

51.0

74.0

64.0

49.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

51.0

74.0

64.0

49.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

51.0

74.0

64.0

Country of 
incorporation

Japan

Indonesia

Australia

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Australia

United States

Australia

Hong Kong

Philippines

Singapore

Australia

Japan

United Kingdom

Australia

Australia

Taiwan

United States

Hong Kong

Singapore

Australia

India

Philippines

1  We have control over these companies through our decision making ability on the board.

2  These entities are audited, however not by Ernst & Young, our Australian statutory auditor.

3  The investment in these companies is held by various entities. The immediate parent percentage reflected represents the ultimate ownership by Telstra Corporation Limited.

4  These entities have a 31 December reporting date, with the exception of Telstra Telecommunications Private Limited which has a 31 March reporting date.

5  We disposed of this entity during the year.

158 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F79

F80 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 159

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 81  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 82  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

The consolidated statement of financial position and statement of 
comprehensive income of the entities that are members of the 
Closed Group are presented in Tables B and C respectively. This 
excludes Telstra Finance Limited. All transactions between 
members of the Closed Group have been eliminated. 

Table B

Closed Group

Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents
Trade and other receivables and 
contract assets
Deferred contract costs
Inventories
Derivative financial assets
Prepayments
Total current assets
Non-current assets
Trade and other receivables and 
contract assets
Deferred contract costs
Inventories
Investments – controlled entities
Investments – accounted for using the 
equity method
Investments – other
Property, plant and equipment
Right-of-use assets
Intangible assets
Derivative financial assets
Defined benefit asset
Total non-current assets
Total assets

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

489

4,330

78
398
147
211
5,653

1,429

1,354
28
3,165

909

16
20,567
2,823
6,138
2,011
123
38,563
44,216

544

4,597

95
431
179
412
6,258

790

1,232
35
2,597

1,306

19
21,245
-
5,970
2,083
232
35,509
41,767

6.1 Investments in controlled entities (continued)

6.1.2 Deed of cross guarantee (continued)

Table B (continued)

Closed Group

Current liabilities
Trade and other payables
Employee benefits
Other provisions
Lease liabilities
Borrowings
Derivative financial liabilities
Current tax payables
Contract liabilities and other revenue 
received in advance
Total current liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Other payables
Employee benefits
Other provisions
Lease liabilities
Borrowings
Derivative financial liabilities
Deferred tax liabilities
Contract liabilities and other revenue 
received in advance
Total non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Net assets
Equity
Share capital
Reserves
Retained profits
Equity available to the closed group

As at 30 June

Table C

2020

2019

Closed Group

$m

$m

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

Income
Revenue (excluding finance income)
Other income

Expenses
Labour
Goods and services purchased
Net impairment losses on financial 
assets
Other expenses

Share of net (loss)/profit from joint 
ventures and associated entities

Earnings before interest, income tax 
expense, depreciation and 
amortisation (EBITDA)
Depreciation and amortisation
Earnings before interest and income 
tax expense (EBIT)
Finance income
Finance costs
Net finance costs
Profit before income tax expense
Income tax expense
Profit for the year

22,219
2,346
24,565

3,653
8,324

200

3,686
15,863

23,803
2,534
26,337

4,843
8,307

179

5,686
19,015

(307)

8

16,170

19,007

8,395

7,330

4,973

3,422

275
1,022
747
2,675
965
1,710

3,995

3,335

241
804
563
2,772
942
1,830

3,528
710
123
553
3,951
54
209

1,522

10,650

4
126
135
2,485
14,465
320
1,546

4,095
790
102
-
3,242
57
96

1,575

9,957

68
157
145
-
14,932
283
1,461

613

660

19,694
30,344
13,872

4,451
19
9,402
13,872

17,706
27,663
14,104

4,447
(47)
9,704
14,104

6.1 Investments in controlled entities (continued)

6.1.2 Deed of cross guarantee

Telstra Corporation Limited and each of the wholly-owned 
subsidiaries set out below (together the ‘Closed Group’), are 
party to a deed of cross guarantee (Deed), as defined in 
Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) 
legislative instrument: ‘ASIC Corporations (Wholly-owned 
Companies) Instrument 2016/785’ (ASIC Instrument).

The effect of the Deed is that each entity in the Closed Group 
guarantees the payment in full of all debts of the other entities 
in the Closed Group in the event of their winding up.

Pursuant to the ASIC Instrument, the wholly-owned 
subsidiaries within the Closed Group are relieved from the 
requirement to prepare and lodge separate financial 
statements, directors’ reports and auditors’ reports.

The statement of comprehensive income and statement of 
financial position disclosed in this section present consolidated 
results of the Closed Group.

The following entities are party to the Deed and part of the Closed 
Group:

• Telstra Corporation Limited
• Bridge Point Communications Pty Ltd
• Kloud Solutions Pty Ltd
• Merricks NewCo Pty Ltd
• Mobile Tracking and Data Pty Ltd
• MTData Holdings Pty Ltd
• Network Design and Construction Limited
• O2 Networks Pty Ltd
• Pacnet Internet (A) Pty Ltd
• Telstra Broadcast Services Pty Limited
• Telstra Communications Limited
• Telstra Purple Pty Ltd (formerly Telstra Digital Innovation Group 

Pty Ltd)

• Telstra Health Pty Ltd
• Telstra Holdings Pty Ltd
• Telstra International (Aus) Limited
• Telstra Multimedia Pty Limited
• Telstra Pay TV Pty Ltd
• Telstra Plus Pty Ltd
• Telstra Services Solutions Holdings Limited
• Telstra Software Group Pty Ltd
• Telstra Ventures Pty Limited
• Virtual Machine Technology Pty Ltd

Merricks NewCo Pty Ltd was added as a party to the Deed via an 
assumption deed on 19 March 2020 and is also part of the Closed 
Group.

A revocation deed, which was lodged with ASIC on 19 December 2019 
to revoke and release DCA eHealth Solutions Pty Ltd, iCareHealth Pty 
Ltd, Kloud Solutions (National) Pty Limited, MSC Mobility Pty Ltd and 
Telstra iVision Pty Ltd from the Deed, took effect on 20 June 2020 at 
which point these entities ceased being members of the Closed 
Group.

There are no other members of the Extended Closed Group (as 
defined in the ASIC Instrument). Telstra Finance Limited is trustee 
under the Deed. However, it is not a member of the Closed Group or 
the Extended Closed Group.

160 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F81

F82 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 161

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 2020 
2020.Financial Report.book  Page 83  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 84  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

6.1 Investments in controlled entities (continued)

6.1.2 Deed of cross guarantee (continued)

Table D provides a reconciliation of retained profits of the Closed 
Group from the opening to the closing balance.

Table D

Closed Group

Retained profits at the beginning of 
the financial year available to the 
Closed Group
Effect on retained profits arising from 
adoption of AASB 16: 'Leases'
Effect on retained profits from addition 
of entities to the Closed Group
Effect on retained profits from removal 
of entities to the Closed Group
Total comprehensive income 
recognised in retained profits
Dividend
Retained profits at the end of the 
financial year available to the Closed 
Group

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

9,704

10,140

(2)

(2)

(48)

-

-

-

1,653

1,823

(1,903)

(2,259)

9,402

9,704

6.1.3 Sale of units in a controlled trust

During the financial year 2020, we sold a 49 per cent minority interest 
in a property trust, The Exchange Trust, set up by Telstra holding a 
portfolio of 36 Telstra exchanges in Australia. The trustee of the 
property trust is Merricks NewCo Pty Ltd, our wholly owned 
controlled entity. Telstra retains the control over the trust and thus 
continues to consolidate these assets. The cash proceeds from the 
sale of the minority stake totalling $698 million are presented as 
non-controlling interest in the statement of financial position.

Table C (continued)

Closed Group

Items that will not be reclassified to 
the Closed Group income statement
Retained profits
Actuarial loss on defined benefit plans
Income tax on actuarial loss on defined 
benefit plans
Fair value of equity instruments 
reserve
Gain from investments in equity 
instruments designated at fair value 
through other comprehensive income
Share of other comprehensive income 
of equity accounted entities
Income tax on fair value movements for 
investments in equity instruments

Items that may be subsequently 
reclassified to the Closed Group 
income statement
Movements in cash flow hedging 
reserve
Income tax on movements in the cash 
flow hedging reserve
Changes in the value of the foreign 
currency basis spread
Income tax on movements in the 
foreign currency basis spread reserve

Total other comprehensive income for 
the Closed Group
Total comprehensive income for the 
year for the Closed Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

(82)

25

-

16

(2)

(43)

54

(16)

(6)

2

34

(9)

(10)

3

3

66

(22)

40

3

(1)

(22)

7

(13)

27

1,701

1,857

6.2 Investments in joint ventures and associated entities

We account for joint ventures and associated entities using the 
equity method. Under this method, we recognise the 
investment at cost and subsequently adjust it for our share of 
profits or losses, which are recognised in the income statement 
and our share of other comprehensive income, which is 
recognised in the statement of comprehensive income. 
Generally, dividend received reduces the carrying value of the 
investment.

The movements in the carrying amount of equity accounted 
investments in our joint ventures and associated entities are 
summarised in Table A.

Table A

Telstra Group

Carrying amount of investments at beginning of year
Additions
Disposals
Net impairment loss recognised in the income statement

Share of net (loss)/profit
Share of distributions
Share of reserves
Carrying amount of investments at end of year

Share of net loss for the financial year 2020 includes $308 million 
impairment of our investment in NXE Australia Pty Limited. Refer to 
6.2.1 for further details.

Share of joint ventures’ reserves includes $16 million (2019: $66 
million) of our share of other comprehensive income.

