1. General information

1.4. Property, plant and equipment


Property, plant and equipment is stated at historical cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment losses, except for land (excluding quarries), which is shown at cost less impairment losses. 

Cost includes expenditure that is directly attributable to the acquisition of the items and any environmental rehabilitation costs to the extent that they have been recognised as a provision (refer to note 1.20). Subsequent costs are included in the asset’s carrying amount or recognised as a separate asset, as appropriate, only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the item will flow to the entity and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. The carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognized. All other repairs and maintenance are charged to the income statement as incurred.  Subsequent costs are depreciated over the remaining useful life of the related asset or to the date of the net major subsequent cost whichever is the sooner.

Depreciation, with the exception of quarries, is calculated using the straight-line method to allocate the cost of the assets to their residual values over their estimated useful lives as follows:

Buildings Up to 50 years
Plant and machinery Up to 40 years
Motor vehicles 5 to 20 years
Office equipment furniture and fittings (including computer equipment and software integral to the operation of the hardware) 2 to 10 years
Minor value assets Up to 2 years

 

Land on which quarries are located is depreciated on a depletion basis. This depletion is recorded as the material extraction process advances based on the unit-of-production method. Other land is not depreciated.

The assets’ residual values and useful lives are reviewed, and adjusted if appropriate, at each reporting date.  Where the carrying amount of an asset is greater than its estimated recoverable amount, it is written down immediately to its recoverable amount (refer to note 1.8).

An item of property, plant and equipment and any significant part initially recognised is derecognised upon disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected from its use or disposal. Gains and losses on disposals are determined by comparing proceeds with carrying amount and are included in operating profit.

Interest costs on borrowings specifically used to finance the construction of property, plant and equipment are capitalised during the construction period if recognition criteria are met (refer to note 1.29).

1.5.   Investment property


Investment property is property held for long-term rental yields or for capital appreciation or both and that is not occupied by any of the subsidiaries of the Group. Owner-occupied properties are held for production and administrative purposes. This distinguishes owner-occupied property from investment property.

Investment property is measured initially at cost, including related transaction costs and where applicable borrowing costs (refer to 1.29).

After initial recognition investment property is carried at fair value. Fair value reflects market conditions at the reporting date and is determined internally on an annual basis by management or external valuators. The best evidence of fair value is provided by current prices in an active market for similar property in the same location and condition and subject to the same lease terms and other conditions (comparable transactions). When such identical conditions are not present, the Group takes account of, and makes allowances for, differences from the comparable properties in location, nature and condition of the property or in contractual terms of leases and other contracts relating to the property.

A gain or loss arising from a change in the fair value of investment property is recognized in the period in which it arises in the income statement within “other income” or “other expense” as appropriate.

Subsequent expenditure is capitalised to the asset’s carrying amount only when it is probable that future economic benefits associated with the expenditure will flow to the Group and the cost of the item can be measured reliably. All other repairs and maintenance costs are expensed when incurred. When part of an investment property is replaced, the carrying amount of the replaced part is derecognised.

The fair value of investment property does not reflect future capital expenditure that will improve or enhance the property and does not reflect the related future benefits from this future expenditure other than those a rational market participant would take into account when determining the value of the property.

Investment properties are derecognised when they have been disposed.

Where the Group disposes of a property at fair value in an arm’s length transaction, the carrying value immediately prior to the sale is adjusted to the transaction price, and the adjustment is recorded in the income statement within net gain from fair value adjustment on investment property.

If an investment property becomes owner-occupied, it is reclassified as property, plant and equipment. Its fair value at the date of reclassification becomes its deemed cost for subsequent accounting purposes.

If an item of owner-occupied property becomes an investment property because its use has changed, IAS 16 is applied up to the date of transfer, since investment property is measured at fair value. The property is fair valued at the date of transfer and any revaluation gain or loss, being the difference between fair value and the previous carrying amount, is accounted for as a revaluation surplus or deficit in equity in accordance with IAS 16. Revaluation surplus is recognized directly in equity through other comprehensive income, unless there was an impairment loss recognized for the same property in prior years. In this case, the surplus up to the extent of this impairment loss is recognized in profit or loss and any further increase is recognized directly in equity through other comprehensive income. Any revaluation deficit is recognized in profit or loss.