Sydney, Nov 24, 2006 (ABN Newswire) - The Australasian Investor Relations Association last night announced this years winners at the Investor Relations Gala Event from the Westin Hotel in Sydney.

The winners are:

# Best Company IR ASX50
1 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
2 BHP Billiton Limited
3 Promina Group Limited

# Best IRO ASX50
1 Stephen Higgins Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
2 Warwick Bryan Commonwealth Bank of Australia
3 Luke Oxenham Promina Group Limited

# Best Company IR MidCap50
1 Oxiana Limited
2 Zinifex Limited
3 Challenger Financial Services Group Limited

# Best IRO MidCap50
1 Richard Hedstrom Oxiana Limited
2 Delphine Cassidy AWB Limited
3 Martin McFarlane Zinifex Limited

# Best Company IR MidCap100 (Description to designate 101-200)
1 David Jones Limited
2 United Group Limited
3 Australian Worldwide Exploration Ltd

# Best IRO MidCap100
1 Bruce Loveday Smorgon Steel Group Ltd
2 Helen Karlis David Jones Limited
3 Katherine Cooper Pacific Brands Limited

# Best Company IR Outside200
1 Wotif.com Holdings Limited
2 Ventracor Limited
3 Australian Agricultural Company Limited

# Overall Best Company IR within ASX200
1 Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
2 Oxiana Limited
3 Commonwealth Bank of Australia

# Best IRO By Peer Vote
1 Warwick Bryan Commonwealth Bank of Australia
2 Stephen Higgins Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
3 John Knowles BlueScope Steel Limited

# Best Company IR - New Zealand
1 Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd
2 Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited
3 Infratil Limited

# Best IRO - New Zealand
1 Mark Flesher Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd
2 Abhy Maharaj Air New Zealand Ltd
3 Sarah Baddeley Contact Energy Ltd

# Best International IR by an Australasian Company
1 Telecom Corporation of New Zealand Ltd
2 Commonwealth Bank of Australia
3 BHP Billiton Limited

VOTES CAST
Brokers 154
Fund Managers 75
Financial Media 8
TOTALS 237

>>> AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND BANKING GROUP LIMITED
>>> COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA.
>>> DAVID JONES LIMITED
>>> OXIANA LIMITED
>>> SMORGON STEEL GROUP LIMITED.
>>> TELECOM CORPORATION OF NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
>>> TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED.
>>> AUSTRALASIAN INVESTOR RELATIONS ASSOCIATION