As at 30 June

Joint ventures

Associated entities

2020

2019

2020

2019

$m
348
28
-
-
376
(9)
(117)
16
266

$m
296
29
-
(2)
323
(6)
(35)
66
348

$m
950
5
(4)
-
951
(296)
(18)
(6)
631

$m
941
-
-
-
941
18
(9)
-
950

162 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F83

F84 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 163

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 85  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 86  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

6.2 Investments in joint ventures and associated entities 
(continued)

6.2.1 List of our investments in joint ventures and associated 
entities

Table B shows a list of our investments in joint ventures and 
associated entities, their principal place of business/country of 
incorporation and our ownership interest.

Table B

Telstra Group

Name of entity

Principal activities

Principal place of 
business/country of 
incorporation

Joint ventures

Reach Limited (a)

3GIS Pty Ltd

ProQuo Pty Ltd

International connectivity services

Bermuda

Management of former 3GIS Partner-
ship (non-operating)

Australia

Digital marketplace for small busi-
nesses

Australia

Guernsey

Bermuda

Australia

Australia

Telstra Ventures Fund II, L.P. 

Venture capital

Associated entities

Australia-Japan Cable Holdings Limited (a) Network cable provider

Telstra Super Pty Ltd

Project Sunshine I Pty Ltd

Superannuation trustee

Holding entity of Sensis Pty Ltd (direc-
tory services)

enepath (Group Holdings) Pte Ltd (a)

Trading turret and calling software 
provider

Singapore

PharmX Pty Ltd (c)

Internet based ordering gateway

Australia

Asia Netcom Philippines Corporation (a)

Ownership of physical property

Philippines

Dacom Crossing Corporation (a)

Network cable provider

Korea

Digitel Crossing Inc. (a)

Telecommunication services

Philippines

Pivotal Labs Sydney Pty Ltd (a)

Software development

NXE Australia Pty Limited (d) 

Pay television

Pacific Carriage Holdings Limited (a)(b)

Network cable provider

Pacific Carriage Holdings Limited Inc. (a)(b) Network cable provider

Southern Cross Cables Holdings Limited 
(a)(b) 

Network cable provider

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Australia

Ownership interest

As at 30 June

2020

2019

%

%

50.0

50.0

45.0

62.5

50.0

50.0

45.0

62.5

46.9

100.0

46.9

100.0

30.0

30.0

28.1

-

40.0

49.0

48.0

20.0

35.0

25.0

25.0

25.0

28.1

15.0

40.0

49.0

48.0

20.0

35.0

-

-

-

6.2 Investments in joint ventures and associated entities 
(continued)

6.2.1 List of our investments in joint ventures and associated 
entities (continued)

Significant
influence over
our
investments

We applied management judgement to 
determine that we do not control 
Telstra Super Pty Ltd even though we 
own 100 per cent of its equity. 

Telstra Super Pty Ltd is a trustee for 
the Telstra Superannuation Scheme. 
We do not consolidate Telstra Super 
Pty Ltd as we do not control the board 
of directors. The board of directors 
consists of an equal number of 
employer and member representatives 
and an independent chairman. Our 
voting power over the relevant 
activities is 44 per cent, which is 
equivalent to our representation on the 
board. The entity is therefore classified 
as an associated entity as we have 
significant influence over it. 

(a) Joint ventures and associated entities with different reporting 
dates

Several of our joint ventures and associated entities have reporting 
dates that differ from our reporting date of 30 June for the financial 
year 2020 as follows:

• Reach Limited – 31 December
• Australia-Japan Cable Holdings Limited – 31 December
• Asia Netcom Philippines Corporation – 31 December
• Dacom Crossing Corporation – 31 December
• Digitel Crossing Inc. – 31 December
• enepath (Group Holdings) Pte Ltd – 31 March
• Pivotal Labs Sydney Pty Ltd – 31 January
• Pacific Carriage Holdings Limited – 31 December
• Pacific Carriage Holdings Limited Inc. – 31 December
• Southern Cross Cables Holdings Limited – 31 December.

The differences in reporting dates are due to jurisdictional 
requirements. Financial reports prepared as at 30 June are used for 
equity accounting purposes. Our ownership interest in joint ventures 
and associated entities with different reporting dates is the same at 
that reporting date as at 30 June unless otherwise noted.

(b) Additions

On 1 October 2019, the following entities were acquired as 
associated entities:

• Pacific Carriage Holdings Limited
• Pacific Carriage Holdings Limited Inc.
• Southern Cross Cables Holdings Limited

(c) Disposals

We sold our investment in PharmX Pty Ltd on 2 April 2020.

Joint control of
our
investments

We applied management judgement to 
determine that we have joint control of 
our investment in Telstra Ventures 
Fund II, L.P. While we hold 62.5 per 
cent of the partnership interest on a 
fully committed basis, key decisions 
for the entity require the unanimous 
approval of the Advisory Committee, on 
which we hold one of the two seats, or 
a majority of at least 75 per cent of the 
fully committed capital. 

(d) NXE Australia Pty Limited

Telstra has a 35 percent interest in NXE Australia Pty Limited, an 
associated entity which provides subscription TV and streaming 
services. Telstra's interest in NXE Australia Pty Limited is accounted 
for using the equity method in the consolidated financial statements. 

Financial information of NXE Australia Pty Limited and its controlled 
entities for the financial year 2020 is summarised in Table C based on 
their consolidated management financial statements prepared in 
accordance with the Australian Accounting Standards. The 
information disclosed reflects the amounts presented in the 
financial statements of NXE Australia Pty Limited and not Telstra’s 
share of those amounts. The management financial information has 
been adjusted to reflect adjustments made by Telstra when using 
the equity accounting method, including fair value adjustments and 
modifications for differences in accounting policy and impairment of 
our investment.

Table C

Year ended 30 June

NXE Australia Pty Limited

2020

2019

Current assets
Non-current assets
Current liabilities
Non-current liabilities
Equity
Telstra's share in equity 35% (2019: 
35%)
Equity accounting adjustments
Telstra's carrying amount of the 
investment
Revenue
Operating expenses
Loss before tax
Income tax benefit/(expense)
Loss for the year
Other comprehensive income
Total comprehensive income for the 
year
Equity accounting adjustments
Adjusted comprehensive income for 
the period
Telstra's share of comprehensive 
income for the year (35%)

$m
530
4,563
(763)
(3,182)
1,148

402

28

430

2,801
(3,893)
(1,092)
7
(1,085)
(16)

(1,101)

143

(958)

(335)

$m
733
5,324
(1,185)
(2,628)
2,244

785

(20)

765

3,078
(3,087)
(9)
3
(6)
(3)

(9)

(20)

(29)

(10)

164 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F85

F86 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 165

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 87  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 88  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

Section 6. Our investments (continued)

(c) Equity method of accounting

Investments in associated entities and joint ventures are carried in 
the consolidated balance sheet at cost plus post-acquisition 
changes in our share of the investment’s net assets and net of 
impairment loss. Goodwill relating to an investment in an associated 
entity or joint venture is included in the carrying value of the 
investment and is not amortised. When Telstra’s share of losses 
exceeds our investment in an associated entity or joint venture, the 
carrying amount of the investment is reduced to nil and no further 
losses are recognised.

The equity accounted investments are assessed for impairment on 
an annual basis or when there are impairment indicators. We apply 
management judgement to determine the recoverable amount of the 
investment using a ‘value in use’ calculation for our impairment 
assessment. These judgements include selection of terminal growth 
rate and discount rate based on past experience and our 
expectations for the future.

6.2 Investments in joint ventures and associated entities 
(continued)

6.2.1 List of our investments in joint ventures and associated 
entities (continued)

6.2.4 Transactions with our joint ventures and associated entities

Table F details transactions with our joint ventures and associated 
entities recorded in the income statement and statement of financial 
position.

Table F

Telstra Group

Income
Sale of goods and services
Dividend income
Expenses
Purchase of goods and services
Interest expense on amounts owed to 
joint ventures and associated entities
Total amounts receivable as at 30 
June
Current
Trade receivables
Other receivables
Non-current
Amounts owed by joint ventures and 
associated entities
Allowance for amounts owed by joint 
ventures and associated entities

Movement in allowance for amounts 
owed by joint ventures and associated 
entities
Opening balance
Foreign currency exchange differences
Closing balance
Total amounts payable as at 30 June
Current
Trade payables
Amounts owed to joint ventures and 
associated entities
Non-current
Amounts owed to joint ventures and 
associated entities

Year ended/As at

30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

202
1

845

8

39
52

24

(8)

16

(8)
-
(8)

201
-

859

8

41
-

8

(8)

-

(7)
(1)
(8)

147

89

163

-

1

79

(d) NXE Australia Pty Limited (continued)

During the financial year 2020, our investment in NXE Australia Pty 
Limited has been impaired and a loss of $308 million was recognised 
in our share of the net loss from joint ventures and associated 
entities for the year. The impairment reflected the challenges of 
disruption in the industry and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 
as global sports are put on hold, pubs are temporarily closed, and 
advertisers are forced to carefully reconsider their investments. 

6.2.2 Other joint ventures and associated entities

Table D presents our share of the aggregate financial information 
(including joint ventures and associated entities where equity 
accounting has been suspended).

Table D

Year ended/As at 30 June

Telstra Group

Joint ventures

Associated 
entities

2020

2019

2020

2019

$m

266

(12)

13

$m

348

$m

631

(5)

(294)

61

(6)

$m

950

20

(1)

1

56

(300)

19

Carrying amount of 
investment
Group's share of:
(Loss)/gain
Other 
comprehensive 
income
Total 
comprehensive 
income

6.2.3 Suspension of equity accounting 

Table E presents our unrecognised share of profits/(losses) for the 
financial year and cumulatively for our entities where equity 
accounting has ceased and the investment is recorded at zero due to 
losses made by these entities and/or reductions in the equity 
accounted carrying amount.

