Coopers Brewery Limited - Panel Receives Further Review Application

The Takeovers Panel advises that it has received an application dated 7 December 2005 from Lion Nathan Limited and Lion Nathan Australia Pty Limited (together Lion Nathan) for review of the Panel's decision in the Coopers 03 proceedings in respect of the Coopers 03 Panel's decision: a) allowing the resolution to amend the Coopers Constitution to be put at the Extraordinary General Meeting of Coopers Brewery Limited now due to be held on Wednesday 14 December 2005 (Constitution EGM); b) finding no evidence of association between the directors of Coopers and between the directors of Coopers and other shareholders of Coopers; c) not to make any orders regarding the votes of the directors of Coopers and their associates at the Constitution EGM.

Coopers Brewery Limited 03R and 04R

The Takeovers Panel advises that it has decided to make an interim order postponing until late next week the holding of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Coopers Brewery Limited. The meeting, which was proposed to be held on 7 December 2005, is to consider certain changes to the Coopers Constitution which would have the effect, if passed, of removing from the Coopers Constitution, an exception for Lion Nathan Limited from the prohibition on rival brewers holding shares in Coopers (Constitution EGM).

Coopers Brewery Limited 03 - Second Part of Panel Decision

The Takeovers Panel advises that it has declined to make a declaration of unacceptable circumstances in relation to an application dated 21 November 2005 from Lion Nathan Limited and Lion Nathan Australia Pty Limited (together Lion Nathan) for a declaration of unacceptable circumstances and orders in relation to the Second Supplementary and Corrective Target's Statement, issued by Coopers Brewery Limited on 15 November 2005.

Coopers Brewery Limited - Panel Receives Two Review Applications

The Takeovers Panel advises that it has received two applications dated 2 December 2005 from Lion Nathan Limited and Lion Nathan Australia Pty Limited (together Lion Nathan) for review of: a) the Panel's preliminary decision in respect of misleading disclosure in Coopers Brewery Limited's Target's Statement in the Coopers Brewery Limited 03 matter. Lion Nathan has complained about one of the charts in the Second Supplementary and Corrective Target's Statement which Coopers issued on 1 December 2005 in response to the Coopers 03 Panel's concerns about misleading statements in the original Coopers Target's Statement. The chart complained of puts forward a control price for Coopers which the Coopers board suggests may be reasonable based on two transactions which the Coopers board has asserted are comparable transactions to the Lion Nathan bid for Coopers; and b) the Panel's decision in Coopers Brewery Limited 04, not to postpone the two EGMs proposed to be held on 7 December 2005 by Coopers to consider the proposed Coopers Buy-back and amendments to the Coopers Constitution which would preclude the Lion Nathan bid for Coopers. Lion Nathan submits that Coopers shareholders do not have sufficient time to consider the implications of the decision by the Coopers board (announced in the Second Supplementary and Corrective Target's Statement) that the Coopers board will consent to all requests for withdrawal of transfer notices by Coopers shareholders in the event that the Lion Nathan bid lapses, or the Coopers auditor determines that "fair value" is less than the price offered under the Lion Nathan bid.

Coopers Brewery Limited 03 - Panel Restrains EGM

The Takeovers Panel advises that it has today made an interim order restraining the holding of the Extraordinary General Meeting (Constitution EGM) of Coopers Brewery Limited (Coopers) due to be held at 10.00 a.m. ACDT on Tuesday 29 November 2005. The Panel advised it would have no objection to the EGM being held in conjunction with the further EGM (Buy-back EGM) proposed for 7 December 2005 provided Coopers issues a corrective statement, approved by the Panel, giving Coopers shareholders sufficient time to consider the corrective statement before the Constitution EGM. The Panel made no orders restraining the holding of Coopers AGM which is due to be held on 29 November 2005.

Austral Coal Limited 02RR

These are the Panel’s reasons for its decision to revoke a declaration that circumstances in relation to the affairs of Austral Coal Limited were unacceptable circumstances, which was made on 28 June 2005 in the Austral Coal 02 proceedings, and to make a fresh declaration of unacceptable circumstances.