Acquisitions register

Vets Central Holdings Pty Ltd (together, with its subsidiaries, Vets Central), proposes to acquire 100% of the business assets (both tangible and intangible) of Hills Veterinary Centre.

Vets Central is an Australian-owned veterinary group that owns and operates 80 first opinion veterinary practices across Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, Vets Central’s practices provide core and ancillary veterinary services, for household pets as well as livestock, and other exotic species. The services primarily include routine, planned, and emergency veterinary services (excluding after-hours services).

The Hills Veterinary Centre is a full-service veterinary practice in the Blackwood area of South Australia. The business provides a range of first opinion core and ancillary veterinary services for household pets (extending to exotic pets) in the local area.

TWG Hunter Dealerships Pty Ltd (TWG) is acquiring 95% of the share capital of Sharton Motors Pty Ltd (Sharton Motors), and the associated freehold properties (currently held by N&M Burton Pty Ltd).

Sharton Motors is in the business of selling and servicing Toyota, GWM/Haval vehicles and the associated sales of parts and accessories under the name of Sharton Motors Pty Ltd at the following sites:

• 70 Port Stephens Drive, Taylors Beach

• 104 - 110 Newcastle Street, East Maitland

• 124 Newcastle Street, East Maitland

• Union Street, East Maitland

• 83 - 87 Melbourne Street, East Maitland

• 75 Melbourne Street, East Maitland

• 91 Melbourne Street, East Maitland

• 322 Main Road, Cardiff

The Freehold Properties will be purchased by the TWG directly from N&M Burton Pty Ltd.

Both the TWG and Sharton Motors are in the business of selling new and used vehicles in Australia.

The acquisition will involve:

1. the vendors each selling their entire existing interests in Sharton Motors to TWG, with the effect that TWG will acquire 95% of Sharton Motors, which operates Toyota and GWM/Haval motor vehicle dealerships at locations in Maitland, Port Stephens and
   Cardiff; and

2. N&M Burton Pty Ltd selling their associated freehold properties to TWG.

MidOcean Energy proposes to indirectly acquire a:

• ~0.417% interest in the Gorgon LNG Project located on Barrow Island, Western Australia; and

• ~0.735% interest in the Ichthys LNG Project located in the Browse Basin in offshore Western Australia, including in the exploration activities of the expired WA-285-P tenement

via the acquisition by a newly incorporated subsidiary, MidOcean Australia Holdings 2 Pty Ltd of 100% of the shares in JERA Gorgon Pty Ltd (JERA Gorgon) and JERA Ichthys Pty Ltd from JERA Australia Pty Ltd, pursuant to a share sale agreement (the Acquisition).

The Acquisition has given rise to a pre-empt right in favour of the other joint venture participants to the Ichthys LNG Project. As a result, one of the Ichthys joint venture participants has exercised its right to acquire the underlying Ichthys LNG Project interests held indirectly by JERA Gorgon. This acquisition will occur following completion of the Acquisition.

MidOcean Energy is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company that supplies natural gas in Australia and LNG and condensate overseas. In Australia, it holds minority interests in the Gorgon LNG Project and Pluto LNG Project in Western Australia and the QCLNG Project in Queensland.

JERA Gorgon supplies natural gas in Australia and LPG, LNG and condensate overseas, and its interests in Australia include the Gorgon LNG Project and the Ichthys LNG Project and its associated exploration permit, both located in WA. 

The parties overlap in the production and supply of natural gas in Australia.

Aldus Group (Aldus) is an Australian diversified industrial group. In Australia, Aldus primarily distributes digital printing and industrial coding equipment, manufactures and supplies industrial inks, decorative foils and thermal transfer ribbons, and provides label applicator systems and associated servicing. Aldus also operates a small precision engineering division providing computer numerical control (CNC) machining services and medical engineering division.

The target, Hilton Manufacturing Pty Ltd (Hilton), is an Australian sheet metal fabrication business. Hilton manufactures engineered metal products and assemblies for customers in the heavy vehicle and industrial sectors.

Aldus Pty Limited will acquire 100% of the issued shares in Hilton via a share sale structured on an enterprise value basis, subject to customary working capital adjustments and deferred consideration arrangements. Hilton will continue to operate as a wholly owned subsidiary within Aldus following completion.