Table E

Year ended 30 June

Telstra Group

Period

Cumula 
-tive

Period

Cumula 
-tive

2020

2020

2019

2019

$m

$m

$m

$m

Joint ventures
Reach Limited
Associated entities
Australia-Japan 
Cable Holdings 
Limited

(3)

(550)

2

(1)

(67)

(617)

1

2

3

(547)

(69)

(616)

6.2 Investments in joint ventures and associated entities 
(continued)

6.2.4 Transactions with our joint ventures and associated entities 
(continued)

(a) Sale and purchase of goods and services 

We sold and purchased goods and services, and received and paid 
interest from/to our joint ventures and associated entities. These 
transactions were in the ordinary course of business and on normal 
commercial terms and conditions.

Details of individually significant transactions with our joint ventures 
and associated entities during the financial year 2020 were as 
follows:

• we purchased pay television services amounting to $706 million 

(2019: $777 million) from Foxtel. The purchases were to enable the 
resale of Foxtel services, including Pay TV content, to our existing 
customers as part of our ongoing product bundling initiatives.
• we made sales to Foxtel for our broadband system services of $38 
million (2019: $35 million) and wholesale services of $57 million 
(2019: $55 million).

(b) Amounts owed by joint ventures and associated entities

Loans provided to joint ventures and associated entities relate to 
loans provided to NXE Australia Pty Limited of $16 million (2019: nil) 
and Reach Limited of $8 million (2019: $8 million). 

In February 2020 we entered into a subordinated loan agreement 
with NXE Australia Pty Limited under which we made available to 
NXE Australia Pty Limited a loan facility of up to $170 million at 
commercial rates of interest. The facility matures on 22 December 
2027. As at 30 June 2020 the balance drawn under this facility was 
$16 million.

The loan provided to Reach Limited is an interest-free loan and 
repayable upon the giving of 12 months’ notice by both PCCW Limited 
and us. We have fully provided for the non-recoverability of the loan 
as we do not consider that Reach Limited is in a position to be able to 
repay the loan amount in the medium term.

(c) Amounts owed to joint ventures and associated entities

As at 30 June 2020, we had a loan payable amount of $90 million 
(2019: $79 million) under a loan agreement with an associated entity, 
Project Sunshine I Pty Ltd which includes capitalised interest. The 
loan has an interest rate of 9.5 per cent per annum. The current 
amount of $89 million matures in 31 December 2020 and the non-
current amount of $1 million matures in 30 July 2024.

6.2.5 Recognition and measurement

(a) Investments in joint ventures

A joint venture is a joint arrangement whereby the parties that have 
joint control of the arrangement have rights to the net assets of the 
arrangement. Our interests in joint ventures are accounted for using 
the equity method of accounting.

(b) Investments in associated entities

These are investments in entities over which we have the ability to 
exercise significant influence but we do not control the decisions of 
the entity. Our interests in associated entities are accounted for 
using the equity method of accounting. 

166 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F87

F88 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 167

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 89  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 90  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Section 7. Other information
Section 7. Other information

This section provides other information and disclosures 
This section provides other information and disclosures 
not included in the other sections, for example our 
not included in the other sections, for example our 
external auditor’s remuneration, commitments and 
external auditor’s remuneration, commitments and 
contingencies, parent entity disclosures and significant 
contingencies, parent entity disclosures and significant 
events occuring after reporting date.
events occurring after reporting date.

SECTION 7. 

7.1 Other accounting policies

OTHER INFORMATION

7.1.1 New accounting standards to be applied in future reporting 
periods

A number of new standards are effective for annual periods 
beginning after 1 July 2020 and earlier application is permitted; 
however, the Group has not early adopted the new or amended 
standards in preparing these consolidated financial statements 
except for those listed in note 1.5. 

In May 2019, the AASB issued AASB 2019-1: ‘Amendments to 
Australian Accounting Standards - References to the Conceptual 
Framework’, effective for Telstra Group from 1 July 2020. We do not 
expect that either this accounting standard or any other recently 
issued accounting standards or amendments will have a material 
impact on our financial results upon their adoption.

7.1.2 Foreign currency translation

(a) Transactions and balances

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the relevant 
functional currency at the spot exchange rate at transaction date. At 
the reporting date, amounts receivable or payable denominated in 
foreign currencies are translated into the relevant functional 
currency at market exchange rates at the reporting date. Any 
currency translation gains and losses that arise are included in our 
income statement.

Non-monetary items denominated in foreign currency that are 
measured at fair value (i.e. certain equity instruments not held for 
trading) are translated using the exchange rates at the date when the 
fair value was determined. The differences arising from the 
translation are reported as part of the fair value gain or loss in line 
with the recognition of the changes in the fair value of the non-
monetary item.

(b) Financial reports of foreign operations that have a functional 
currency that is not Australian dollars

The financial statements of our foreign operations are translated 
into Australian dollars (our presentation currency) using the 
following method: 

Foreign currency amount

Exchange rate

Assets and liabilities 
including goodwill and fair 
value adjustments arising on 
consolidation

The reporting date rate

Equity items

The initial investment date 
rate

Foreign currency amount

Exchange rate

Income statements

Average rate (or the 
transaction date rate for 
significant identifiable 
transactions) 

The exchange differences arising from the translation of financial 
statements of foreign operations are recognised in other 
comprehensive income.

7.2 Auditor’s remuneration

Our external auditor of the Group is Ernst & Young (EY). In 
addition to the audit and review of our financial reports, EY 
provides other services throughout the year. This note details 
the total fees to our external auditors.

Telstra Group

Fees to Ernst & Young (Australia)
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
Category 4
Total fees to Ernst & Young (Australia)
Fees to other overseas member firms 
of Ernst & Young (Australia)
Category 1
Category 2
Category 3
Category 4
Total fees to overseas member firms 
of Ernst & Young (Australia)
Total auditor’s remuneration

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

7.741
-
2.009
0.107
9.857

2.429
0.054
-
0.054

2.537

7.192
-
3.160
0.082
10.434

2.256
0.050
-
0.055

2.361

12.394

12.795

Following the 2019 discussion Parliamentary Joint Committee on 
Corporations and Financial Services' Inquiry into the Regulation of 
Auditing in Australia a recommendation was made to adopt a 
consistent disclosure of audit and non-audit fees. 

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 7. Other information (continued)

7.2 Auditor’s remuneration (continued)

As a result we have restated the comparative period balances and 
disclosed our audit and non-audit fees in the following categories:

• Category 1: fees to the group auditor for auditing the statutory 

financial report of the parent covering the group, and for auditing 
the statutory financial report of any controlled entities

• Category 2: fees for assurance services that are required by 

legislation to be provided by the auditor

• Category 3: fees for other assurance and agreed-upon procedures 
services where there is discretion as to whether the service is 
provided by the auditor or another firm

• Category 4: fees for other services (e.g. tax compliance).

Services in Category 3 included IT security control assessments. 

Services in Category 4 included tax services and other advisory 
services. 

We have processes in place to maintain the independence of the 
external auditor, including the nature of expenditure on non-audit 
services. EY also has specific internal processes and policies in place 
to ensure auditor independence.

7.3 Other provisions 

The table below provides a summary of our current and non-current 
other provisions.

We have been undertaking a comprehensive customer remediation 
program and are also already committed to a wide range of existing 
and future measures that provide direct benefits to Indigenous 
communities, including in the areas of digital literacy and inclusion. 
Resolution of this matter may involve undertaking additional 
measures. Given the uncertainty, no provision has been made to 
cover further liabilities that may arise.

There remains a material possibility that the ACCC will commence 
enforcement action against Telstra. Any such enforcement action 
arising from the ACCC investigation may involve significant financial 
penalties, which are set out in the Act and are applicable to each act 
or omission found to have breached the Act. Maximum penalties set 
out in the Act are not automatically applied and are assessed by a 
court on a case by case basis. Future developments may result in 
adjustments to the provision we have made.

Refer to note 7.4.2 for further details regarding contingent liabilities 
related to investigations by regulators. 

7.4 Parent entity disclosures

This note provides details of Telstra Entity financial 
performance and financial position as a standalone entity. The 
results include transactions with its controlled entities.

Telstra Group

As at 30 June

2020

2019

Tables A and B provide a summary of the financial information for the 
Telstra Entity. 

Current other provisions
Non-current other provisions

$m
124
143

$m
103
158

Table A

Telstra Entity

Statement of financial position
Total current assets
Total non-current assets
Total assets
Total current liabilities
Total non-current liabilities
Total liabilities
Share capital
Cash flow hedging reserve
Foreign currency basis spread reserve
General reserve
Retained profits
Total equity

7.3.1 Provision for Australian Competition and Consumer 
Commission (ACCC) investigation 

The ACCC is undertaking an investigation, launched in March 2019, 
into our sales, complaint handling and debt collection practices, to 
determine whether Telstra has engaged in misleading or deceptive 
conduct, unconscionable conduct, or made false or misleading 
representations, in breach of the Competition and Consumer Act 
2010 (Act). The investigation has a specific focus on conduct towards 
Indigenous Australians, including in particular locations in the NT, 
WA, QLD, NSW and SA. It is also examining our conduct more broadly, 
including our sales, complaints handling and debt collection 
procedures, as they have been applied to our customers generally, 
and particularly vulnerable customers. The investigation, which 
involves extensive information and document requests, is ongoing, 
and its scope may change and broaden.

The ACCC's investigation follows investigations by both the 
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, one commencing in 
December 2016 and one in October 2018, and the ACMA, which 
commenced in June 2018, during which issues were raised and 
concerns were expressed about our sales practices, including in 
relation to Indigenous Australians. These investigations concluded in 
2018 and 2019 and did not result in enforcement action by these 
bodies.

We are cooperating with the ACCC's investigation and continue to 
engage with the ACCC. In our financial statements for the half-year 
ended 31 December 2019 this matter was disclosed as a contingent 
liability as we were unable to determine a reliable estimate of any 
penalty or other remedies. As at 30 June 2020, having considered all 
available information at the date of this report we have made a 
provision of $50 million for any penalties.

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

6,248
41,352
47,600
14,025
19,592
33,617
4,451
(177)
(25)
201
9,533
13,983

6,959
38,194
45,153
13,378
17,625
31,003
4,447
(209)
(21)
201
9,732
14,150

168 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F89

F90 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 169

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 91  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 92  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Notes to the financial statements (continued)

Telstra Financial Report 2020

Section 7. Other information (continued)

Section 7. Other information (continued)

7.4 Parent entity disclosures (continued)

Table B

Telstra Entity

Statement of comprehensive income
Profit for the year
Total comprehensive income

Year ended 30 June

2020

2019

$m

$m

1,764
1,735

2,358
2,337

Total non-current assets include $329 million (2019: $603 million) 
impact of impairment losses recognised during the financial year. 
Within that amount, impairment losses relating to our associated 
entities were $308 million (2019: nil), and relating to our controlled 
entities amounted to $16 million (2019: $104 million). The latter has 
been eliminated on consolidation of the Telstra Group. Refer to note 
6.2 for further details regarding impairment of our associated 
entities, and to note 2.3 for impairment losses on property, plant and 
equipment and software.

7.4.1 Property, plant and equipment commitments

Table C provides details of our expenditure commitments for the 
acquisition of property, plant or equipment, which have been 
contracted for at balance date but not recognised in the financial 
statements.

Table C

Telstra Entity

Total property, plant and equipment 
expenditure commitments

7.4.2 Contingent liabilities and guarantees

(a) Investigations by regulators 

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

331

$m

471

Telstra recognises the fundamental importance of doing business 
responsibly. A critical aspect of this is recognising the importance of 
continuously striving to improve outcomes for our customers and 
taking action if we don't meet the standards we set for ourselves. 
This reflects the business environment in which we operate, and the 
heightened expectations of the community, of regulators, and of our 
shareholders, as well as the expectation that regulators will 
investigate and take action if they believe that misconduct has 
occurred.

Telstra is subject to a range of laws and regulations in Australia and 
overseas, including in the areas of telecommunications, corporate 
law, consumer and competition law and occupational health and 
safety. Telstra is also subject to investigations and reviews from time 
to time by regulators, including in circumstances where Telstra has 
self-reported issues where it has not complied with relevant laws 
and regulations. In Australia, the principal regulators that Telstra 
interacts with are the Australian Competition and Consumer 
Commission (ACCC), the Australian Communications and Media 
Authority (ACMA), the Australian Securities and Investments 
Commission and the Australian Securities Exchange. Any regulatory 
investigations and reviews may result in enforcement action, 
litigation (including class action proceedings) or civil or criminal 
penalties. We assess each investigation and review that we are 
subject to for the purposes of preparing our financial statements in 
accordance with the accounting standards.

In the ordinary course of our business, we identify, and may continue 
to identify, issues that have the potential to impact our customers 
and reputation, or which do not meet our standards. There have been 
instances, which are among those the ACCC is investigating referred 
to in note 7.3.1, where we have failed to meet the standards we set 
for ourselves. These include instances where our sales processes 
were not followed, and where our complaint and debt recovery 
procedures were applied in a way that did not deliver good customer 
outcomes. While, as noted in note 7.3.1, we have taken steps to 
respond to these issues, and will continue to do so, contingent 
liabilities may exist in respect of actual or potential claims, 
compensation payments and/or refunds arising from issues which 
we identify and instances such as these. Where we identify these 
issues, we make disclosures in accordance with the accounting 
standards, or our other legal disclosure obligations, or provide for 
such liabilities as required.

Refer to note 7.3.1 for details regarding the ACCC investigation which 
has been provided for. 

(b) Common law claims

Certain common law claims by employees and third parties are yet to 
be resolved. As at 30 June 2020, management believes that the 
resolution of these contingencies will not have a significant effect on 
the Telstra Entity’s financial results. The maximum amount of these 
contingent liabilities cannot be reliably estimated.

(c) Indemnities, performance guarantees and financial support

We have provided the following indemnities, performance 
guarantees and financial support through the Telstra Entity:

• indemnities to financial institutions to support bank guarantees to 
the value of $292 million (2019: $229 million) in respect of the 
performance of contracts

• indemnities to financial institutions and other third parties in 

respect of performance and other obligations of our controlled 
entities, with the maximum amount of our contingent liabilities of 
$126 million (2019: $135 million)

• letters of comfort to indicate support for certain controlled entities 
to the amount necessary to enable those entities to meet their 
obligations as and when they fall due, subject to certain conditions 
(including that the entity remains our controlled entity)

• during the financial year 1998, we resolved to provide IBM Global 
Services Australia Limited (IBMGSA) with guarantees issued on a 
several basis up to $210 million as a shareholder of IBMGSA. 
During the financial year 2000, we issued a guarantee of $68 
million on behalf of IBMGSA. During the financial year 2004, we 
sold our shareholding in this entity. The $68 million guarantee, 
provided to support service contracts entered into by IBMGSA and 
third parties, was made with IBMGSA bankers or directly to 
IBMGSA customers. As at 30 June 2020, this guarantee remains 
unchanged and $142 million (2019: $142 million) of the $210 
million guarantee facility remains unused. Upon sale of our 
shareholding in IBMGSA and under the deed of indemnity between 
shareholders, our liability under these performance guarantees 
has been indemnified for all guarantees that were in place at the 
time of sale. Therefore, the overall net exposure to any loss 
associated with a claim has effectively been offset.

(d) Other

In addition to the above matters, entities in the Telstra Group may be 
recipients of, or defendants in, certain claims, regulatory or legal 
proceedings and/or complaints made, commenced or threatened. At 
30 June 2020, management believes that the resolution of these 
contingencies will not have a material effect on the financial position 
of the Telstra Group, or are not at a stage which supports a 
reasonable evaluation of the likely outcome of the matter.

7.4 Parent entity disclosures (continued)

7.6 Events after reporting date

We are not aware of any matter or circumstance that has occurred 
since 30 June 2020 that, in our opinion, has significantly affected or 
may significantly affect in future years:

• our operations
• the results of those operations 
• the state of our affairs 

other than the following:

7.6.1 Final dividend

The details of the final dividend for the financial year 2020 are 
disclosed in note 4.1.

7.6.2 Disposal of Clayton data centre property

On 5 August 2020, Telstra entered into an agreement with Centuria 
Industrial REIT for the disposal of the underlying land and buildings 
that house the Clayton data centre in Victoria, Australia. Under the 
terms of the agreement, the cash proceeds are $417 million and 
Telstra will lease the property under a triple-net lease for an initial 
period of 30 years with two 10-year options for Telstra to extend the 
lease. In the event that there is a change of ownership in relation to 
the property during a lease term, Telstra has the option to 
repurchase the property at the end of such term. Due to the long 
tenure of the leaseback, the transaction will not be treated as a sale 
under accounting standards, therefore no accounting gain will arise. 
The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of August 
2020.

7.4.3 Recognition and measurement

The accounting policies for the Telstra Entity are consistent with 
those of the Telstra Group, except for those noted below:
• under our tax funding arrangements, amounts receivable (or 
payable) recognised by the Telstra Entity for the current tax 
payable (or receivable) assumed from our Australian wholly-
owned entities are booked as current assets or liabilities

• investments in controlled entities, included within non-current 
assets, are recorded at cost less impairment of the investment 
value. Where we hedge the value of our investment in an overseas 
controlled entity, the hedge is accounted for in accordance with 
note 4.3. Refer to note 6.1 for details on our investments in 
controlled entities.

• our interests in associated entities and joint ventures, including 

partnerships, are accounted for using the cost method of 
accounting and are included within non-current assets.

7.5 Commitments and contingencies

This note provides details of our commitments for capital 
expenditure arising from our contractual agreements.

This note also includes information about contingent liabilities 
for which no provisions have been recognised due to the 
uncertainty regarding the outcome of future events and/or 
inability to reliably measure such liabilities.

7.5.1 Capital expenditure commitments 

Table A shows the capital expenditure commitments contracted for 
at balance date but not recorded in the financial statements.

Table A

Telstra Group

Property, plant and equipment 
commitments
Intangible assets commitments

As at 30 June

2020

2019

$m

336

62

$m

480

398

Property, plant and equipment commitments include the Telstra 
Entity capital expenditure commitments of $331 million (2019: $471 
million) as disclosed in note 7.4.

7.5.2 Contingent liabilities and contingent assets 

Details and estimated maximum amounts (where reasonable 
estimates can be made) of contingent liabilities for the Telstra Entity 
are disclosed in note 7.4.2.

Other contingent liabilities identified for the Telstra Group relate to 
the ASIC deed of cross guarantee. A list of the companies that are 
part of the deed are included in note 6.1.2. Each of these companies 
(except Telstra Finance Limited) guarantees the payment in full of 
the debts of the other named companies in the event of their winding 
up.

We have no significant contingent assets as at 30 June 2020.

170 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F91

F92 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | 171

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 93  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

DIRECTORS’ 
Directors’ 
DECLARATION
Declaration

Directors’ Declaration

This Directors’ Declaration is required by the Corporations Act 2001 
of Australia.