Blackbird FOF25 Pty Ltd as trustee for Blackbird Ventures 2025 Follow-On Fund Trust (Blackbird FOF25) and Blackbird FSA Pty Ltd as trustee for Blackbird FSA Coinvestment Trust (Blackbird FSA) each propose to purchase shares in Halter USA Inc's (Halter) capital raise, as described in the transaction documents provided as part of the application.

Blackbird FOF25 and Blackbird FSA are venture capital funds managed by Blackbird Ventures. Blackbird Ventures is a venture capital firm based in Australia and New Zealand that invests in early-stage and high-growth technology companies. Funds managed by Blackbird Ventures hold minority investments in hundreds of companies in Australia, the United States, New Zealand and around the world.

Halter is an agricultural technology company which was founded in New Zealand and is now domiciled in the United States. Halter specialises in developing advanced livestock management and 'virtual fencing' systems for pasture-based farming.

Halter supplies collars to be worn by cattle, which enable remote monitoring, real time tracking and guidance of cattle, and the creation and management of virtual pasture boundaries. Halter's collar system is designed to improve productivity, enhance grazing efficiency, reduce labour and fencing costs, and support sustainable land use practices by providing data-driven insights into herd behaviour and pasture utilisation.

NDC HoldCo Pty Ltd (together with its subsidiaries, NDC), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, NDC Australia Pty Limited, proposes to acquire from the Comfy Dental Trust 100% of the business assets comprising the Comfy Dental Clinic (Comfy Dental). 

NDC is a dental services organisation that operates a network of dental clinics that provide a range of general dentistry services. NDC has dental clinics in all Australian states and territories except Tasmania. It has one existing dental clinic located in Mandurah, WA (DB Dental Mandurah). NDC is majority owned by funds managed by Crescent Capital Partners.

Comfy Dental is a dental clinic located in Mandurah, WA that provides a range of general dentistry services.

KPS Special Situations Mid‑Cap Fund II (KPS) proposes to acquire 100% of the shares of Chargeurs Films de Protection SAS and its US subsidiaries (Novacel, Inc., Walco, Inc. and Novacel Performance Coatings, Inc.) (Novacel). Following completion, Compagnie Chargeurs Invest SA (the Seller), will roll-over an interest of approximately 25% in Novacel, with no joint control rights (the Acquisition). 

KPS and its associated entities is a private investment company incorporated in the US. Through its funds, KPS makes equity investments in manufacturing and industrial companies across a diverse array of industries, including basic materials, branded consumer, healthcare and luxury products, automotive parts, capital equipment and general manufacturing.

Novacel is a global producer of specialty processing films used for protecting surfaces during manufacturing, assembly, transport or installation, as well as specialty tapes and kraft papers used to protect, hold, splice, wrap or strap industrial materials, and associated specialty machines used in industrial material handling and processing. Novacel only supplies processing and protective films in Australia.

Wentworth Capital Investment Management Pty Ltd (together with its holding companies and subsidiaries, Wentworth) is an Australian asset manager based in Sydney which specialises in real estate. Its core activities are asset management, real estate private equity and real estate private credit. 

Funds managed by Wentworth will acquire 100% of the hotel businesses and related assets of Novotel Darling Harbour and Ibis Darling Harbour (Hotel Businesses) from Pearl Hotels D 1993 Pty Limited and the leasehold interests in the land on which the Hotel Businesses operate (Property) from The Trust Company (Australia) Limited in its capacity as trustee of the Pearl Hotels ZC 2013 Trust. 

The Hotel Businesses currently offer hotel accommodation services (and ancillary services related to the operation of a hotel) under brands associated with the Accor Group, which will continue to manage the hotels post-acquisition. 

On 16 February 2026, Austral Resources Australia Ltd (Austral) entered into an agreement with Noranda Pacific No. 2 Pty Ltd (NP2) and Mount Isa Mines Limited (MIM) (both indirect subsidiaries of Glencore plc) to acquire:

• 100% of the shares in Noranda Pacific Pty Ltd (NPPL), the owner and operator of the Lady Loretta zinc mine in Queensland, from NP2 and MIM; and 

• the exploration permits associated with the Lady Loretta mine from MIM, (together, the Acquisition). 

The Lady Loretta mine ceased production in 2025. 