The Directors of Telstra Corporation Limited have made a resolution 
that declared:

(a)

in the Directors’ opinion, the financial statements and 
notes of the Telstra Group for the financial year ended 30 
June 2020 as set out in the financial report:
(i)

comply with the Accounting Standards applicable in 
Australia, International Financial Reporting 
Standards and Interpretations (as disclosed in note 
1.1 to the financial statements), and Corporations 
Regulations 2001

(ii) give a true and fair view of the financial position of 

Telstra Corporation Limited and the Telstra Group as 
at 30 June 2020 and of the performance of Telstra 
Corporation Limited and the Telstra Group, for the 
year ended 30 June 2020

(iii) have been made out in accordance with the 

Corporations Act 2001.

(b) they have received declarations as required by section 

295A of the Corporations Act 2001

(c) at the date of this declaration, in the Directors’ opinion, 
there are reasonable grounds to believe that Telstra 
Corporation Limited will be able to pay its debts as and 
when they become due and payable

(d) at the date of this declaration there are reasonable 

grounds to believe that the members of the extended 
closed group identified in note 6.1.2 to the financial 
statements, as parties to a Deed of Cross Guarantee, will 
be able to meet any liabilities to which they are, or may 
become, subject to because of the Deed of Cross 
Guarantee described in note 6.1.2. 

For and on behalf of the board

John P Mullen
Chairman

13 August 2020

Andrew R Penn
Chief Executive Officer and 
Managing Director

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 94  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

8 Exhibition Street
Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
GPO Box 67 Melbourne VIC 3001

Tel: +61 3 9288 8000
Fax: +61 3 8650 7777
ey.com/au

Independent Auditor’s Report to the Share holders of Telstra Corporation Limited

Report on the Audit of the Financial Report

Opinion

We have audited the financial report of Telstra Corporation Limited (the Company) and its subsidiaries (collectively the Group), which 
comprises the consolidated statement of financial position as at 30 June 2020, the consolidated income statement, the consolidated 
statement of comprehensive income, the consolidated statement of changes in equity and the consolidated statement of cash flows for the 
year then ended, notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies, and the Directors' Declaration.

In our opinion, the accompanying financial report of the Group is in accordance with the Corporations Act 2001, including:

a.   giving a true and fair view of the consolidated financial position of the Group as at 30 June 2020 and of its consolidated financial 

performance for the year ended on that date; and

b.   complying with Australian Accounting Standards and the Corporations Regulations 2001.

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 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 (including Independence Standards) (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.

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

Key Audit Matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the financial report of the 
current year. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the financial report as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, 
but we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. For each matter below, our description of how our audit addressed the matter is 
provided in that context.

We have fulfilled the responsibilities described in the Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Report section of our report, 
including in relation to these matters. Accordingly, our audit included the performance of procedures designed to respond to our assessment 
of the risks of material misstatement of the financial report. The results of our audit procedures, including the procedures performed to 
address the matters below, provide the basis for our audit opinion on the accompanying financial report.

Why significant

How our audit addressed the matter

Revenue recognition
The Group exercises significant judgment relating to revenue 
recognition in the following areas:

• accounting for new products and plans including bundles of 

products and/or services; 

• accounting for large Network Application Services (NAS) 

contracts; 

• accounting for NBN revenue under the revised Definitive 
Agreements (DAs) with nbn co and the Commonwealth 
Government;

• determination of standalone selling prices for products sold in 

bundles; and 

• assessment of significant financing components. 

Disclosures relating to revenue recognition can be found at Section 
2.1 Segment Information and 2.2 Income. 

The accuracy of amounts recorded as revenue is an inherent 
industry risk due to the complexity of billing systems, the complexity 
of products and services, and the combination of products sold and 
price changes in the year.  

We evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of key controls 
over the capture and measurement of revenue transactions across 
all significant revenue streams, including evaluating the relevant IT 
systems.

We examined the process and controls over the capture and 
assessment of the timing of revenue recognised for new products 
and plans, as well as performed testing of a sample of new plans to 
supporting evidence.

For all significant revenue streams, for a sample of revenue 
transactions recorded during the year, we obtained supporting 
evidence such as customer contracts, statements of work, other 
contractual agreements, service detail records and evidence of 
customer payment. 

For the NAS contracts, we focused our work on those which we 
regarded as higher risk because of the nature of the contract, its 
stage of delivery or the quantum of the related assets and those 
which were significant by size. 

172 | Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities

Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities | F93

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

F94

173
A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 95  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 96  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Why significant
The complexity of the billing systems was also considered as part of 
the reliance on automated processes and controls Key Audit Matter 
outlined below. 

How our audit addressed the matter
In performing this testing, we assessed the appropriateness of the 
assumptions and estimates supporting the accounting for these 
major contracts as follows:

• We tested the effectiveness of controls that operate across the 

contract life cycle for major contracts.

• We obtained and read the relevant sections of certain contracts, 
to identify the contracted revenues, key provisions in the event 
of contract termination (such as penalties or the ability for the 
Group to recover costs) and other significant obligations.

• We determined whether the future forecasts reflected the 

contract terms, testing any significant changes (such as new 
services) to contract amendments or other supporting 
documentation.

• For a sample of recorded revenue and cost transactions we 
obtained evidence to support delivery and/or customer 
acceptance.

• We compared the historical forecast results of certain contracts 

with the actual results to assess the performance of the 
contract and the historical accuracy of forecasting. 

• We considered the future forecast profitability and the 

contractual terms to assess the recoverability of the contract-
specific assets and to determine if any contracts required loss 
provisions.

We assessed the appropriateness of the assumptions and estimates 
supporting the accounting for the revised DAs including 
understanding the timing of disconnections, the progress of the 
NBN rollout and the transfer of the copper and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial 
(HFC) networks to nbn co. 

We assessed the Group accounting policies as set out in Section 2.2, 
and the adequacy of disclosures for compliance with the revenue 
recognition requirements of Australian Accounting Standards. 

Our IT specialists assessed the Group’s manual and automated 
controls relating to IT systems relevant to financial reporting, 
including the recognition of revenue.  When testing controls was not 
considered an appropriate or efficient testing approach, alternative 
audit procedures were performed on the financial information being 
produced by systems.

Our IT specialists analysed the impact on our audit of new systems 
that are significant to our audit. This included assessing the design 
of relevant automated processes and controls. 

We evaluated the effectiveness of the controls in the new systems.

Reliance on automated processes and controls 
A significant part of the Group’s financial processes are heavily 
reliant on IT systems with automated processes and controls over 
the capturing, valuing and recording of transactions. This is a key 
part of our audit because of the:

• complex IT environment supporting diverse business 

processes;

• mix of manual and automated controls;

• multiple internal and outsourced support arrangements; and

• complexity of the billing systems which result in revenue being 

recognised.

The Group continues to enhance its IT systems and during the year 
implemented new systems which were significant to our audit.

Why significant

How our audit addressed the matter

Impairment of goodwill, intangible assets and investments
Given the dynamic nature of the industry in which the Group 
operates, there is a risk that there could be material impairment to 
goodwill, other intangible asset balances, investments and other 
non-current assets.

Determination as to whether or not there is an impairment relating to 
an asset or Cash Generating Unit (CGU) involves significant 
judgment about the future cash flows and plans for these assets and 
CGUs.

During the current year, Telstra’s investment in NXE has been 
impaired and a loss of $308 million was recognised in their share of 
the net loss for the year. Further disclosure regarding the Group’s 
impairment testing can be found in Section 3.2.

We assessed the Group’s determination of cash generating units 
(CGU) used for their impairment assessment.

We evaluated the Group’s assessment of indicators of impairment or 
impairment reversal.

Where we or the Group determined indicators existed, we evaluated 
the Group’s calculation of the recoverable amount of each CGU and 
investment. Additionally, we assessed the reasonableness of the 
Board approved cash flow projections used in the impairment 
models as well as the reliability of the Group’s historical cash flow 
forecasts.   

We involved our valuation specialists to assess the impairment 
models and evaluate the reasonableness of key assumptions 
including the discount rate, terminal growth rates and forecast 
growth assumptions. We also performed sensitivity analysis around 
the key drivers of the cash flow projections, including any potential 
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having determined the change in 
assumptions (individually or collectively) that would be required for 
the CGUs to be impaired, we considered the likelihood of such a 
movement in those key assumptions arising.

We evaluated the adequacy of impairments that had been 
recognised during the financial year.

We evaluated the adequacy of the disclosures included in Section 
3.2.

Capitalisation of assets, including useful lives, amortisation and impairment
There are a number of areas where judgments significantly impact 
the carrying value of property, plant and equipment, software 
intangible assets and their respective depreciation and amortisation 
profiles. These areas are as follows:

Our audit procedures included the following:

• Assessed the effectiveness of the Group’s controls over the 

acquisition and disposal of assets.

• Evaluated the appropriateness of capitalisation policies.

• the decision to capitalise or expense costs;

• the annual asset life review;

• Selected a sample of costs capitalised during the year to 

determine whether capitalisation was appropriate.

• the timeliness of the transfer from assets in the course of 

• Assessed the appropriateness of the date from which assets 

construction; and

commenced being depreciated.

• significant changes that have taken place during the period or 
are expected to take place in the near future, which will impact 
the extent to which, or manner in which, an asset is used or is 
expected to be used.

Changes in these judgments have a significant impact on the results 
of the Group. Accordingly, this was considered a key audit matter.

Disclosures relating to the capitalisation and write-off of assets can 
be found at Sections 3.1 and 3.2.

We assessed the application of the Group’s annual asset life review. 
This included assessing judgments made by the Group on:

• the nature of underlying costs capitalised; and

• the appropriateness of asset lives applied in the calculation of 

depreciation and amortisation.

We evaluated management’s impairment assessment of property, 
plant and equipment and software intangible assets. This included 
assessing judgements made by the Group on:

• the nature and impact of changes on the business from the 

Telstra 2022 (T22) strategy, including which specific assets are 
impacted;

• the extent of the impact of these changes on the carrying value 
of identified property, plant and equipment, software intangible 
assets; and

• the completeness of the listing of impacted assets.

We evaluated the adequacy of disclosures included in Sections 3.1 
and 3.2.

174
A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

F95

F96

175
A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 20202020.Financial Report.book  Page 97  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

2020.Financial Report.book  Page 98  Wednesday, August 12, 2020  7:08 PM

Why significant

How our audit addressed the matter

Implementation of AASB 16 Leases
The Group adopted AASB 16 Leases (AASB 16) on 1 July 2019. The 
adoption of the standard resulted in an increase in the Group’s right 
of use assets and lease liabilities of $3.8 billion and $3.9 billion 
respectively as at 1 July 2019.

We evaluated the design and operating effectiveness of the 
processes and controls to capture and measure the right of use 
assets and lease liabilities, including the completeness of the 
balances and evaluating the relevant IT systems. 

The adoption of this accounting standard is inherently complex due 
to:

We evaluated the appropriateness of key assumptions used in 
calculating the impact upon adoption which included:

As part of an audit in accordance with the Australian Auditing Standards, we exercise professional judgement and maintain professional 
scepticism throughout the audit. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial report, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit 

procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The 
risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve 
collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the 

circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Group’s internal control.

• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made 

• the volume of leases held by the Group; and 

• determining lease terms including options that are reasonably 

by the Directors.

• the judgements and estimates required to be applied by 

management including determination of the lease term and 
appropriate discount rate for each lease.

Accordingly, this was considered a key audit matter.

Disclosures relating to the adoption of AASB 16 can be found at 
Sections 1.5 and 3.3.

certain to be exercised; and

• assessing the appropriateness and consistency of the discount 

rate used (i.e. incremental borrowing rate) by using our 
specialists to benchmark the Group’s rate curves to market 
curves.

We agreed a sample of leases to the original lease contract terms or 
other supporting documentation and recalculated the right of use 
asset and lease liability for each to assess the accuracy of the 
Group’s AASB 16 calculation.

We evaluated the completeness of the Group’s lease population by 
auditing management’s reconciliation of the Group’s lease 
commitments at 30 June 2019 to the opening AASB 16 calculation 
and examined the process and controls over the capture and 
assessment of arrangements that may contain a lease. 

We assessed the Group’s accounting policies as set out in Sections 
1.5 and 3.3, and the adequacy of disclosures for compliance with 
AASB 16.

Information Other than the Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report Thereon

The Directors are responsible for the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the Group’s 2020 
Annual Report other than the financial report and our auditor’s report thereon. We obtained the Directors’ Report that is to be included in the 
Annual Report, prior to the date of this auditor’s report, and we expect to obtain the remaining sections of the Annual Report after the date 
of this auditor’s report. 

Our opinion on the financial report does not cover the other information and we do not and will not express any form of assurance conclusion 
thereon, with the exception of the Remuneration Report and our related assurance opinion.

In connection with our audit of the financial report, our responsibility is to read the other information 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 on the other information obtained prior to the date of this auditor’s report, 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 the 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.

• Conclude on the appropriateness of the Directors’ use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, 
whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Group’s ability to continue as 
a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related 
disclosures in the financial report or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit 
evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Group to cease to continue 
as a going concern.

• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial report, including the disclosures, and whether the financial report 

represents the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

• Obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence regarding the financial information of the entities or business activities within the Group to 
express an opinion on the financial report. We are responsible for the direction, supervision and performance of the Group audit. We remain 
solely responsible for our audit opinion.

We communicate with the Directors regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, 
including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

We also provide the Directors with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to 
communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where 
applicable, actions taken to eliminate threats or safeguards applied.

From the matters communicated to the Directors, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the financial 
report of the current year and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor’s report unless law or regulation 
precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be 
communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest 
benefits of such communication.

Report on the Audit of the Remuneration Report

Opinion on the Remuneration Report

We have audited the Remuneration Report included in the Directors' Report for the year ended 30 June 2020.

In our opinion, the Remuneration Report of Telstra Corporation Limited for the year ended 30 June 2020, 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.

In preparing the financial report, the Directors are responsible for assessing the Group’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as 
applicable, matters relating 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.

Ernst & Young

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 this financial report.

Andrew Price
Partner
Melbourne
13 August 2020

176
A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

F97

F98

177
A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

Notes to the financial statements (continued)Notes to the financial statements (continued)Telstra  Financial Report 2020Shareholder information

Shareholder information | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Listing information

Voting rights

Substantial shareholders

Stock Exchange Listings
We are listed, and our issued shares are quoted on the Australian 
Securities Exchange (ASX) and the New Zealand Stock Exchange 
(NZX).

Shareholders (whether residents or non-residents of Australia) 
may vote at a meeting of shareholders in person, directly or by 
proxy, attorney or representative, depending on whether the 
shareholder is an individual or a company.

Markets on which our debt securities are listed
We also have debt securities listed on the Australian Securities 
Exchange, the London Stock Exchange and the Singapore Stock 
Exchange.

Subject to any rights or restrictions attaching to our shares, on a 
show of hands each shareholder present in person or by proxy, 
attorney or representative has one vote and, on a poll, has one 
vote for each fully paid share held. Presently, we have only one 
class of fully paid ordinary shares and these do not have any 
voting restrictions. If shares are not fully paid, on a poll the 
number of votes attaching to the shares is pro-rated accordingly.

Distribution of securities and security holdings

The following table shows the number of listed shares on issue at 24 July 2020:

Title of class

Listed shares

Identity of person or group

Amount owned

Listed shareholders 

11,893,297,855

%

100

Distribution of shares

The following table summarises the distribution of our listed shares as at 24 July 2020:

Size of holding

1–1,000

1,001–5,000

5,001–10,000

10,001–100,000

100,001 and over

Total

Number of shareholders

%

Number of shares

%

605,430

47.62%

331,576,461

2.79%

454,315

35.73%

1,084,613,216

9.12%

112,271

8.83%

803,454,328

6.76%

96,064

7.56%

2,298,339,841

19.32%

3,271

0.26%

7,375,314,009

62.01%

1,271,351

100.00%

11,893,297,855

100.00%

The number of shareholders holding less than a marketable parcel of shares was 43,428 holding 4,335,186 shares (based on the 
closing market price on 24 July 2020).

As at 24 July 2020, we are not aware of any substantial shareholders.

Twenty largest shareholders as at 24 July 2020

The following table sets out the Top 20 holders of our shares (when multiple holdings are grouped together):

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

Shareholder name

HSBC CUSTODY NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

J P MORGAN NOMINEES AUSTRALIA LIMITED

CITICORP NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

BNP PARIBAS NOMINEES PTY LIMITED

NATIONAL NOMINEES LIMITED

AUSTRALIAN FOUNDATION INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED

ARGO INVESTMENTS LIMITED

NETWEALTH INVESTMENTS LIMITED

AUSTRALIAN EXECUTOR TRUSTEES LIMITED

NETWORK INVESTMENT HOLDINGS PTY LTD

NAVIGATOR AUSTRALIA LTD

PACIFIC CUSTODIANS PTY LTD

AMP LIFE LIMITED

NULIS NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED

MILTON CORPORATION LIMITED

TELSTRA GROWTHSHARE PTY LTD

UBS NOMINEES PTY LTD

BKI INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED

DYNAMIC SUPPLIES INVESTMENTS PTY LTD

THE SENIOR MASTER OF THE SUPREME COURT

Total for Top 20

Total other Investors

Grand Total

Amount owned

2,659,212,404

1,507,395,357

824,573,643

611,616,552

600,944,367

54,510,000

45,514,800

38,118,962

34,769,170

31,946,047

24,457,137

21,980,256

18,855,392

17,729,083

15,236,961

10,602,353

9,568,981

8,524,451

8,500,000

8,351,929

6,552,407,845

5,340,890,010

11,893,297,855

%

22.36%

12.67%

6.93%

5.14%

5.05%

0.46%

0.38%

0.32%

0.29%

0.27%

0.21%

0.18%

0.16%

0.15%

0.13%

0.09%

0.08%

0.07%

0.07%

0.07%

55.09%

44.91%

100.00%

178

179

 
 
 
Reference tables

Reference tables | Telstra Annual Report 2020

Guidance versus reported results

This schedule details adjustments made to the reported results for the current and comparative periods to reflect the 
performance of the business on the basis on which we provided guidance to the market, which is EBITDA on an underlying basis 
and assuming wholesale product price stability and no impairments in and to investments or property, plant and equipment and 
intangible assets, and exculded any proceeds on the sale of businesses, mergers and acquisitions and purchase of spectrum.  
The guidance also assumed the nbn rollout and migration in FY20 was broadly in accordance with the nbn Corporate Plan 2020. 
Underlying EBITDA excluded net one-off nbn DA receipts less nbn net C2C, guidance adjustments including one-off restructuring 
costs, but included depreciation of mobile lease right-of-use assets. 