Austral is an Australian-based copper producer headquartered in Queensland. Austral owns and operates a number of copper mines in Australia, including the Lady Annie copper mine which is located 16km south of the Lady Loretta mine. 

NPPL, NP2 and MIM are indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries of Glencore plc, a multi-national commodity trading and mining company headquartered in Switzerland. 

Following completion, Austral will assume the progressive rehabilitation obligations of the Lady Loretta mine, and will enter into an offtake agreement with Glencore in respect of future copper products derived from the Lady Loretta tenements.

L701 Pty Ltd proposes to enter into an option to lease agreement with the Western Australian Land Authority (trading as DevelopmentWA) over part of Lot 701 within the Boodarie Strategic Industrial Area in Western Australia. The option provides L701 Pty Ltd with the right to lease the land following completion of development milestones. 

L701 Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of Element Zero Pty Ltd (Element Zero), an Australian company developing technology and projects for the production of low-emissions mineral products, including green iron. Element Zero develops technology and projects for the production of low-carbon mineral products and intends to develop a commercial-scale green iron production facility.

DevelopmentWA is the Western Australian Government’s land and development agency responsible for facilitating industrial land development. DevelopmentWA develops and manages industrial land and infrastructure in Western Australia, including within the Boodarie Strategic Industrial Area.

If the option is exercised, the parties intend to enter into a long-term industrial ground lease to enable development and operation of a green iron production facility.

Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Coles Group Limited (Coles), has signed a letter of offer with Tipalea Private No.31 Pty Ltd (ACN 686 197 115) to facilitate Coles leasing a new standalone supermarket to be developed at 120 Glebe Road, New Norfolk, Tasmania 7140 (the Property). 

Coles will operate a large format supermarket on the Property, with a saleable floor area of approximately 2,600 square metres. The proposed Coles store will be co-located with a Liquorland, which will operate under a separate lease that is not the subject of this notification. 

New Norfolk is a suburb in the Derwent Valley Council local government area in Tasmania, approximately 35 km northwest of Hobart.

Coles is an Australian public company (ASX:COL) that primarily operates: 

• supermarkets nationwide through Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd; and

• retail liquor stores nationwide, trading under the Liquorland, Liquorland Warehouse and Liquorland Cellars brands. 

Coles also has a property development arm, Coles Group Property Developments Ltd, that buys land and construct shopping centres, standalone supermarkets and / or liquor outlets and then sells these completed sites to third party buyers. 

Tipalea Private No.31 Pty Ltd (ACN 686 197 115) is an Australian private company specialising in property development and investment in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.

Rocket Software, Inc.(Rocket Software), a portfolio company of Bain Capital, proposes to acquire the Vertica Analytics Database Platform (Vertica) from Open Text Corporation (Open Text). The proposed acquisition will occur largely by way of asset sale. 

Rocket Software is a global provider of infrastructure and application software solutions. Rocket’s products and services focus on modernising and optimising applications on mainframe computers. Bain Capital is a private equity investment firm that invests in companies across a number of industries, including information technology, healthcare, retail and consumer products, communications, financial services and industrial/manufacturing.

Vertica is an enterprise-grade analytical database software that currently forms part of Open Text. Vertica is designed for large-scale data analytics within a customer’s own IT environment.

Permira is a Guernsey registered private equity business engaged, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, in the provision of investment management services to a number of investment funds. Permira ultimately controls a number of private equity funds, which include portfolio companies active across the consumer, services, healthcare and technology sectors.

Warburg Pincus is private equity firm headquartered in New York, USA. Warburg Pincus’ portfolio companies are active in a variety of sectors, including consumer, energy, financial services, healthcare, industrial and business services and technology, media and telecommunications. In Australia, Warburg Pincus’ portfolio companies are primarily active in software and financial sectors.

Clearwater Analytics is a software-as-a-service company, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, USA, that provides automated, cloud-based software solutions for investors to manage investment data. Clearwater Analytics provides accounting and reporting, data, advanced analytics, risk and performance and portfolio and order management capabilities for a range of investor types across both public and private markets.

Clearwater Analytics’ platform services the following clients: asset managers, banks, corporates, energy (e.g., commodity trading), hedge funds, insurance companies, pensions and endowments, and the public sector (i.e., government entities managing public funds).

The Acquisition concerns the proposed acquisition of joint control over Clearwater Analytics by funds managed and advised by subsidiaries or affiliates of Permira and Warburg Pincus by way of purchase of shares.