The following adjustments provide a detailed reconciliation from reported to guidance results for each guidance measure:

Total Income

FY19
$m

FY20
$m

Underlying EBITDA

FY19
$m

FY20
$m

Reported1  
Total Income

.27,807

26,161

Reported1  
EBITDA

.7,984

.8,905

Reported1  
Free Cashflow

Free Cashflow

FY19
$m

FY20
$m

.3,068

.4,034

2020

2019

20181

2017

2016

Continuing operations

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

Total income (excluding finance income)

26,161

27,807

28,841

28,205

27,050

EBITDA2

EBIT

Profit for the year from continuing operations

Profit for the year from discontinued operations3

Profit for the year from continuing and 
discontinued operations 

8,905

3,567

1,839

–

7,984

3,702

2,149

–

10,197

10,679

10,465

5,727

3,557

–

6,238

3,874

–

6,310

3,832

2,017

1,839

2,149

3,557

3,874

5,849

Adjustments

Dividends declared per share (cents)

16.0

16.0

22.0

31.0

31.0

M&A2

Impairment3

Lease4

Restructuring costs5

Net one-off  
NBN receipts6

Spectrum payments7

(3)

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

(20) M&A2

88

(20) M&A2

89

(39)

n/a

Impairment3

493

308

Impairment3

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lease4

450

(494)

Lease4

n/a

(1,015)

n/a

Restructuring costs5

801

246

Restructuring costs5

n/a

Net one-off  
NBN receipts6

(1,613)

(1,536)

Net one-off  
NBN receipts6

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

Spectrum payments7

n/a

n/a

Spectrum payments7

29

435

Guidance  
Total Income

27,804

26,141

Guidance 
Underlying EBITDA

8,203

7,409

Guidance  
Free Cashflow

3,186

3,415

The adjustments set out in the above tables have been reviewed by our auditor for consistency with the guidance basis as set out 
on this page.

Notes:

1.   From 1 July 2019 we have adopted AASB16: ‘Leases’ on a prospective basis, i.e. no restatement of the comparative period. As a result, Reported EBITDA and Reported 
Free Cashflow for FY20 exclude impact of leases classified as operating leases in FY19 where Telstra was a lessee. The operating lease expenses recognised in ‘other 
expenses’ (part of EBITDA) and the operating lease payments included in cash outflows from operating activities for FY19 have been ‘replaced’ by depreciation of right-
of-use assests (below EBITDA) and payments of lease liabilities in cash outflows from financing activities for FY20 respectively.

2.   Adjustments relating to acquisition and disposals of controlled entities, joint ventures, associates and other investments and any associated net gains or losses and 
contingent consideration. During FY20 we disposed of our investment in Chief Entertainment Pty Ltd, Snap Inc and PharmX Pty Ltd, a data centre held by Telstra 
Singapore Pte Ltd, and executed a warrant we held in Ooyala Inc. We also made additional investments in our interest in the Telstra Ventures Fund II, L.P. and Southern 
Cross Cable Holdings Limited. FY19 included additional investments in our interest in Telstra Ventures II, L.P., the disposal of our investment in Ooyala Inc, Ooyala AB 
and their controlled entities and Orion Health Group Ltd, deferred consideration we received from our disposal of 1300 Australia Pty Ltd and from the sell down of our 
interest in the Telstra Ventures Fund II L.P.

3.   Adjustments relating to the impairment and write downs of IT legacy assets and WIP in FY19 and the impairment of our investment in NXE Australia Pty Ltd (Foxtel) in FY20.
4.  Given different acounting treatment of leases in FY20 compared to FY19 (refer footnote 1) ‘Lease’ provides a like-for-like view of our mobile handset leases (Telstra as a 
lessee) which for management reporting purposes continue to be treated as part of operating performance results. In particular FY20 has been adjusted to include the 
reported depreciation of mobile handsets right-of-use assets in EBITDA and for illustrative purposes FY19 has been adjusted to exclude proforma operating lease 
expense of all but mobile handset leases from EBITDA. FY20 Free Cashflow has been adjusted to included total payments (principal and interest) for leases previously 
accounted for as operating leases, which are reported as financing cashflows in FY20 under AASB16.

5.  Adjustments for the strategic focus (T22 program) to improve customer experience, simplify structure and cut costs, in addition to our normal business as usual 

redundancies for the period.

6.  Adjustments for net one-off nbn receipts which is defined as net nbn one off Definitive Agreement receipts (consisting of PSAA, Infrastructure Ownership and 

Retraining) less nbn net cost to connect.

7.  Adjustment relating to the impact on free cashflow associated with our spectrum purchases and renewals for the period including: 

• $28m for renewal of spectrum licences in the 900 MHz band 
• $386m for acquisition of spectrum licences in the 3.6 GHz band 
• payments for spectrum and apparatus licences in various spectrum bands

n/a Adjustment not relevant to the respective guidance measure

Total assets

Gross debt

Net debt

Total equity

44,403

42,589

42,634

42,133

43,286

17,343

15,331

15,368

16,218

16,009

16,844

14,727

14,739

15,280

12,459

15,147

14,530

14,556

14,560

15,907

Capital expenditure4

3,233

4,140

4,717

4,606

4,045

Free cashflow from continuing and  
discontinued operations

Earnings per share from continuing and 
discontinued operations (cents)

Dividend payout ratio (%)5

4,034

3,068

4,695

3,496

5,926

15.3

99

18.1

88

30.2

73

32.5

95

47.4

65

1.  FY18 results have been restated to account for the adoption of AASB15.

2.   Operating profit before interest, depreciation and amortisation and income tax expense. EBITDA is used as a measure of financial performance by excluding certain 
variables that affect operating profits but which may not be directly related to all financial aspects of the operations of the company. EBITDA is not a measure of 
operating income, operating performance or liquidity under A-IFRS. Other companies may calculate EBITDA in a different manner to us.

3.   Profit for the year from discontinued operations for FY16 included both Sensis and Autohome Group results.

4.   Capex is defined as additions to property, equipment and intangible assets including capital lease additions, excluding expenditure on spectrum, measured on an 

accrued basis. Excludes externally funded capex.

5.  Dividend payout ratio from continuing and discontinued operations. Dividend payout ratio from continuing operations FY16: 98%.

180

181

 
Reference tables

Glossary

Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

We have begun to align our reporting with the recommendations outlined in the G20’s Financial Stability Board Task Force on 
Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). TCFD provides a voluntary framework for organisations to assess and disclose 
material forward-looking financial risks and opportunities arising from physical climate change impacts.

TCFD Recommendations

Reference

Report

Location

Governance – Disclose the organisation’s governance around climate-related risks and opportunities

a)  Describe the board’s oversight of  

climate-related risks and opportunities

Climate change governance

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

b)  Describe management’s role in assessing  
and managing climate-related risks and 
opportunities

The responsibilities of the 
Board

2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement

The Board of Directors 

Managing our risks

2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement

Assurance and risk 
management

Climate change governance

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Managing our risks

2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement

Assurance and risk 
management

Strategy – Disclose the actual and potential impacts of climate-related risks and opportunities on the organisation’s businesses, strategy,  
and financial planning where such information is material

a)  Describe the climate-related risks and 

opportunities the organisation has identified 
over the short, medium, and long term

b)  Describe the impact of climate-related risks 

and opportunities on the organisation’s 
businesses, strategy, and financial planning

c)  Describe the resilience of the organisation’s 
strategy, taking into consideration different 
climate-related scenarios, including a 2°C or 
lower scenario

Managing climate-related 
risks and opportunities

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Managing climate-related 
risks and opportunities

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Our material risks

2020 Annual Report

Our material risks

Our approach to developing 
climate scenarios

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Risk Management – Disclose how the organisation identifies, assesses, and manages climate-related risks

a)  Describe the organisation’s processes for 

identifying and assessing climate-related risks

Risk management 
framework

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Managing our risks

2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement

Assurance and risk 
management

b)  Describe the organisation’s processes for 

managing climate-related risks

Risk management 
framework

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Managing climate-related 
risks and opportunities

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

c)  Describe how processes for identifying, 

assessing, and managing climate-related risks 
are integrated into the organisation’s overall 
risk management

Risk management 
framework

Managing our risks

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

2020 Corporate Governance 
Statement

Assurance and risk 
management

Metrics & Targets – Disclose the metrics and targets used to assess and manage relevant climate-related risks and opportunities where such 
information is material

a)  Disclose the metrics used by the organisation 

Approach

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

to assess climate-related risks and 
opportunities in line with its strategy and  
risk management process.

b)  Disclose Scope 1, Scope 2, and if appropriate, 
Scope 3 greenhouse gas GHG emissions, and 
the related risks

Managing our energy and 
emissions

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

c)  Describe the targets used by the organisation 

Approach

to manage climate-related risks and 
opportunities and performance against targets

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Managing our energy and 
emissions

2020 Bigger Picture 
Sustainability Report

Climate Change and Energy

Earnings per share (EPS)
The portion of profit allocated to each 
share. 

Fibre to the Basement (FTTB)
A broadband access solution that 
delivers fibre from an exchange facility  
to a location (e.g. the basement) in an 
apartment block or similar types of 
building, with the final connection to the 
end user customer premises being 
another access solution such as copper. 

Fibre to the Node (FTTN)
A broadband access solution that 
delivers fibre from an exchange facility  
to a street cabinet (the “node”), with the 
final connections to a premise being the 
copper network phone lines. 

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
A broadband access solution that 
delivers fibre from an exchange facility 
directly to the outside of a building, 
offering potentially faster internet 
speeds than FTTN solutions (see 
definition of FTTN). 

Fixed line
Refers to the delivery of telephone and/or 
internet services over a cable, rather than 
the mobile or wireless phone network. 
Fixed line is also a term used to describe 
a customer segment, for example ‘fixed 
line customers’. 

Free cashflow
The cash that a company is able to 
generate from its operations after 
spending money required to maintain or 
expand its asset base. 

Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)
A way of delivering video, voice and data 
using both coaxial and fibre optic cables. 

Infrastructure Service Agreement 
(ISA)
An agreement between Telstra and nbn 
co that gives nbn co long-term access 
rights to certain types of Telstra 
infrastructure to enable the nbnTM 
network rollout, such as rack spaces  
in exchange buildings, ducts (and pits/
manholes), dark fibre and certain poles.