Enverus, Inc. (Enverus), a Texas corporation, proposes to acquire 100% of the issued share capital of SBS Optionco, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and SBS Blocker, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (collectively, with each of their direct and indirect subsidiaries, Spatial Business Systems).

Enverus is a global Software-as-a-Service and data provider to the energy industry. Founded in 1999, and headquartered in Austin, Texas, Enverus offers a platform that integrates analytics, supply chain management, and commercial intelligence tools for oil and gas, power, utilities and renewable energy customers. Enverus is controlled by funds advised and/or managed by affiliates of Blackstone, Inc.

Spatial Business Systems is a global business headquartered in Littleton, Colorado in the United States. Spatial Business Systems supplies design software for utilities and critical network infrastructure assets to customers across electric and gas utilities, engineering and construction firms and broadband infrastructure operators. Spatial Business Systems’ software solutions are designed to automate and streamline engineering and design workflows, integrate spatial and design data and improve design effectiveness. 

In Australia, Spatial Business Systems provides distribution design and substation services to customers.

BGIS Pty Ltd (BGIS) proposes to acquire 100% of the issued shares in the Ascot Air Facilities Pty Ltd (Ascot Air) from its shareholders (the Acquisition).

BGIS is a national provider of integrated facilities management services and supplies heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) services largely as part of broader facilities management arrangements for portfolio customers, either through internal service capability or specialist subcontractors.

Ascot Air is a provider of commercial HVAC and mechanical services, supplying commercial HVAC design and construction, chilled water systems, refrigeration, ventilation ductwork, pipework and mechanical services, computer room air conditioning systems, building management systems and controls, drafting and design support and commissioning services.

Ascot Air provides services across South East Queensland, including Brisbane, Ipswich, Logan, Redland, Moreton Bay and the Gold Coast.

Argo Bowen 2 Pty Ltd (Argo Bowen 2) proposes to acquire 100% of the shares in Bowen Coking Coal Limited (ASX:BCB) (BCC) and certain wholly owned subsidiaries (together, the Bowen Group) pursuant to a Deed of Company Arrangement Proposal dated 9 February 2026 (the Acquisition).

BCC is a company that focuses on the development, production and sale of metallurgical and thermal coal.

BCC appointed voluntary administrators on 30 July 2025.

BCC is the indirect majority investor in the Burton-Lenton Joint Venture, which, relevant to the Acquisition, owns:

• the Burton Mining Complex (also known as the New Burton Mine), which owns the Ellensfield South Mine and Plumtree North Mine;

• the Broadmeadow East Mine (a satellite pit);

• a coal handling and processing plant and associated facilities including a train loadout facility, rail loop and haul road.

The Bowen Group also owns the Bluff Mine, which is excluded from the Acquisition. 

The Bowen Group also holds mining licences, exploration tenements and interests in deposits and potential development projects that are undeveloped and in pre-feasibility or exploration stages in the Bowen Basin.

Argo Bowen 2 Pty Ltd is a subsidiary of Argo Bowen Pty Ltd. Argo Bowen Pty Ltd is currently wholly owned by Argo Holdings QLD Pty Ltd. 

Another subsidiary of Argo Holdings QLD Pty Ltd has entered into a contract to acquire a 70% interest in Fitzroy (CQ) Pty Ltd (the Fitzroy Group), which owns and operates three mines in the Bowen Basin region: Carborough Downs, Ironbark No. 1 mine and Broadlea open cut mine. The Fitzroy Group principally produces metallurgical coal.

Argo Holdings QLD Pty Ltd is owned by Mercuria Argo Investments Pty Limited (Mercuria) and Eclipse Mining 2 Pty Ltd (Eclipse). 

Mercuria is a subsidiary of Mercuria Energy Group Limited, an energy and commodity trading group, specialising in physical commodities, investing in strategic assets, providing financing and logistics services.

Eclipse is a subsidiary of Talisman Partners Pty Ltd. Talisman Partners, through another subsidiary, Eclipse Mining Pty Ltd, provides mine contracting and operations support which focuses on building and operating mines on behalf of mine owners. 

Honda Motor Co., Ltd (Honda) proposes to acquire an additional 21% of issued shares in Astemo, Ltd (Astemo) from Hitachi, Ltd. (Hitachi) (the Acquisition). On 16 December 2025, Honda and Hitachi entered into a share purchase agreement for this purpose.

Astemo was a company integrated and merged as a jointly owned company by Honda and Hitachi. Now, Honda, Hitachi and JIC Capital, Ltd (JICC) hold 40%, 40% and 20% of issued shares in Astemo respectively. The Acquisition will result in:

• changes to shareholding in Astemo to 61% for Honda and 19% for Hitachi, with JICC remaining at 20%; and

• the control of Astemo shifting from joint control by Honda and Hitachi, to sole control by Honda.

Honda is a Japanese automotive company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange. Honda is active in the production and supply of automotives, motorcycles, marine engines and a range of power products. It also has operations in robotics and aviation.

In Australia, Honda supplies passenger cars, motorcycles, marine engines and power equipment including generators and lawn equipment and engines.

Astemo is a Japanese automotive parts manufacturer headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Astemo is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales, and service of automotive parts as well as transportation and industrial machinery and systems. Astemo’s products include:

• technologies for software-defined vehicles and autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems

• parts for powertrain, chassis and motorcycle systems

• certain components for power products and industrial equipment.

In Australia, Astemo supplies the parts for brake, suspension and steering as replacement parts. These are manufactured outside Australia.

On 27 February 2026, Rocket Purchaser, L.L.C. (an affiliate of various funds advised and/or managed by affiliates of Blackstone, Inc. (Blackstone)) entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to acquire all the issued shares in Advanced Cooling Technologies, Inc. (ACT).

ACT is a US-based engineering and manufacturing company specialising in advanced thermal management and cooling solutions for a range of industries. ACT provides passive and active heat transfer technologies, including heat pipes, two-phase and pumped liquid cooling loops, thermal storage devices, and custom engineered systems for applications in aerospace, defence, spacecraft, electronics, data centres, HVAC, medical devices, energy recovery and industrial markets. 

Blackstone is a US-based investment management firm, incorporated under the laws of Delaware, United States. 

Victorian Funds Management Corporation (VFMC), as investment manager of several investment vehicles (VFMC Clients), proposes for the VFMC Clients to subscribe to units in two stapled trusts of which CorVal Partners Limited acts as trustee, comprising RF CorVal MHE Land Trust (Land Trust) and RF CorVal MHE Operator Trust (Operator Trust) (together, MHE Fund). 

MHE Fund is a stapled structure pursuant to which the Land Trust holds properties and leases them to the Operator Trust. MHE Fund’s downstream co-venture, also comprised of a stapled land trust and operator trust, develops and manages residential property. 

The VFMC Clients involved in the acquisition are the Emergency Services Superannuation Board (as trustee for Emergency Services Superannuation Scheme), the Transport Accident Commission, the Victorian Managed Insurance Authority, the Victorian WorkCover Authority, and the VFMC Investment Fund (of which VFMC is the trustee).

Following completion of the transaction, State Street Australia Ltd, acting as custodian for each of the VFMC Clients, will hold minority interests in the relevant MHE Fund entities. 

McDonald’s Australia Limited (McDonald’s Australia) owns 1,076 McDonald’s restaurants around Australia. It generally operates around 15% of these restaurants (Corporate Restaurants) and licenses the right to operate and occupy the remainder (Franchised Restaurants). Both the Corporate Restaurants and Franchised Restaurants supply McDonald’s branded fast-food products through dine in, takeaway, drive through and/or digital ordering channels.

On 2 September 2025, McDonald’s Australia, Lvant Mecca Pty Limited (Franchisee) and Nicole Carmichael (Guarantor) entered into franchise agreements or licences (Franchise Agreement) and occupation licences, leases or subleases (Occupation Agreement) in respect of the Bankstown Centro F/C, Yagoona and Bankstown McDonald’s restaurants (Target Restaurants). These agreements granted the Franchisee the right to occupy and operate the Target Restaurants.

McDonald’s Australia, the Franchisee and the Guarantor propose to enter a Deed of Surrender, Release and Asset Purchase in respect of the Target Restaurants (Buyback Agreement). Pursuant to this Buyback Agreement, the Franchisee will surrender the Franchise Agreement and Occupation Agreement to McDonald’s Australia and sell the property used in the Target Restaurants to McDonald’s Australia (Acquisition).