4G 
The fourth generation of wireless mobile 
networks, with typically faster download 
and upload speeds and better response 
times than previous generations. 

4GX
The evolution of our initial 4G offering, 
4GX is capable of faster network speeds 
and adds another lane of capacity to the 
Telstra mobile network.

5G
The fifth generation of wireless mobile 
networks, 5G delivers a step change in 
typical network speeds, with lower 
latency and much greater capacity to 
help address the explosion in wireless 
devices and data usage.

Agile
Agile is a way of working that brings 
people with different skills into one team 
and works in short sprints to deliver with 
faster speed to market, at a lower cost, 
and with a better experience for our 
people and customers.

Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)
The measure of the average revenue 
generated per unit or user. 

Broadband
Describes a class of internet access 
technologies, such as ADSL, HFC cable 
and WiFi, offering a data rate significantly 
higher than narrowband services.  
These services typically do not tie up  
a telephone line exclusively for data. 

Bundle
A combination of products. For example, 
a customer can bundle a fixed-line home 
phone service and internet connection.

C2C
Cost to connect. 

Capital expenditure (capex)
Funds invested to purchase, upgrade  
or improve long-term assets such as 
property, infrastructure or equipment  
to create future benefit. 

Carbon neutral
Where the amount of carbon dioxide 
produced has been reduced to nothing  
or is balanced by actions that protect  
the environment.

Cleaner Pipes
An initiative to help reduce instances  
of customer data being compromised 
through malware, ransomware and 
phishing. It involves significantly 
upscaling our Domain Name System 
(DNS) filtering, where millions of malware 
communications are being proactively 
and automatically blocked every week as 
they try to cross Telstra’s infrastructure.

Cloud
The provision of services, software, 
storage and security over the internet, 
typically on a pay-for-use basis. Cloud 
can allow access to information and 
programs on multiple devices in multiple 
locations. 

Connectivity Virtual Circuit (CVC) 
charge
A charge levied by NBN Co on Retail 
Service Providers based on the capacity 
they acquire for retail customers’ use. 

Cyber security
The safe use of information and 
telecommunications technology 
(including mobile phones) and the 
internet. 

Dark fibre
An optical fibre network used for data 
transmission. 

Definitive Agreement (DA)
The documents that record the final, 
binding arrangements between Telstra 
and nbn co for Telstra’s participation in 
the nbnTM network rollout. 

Digital transformation
The adoption of digital technologies to 
improve processes and productivity, and 
deliver better customer and employee 
experiences. 

Dividend per share (DPS)
A dividend is a payment of a portion of 
our earnings to our shareholders and is 
most often quoted in terms of the 
amount each share receives.

Earnings before interest, income  
tax expense, depreciation and 
amortisation (EBITDA)
An indicator of a company’s operational 
profitability. 

nbn™, nbn co and other nbn™ logos and brands are trade marks of nbn co limited and used under licence.
Kayo is a registered trade mark of Streamotion Pty Ltd.
Foxtel is a registered trade mark of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
Binge is a registered trade mark of Foxtel Management Pty Limited.
Xbox is a registered trade mark of Microsoft Corporation, a Washington corporation.
Ookla is among some of the federally registered trade marks of Ookla, LLC in the US.
All amounts are expressed in Australian dollars ($A) unless otherwise stated.

182

183

Glossary

Contact details

Internet of Things (IoT)
The connectedness of ‘things’ (for 
example machinery, vehicles, appliances) 
to the internet via sensors and actuators 
that collect information about the state 
and condition of those things, and 
transmit that data to software platforms 
that can help people make sense of the 
information and take appropriate action. 

LTE-M
An Internet of Things (IoT) technology, 
currently operating over Telstra’s 4GX, 
that is suitable for applications requiring 
data with peak speeds of up to 1Mbps 
(typical speeds will be less). LTE-M 
devices typically provide greater reach in 
distance and depth into buildings and 
extended battery life. 

Memorandum of Understanding 
(MoU)
A document describing the broad 
outlines of an agreement that two or 
more parties have reached. 

Messaging
A way for Telstra customers to 
communicate with a Telstra consultant 
via the My Telstra app regarding queries 
with billing, service, faults, and sales for 
consumer and small business customers. 

mmWave
A technology that operates on short-
range, high-frequency spectrum and will 
play an important role in delivering on 
5G’s full potential with faster speeds and 
greater capacity.

Mobile data
Wireless internet access delivered over 
the mobile network to computers and 
other digital devices using portable 
modems. 

Mobile Virtual Network Operator 
(MVNO)
Mobile providers re-selling services via 
the Telstra wholesale mobile network. 

Service in Operation (SIO)
Refers to an active telecommunications 
service to an end-user. 

Spectrum
Wireless communications signals travel 
through the air via radio frequency, 
known also as spectrum. The government 
grants licences for dedicated use of 
portions (bands) of spectrum. 

Narrowband (NB) IoT
An Internet of Things (IoT) technology 
that operates over Telstra’s 4GX. 
Narrowband IoT is suited to stationary 
applications that send very small 
amounts of data infrequently and operate 
with longer battery life. 

Net profit after tax (NPAT)
The total revenue minus all expenses and 
taxes. 

PSTN
The public switched telephone network, 
which is the world’s circuit-switched 
telephone network that provides 
infrastructure and services for 
communication.

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)
A measure of how efficiently a company 
is using capital to generate income. If 
ROIC is greater than a company’s 
weighted average cost of capital (WACC), 
value is being created for investors.

Roaming
A service which allows customers to use 
their mobile phone while in a service area 
of another carrier. 

T22
Telstra’s strategy, announced on 20 June 
2018, to lead the Australian market by 
simplifying its operations and product 
set, improving customer experience and 
reducing its cost base. 

Transacting Minimum Monthly 
Commitment (TMMC)
This represents the average minimum 
monthly commitment, excluding 
hardware, of new and existing customers 
that have taken up new plans in the 
period.

Universal service obligation (USO)
Obligations placed on Telstra to ensure 
that standard telephone services, 
payphones and prescribed carriage 
services are reasonably accessible to all 
people in Australia on an equitable basis, 
wherever they reside or carry on 
business. 

Wi-Fi
The most prevalent form of wireless local 
area network (WLAN) technology. WLANs 
are small-scale wireless networks with a 
typical radius of several hundred feet.

Indicative financial calendar1

Half year results announcement
Thursday 11 February 2021

Annual results announcement
Thursday 12 August 2021

Ex-dividend share trading commences
Wednesday 24 February 2021

Ex-dividend share trading commences
Wednesday 25 August 2021

Record date for interim dividend
Thursday 25 February 2021

DRP election date
Friday 26 February 2021

Interim dividend paid
Friday 26 March 2021

Director nominations open
Friday 4 June 2021

Record date for final dividend
Thursday 26 August 2021

DRP election date
Friday 27 August 2021

Final dividend paid
Thursday 23 September 2021

Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 12 October 2021

Director nominations close (by 5pm)
Friday 6 August 2021

1.  Timing of events may be subject to change. Any change will be 

notified to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). 

Registered Office

Sustainability

Level 41, 242 Exhibition Street 
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia 
Sue Laver 
Company Secretary 
Email: companysecretary@team.telstra.com

General Enquiries – Registered Office

Website: telstra.com.au/aboutus/contactus 
Customer enquiries: 13 2200

Shareholder Enquiries

Australian Share Register
Australia: 1300 88 66 77 
All Other: +61 1300 88 66 77 
Fax: +61 2 9287 0303 
Email: telstra@linkmarketservices.com.au 
Website: linkmarketservices.com.au/telstra 
Link Market Services Limited 
PO Box A942, Sydney South NSW 1234 Australia

New Zealand Share Register
New Zealand: 0800 835 787 
All Other: +64 9 375 5998 
Fax: +64 9 375 5990 
Email: enquiries@linkmarketservices.co.nz 
Website: linkmarketservices.co.nz 
Link Market Services Limited 
PO Box 91976, Auckland 1142 New Zealand

Investor Relations

Level 28, 242 Exhibition Street 
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia 
Australia: 1800 880 679 
All Other: +61 3 8647 4954 
Email: investor.relations@team.telstra.com

Level 39, 242 Exhibition Street 
Melbourne, Victoria 3000 Australia
Email: sustainability@team.telstra.com

Online Shareholder information

Telstra’s Investor Centre at telstra.com/investor has the latest 
news and information available for shareholders.

Shareholders can also easily manage their shareholding online 
at linkmarketservices.com.au/telstra.

Shareholders require their SRN/HIN and postcode for access 
and then can view and update information under the following 
menus:

1.  Holdings – transaction history, holding balance and value 

and latest closing share price.

2.  Payment and Tax – dividend payment history, tax information, 

payment instructions and TFN details. Update bank details here.

3.  Communication – become an e-Shareholder and update 

postal/email addresses and communication elections here.

Telstra Corporation Limited

ABN 33 051 775 556 
Incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory.  
Telstra is listed on Stock Exchanges in Australia and  
in New Zealand (Wellington).

Websites

Telstra Investor Centre: telstra.com/investor
Telstra Sustainability: exchange.telstra.com.au/sustainability/
Telstra Corporate Governance: telstra.com/governance
Telstra Customer Enquiries: telstra.com
Contact Telstra: telstra.com.au/aboutus/contactus

Keeping informed
To keep up to date with the latest news about Telstra:

• follow us on Twitter @Telstra_news

• follow us on Facebook

•  subscribe to our media releases on our website at  

telstra.com.au/aboutus/media/rss-feeds

•  subscribe to our sustainability newsletter at  

telstra.com/sustainability/subscribe 

• visit Telstra Exchange at exchange.telstra.com.au

184

185

  telstra.com/investor