Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart has addressed a summit where she urged economic gains from ...View MoreAustralia's richest person Gina Rinehart has addressed a summit where she urged economic gains from regional areas be returned to communities and net zero ambitions abandoned for farmers.
At the same time on Monday, a court heard the mining magnate devised an 'egregious' scheme
to defraud her children, of billions of dollars in iron ore riches.
During Mrs Rinehart's keynote speech at the Bush Summit event in Perth,
she said a commitment from government to channel funds
back to the regions could see medical facilities and infrastructure upgraded.
'Frankly, we should have the best equipped and most luxurious hospitals
in Newman, Tom Price Dampier, Cape Lambert, Port Hedland and other mining towns thanks to the
revenue we create in the Pilbara, and similarly, in other mining areas,' she said.
'Ditto, see 24 hour, 365 days a year airstrips so the better
equipped and fastest Royal Flying Doctor planes can always arrive.
Australia's richest person Gina Rinehart has addressed a summit where she urged economic gains from regional areas be returned to communities and net zero ambitions abandoned for farmers
At the same time on Monday, a court heard the mining magnate devised an 'egregious' scheme to defraud her children (Bianca Rinehart is pictured), of billions of dollars in iron ore
riches
'Us and our people in the outback would then be more safe.'
Mrs Rinehart advocated for special economic zones to be created, along with tax cuts for those working in northern Australia.
She said limits on work hours for pensioners and veterans before government payments are cut off should also be removed, in order for more jobs to
be filled in regional areas.
'Just imagine the smiles when we can finally fill those jobs in the bush and see hospitals and health centre hours and effectiveness improved.
'If we could cut some of the paperwork and
the regulations here, we would find a lot of Aussies who would actually like to work very much as well, they're just restricted by
government.'
Mrs Rinehart said the mining industry would be able to afford the transition to net zero but other sectors, including agriculture would
face a tougher time meeting requirements.
She called on the federal government to meet the costs involved or waive it altogether.
'They want to implement the net zero.
'Otherwise, most farmers and others in agriculture, you know, be it the
orchardists and others, cannot afford net zero.'
Farmers would have to leave the industry and Aussies would see huge price increases for food, along with fresh food shortages,
Mrs Rinehart warned.
She also reiterated support for nuclear energy to be implemented in the country.
'Let's not upset many farmers with bird killing wind generators and massive solar panel stretches and bring on clean safe nuclear energy.'
Meanwhile, a bitter legal battle over her fortune played out across town.
Bianca Rinehart is battling her mother for billions of dollars in mining royalties in the WA Supreme Court
The WA Supreme Court heard the reclusive billionaire also allegedly tried to have her father Lang Hancock's
wife Rose Porteous deported, and racially abused her amid fears she would inherit shares in Hancock Prospecting.
A lawyer for Mrs Rinehart's children, Christopher Withers SC, said there was clear evidence
mining licences were unlawfully transferred to the company and a subsidiary against her father's wishes after
he died in 1992.
'We don't use the word fraud lightly,' he told the Supreme Court trial on Monday.
Mr Withers accused Mrs Rinehart of devising a multi-step
scheme to move Hope Downs and East Angeles tenements, including the 'Roy Hill diversion', to avoid
accruing capital gains tax or stamp duty liability.
'We say the evidence that fraud was perpetuated by Gina on her children is overwhelming,' he said, referring to a long-running family feud that is also in arbitration in the Federal Court.
He said Lang Hancock wanted his grandchildren to benefit from the assets via
trusts, including John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, who made an unexpected appearance at court.
Under a 1988 agreement penned by Lang Hancock, his
grandchildren were to be the principal benefactors of his efforts to develop
an iron ore mine at Hope Downs and 49 per cent shareholders
in Hancock Prospecting.
'Lang was simply not prepared to give Gina everything she wanted,
which was everything,' Mr Withers said.
Mr Withers said Mrs Rinehart 'deliberately destroyed' the arrangement after Lang Hancock
died through a series of transactions that increased her shareholding at the expense of her children.
'The events after Lang died constitute an egregious fraud orchestrated by Gina and carried out by people who did
whatever Gina wanted without questioning,' he said.
He said the actions were 'covered up' with a 'false narrative to her children and
the public generally that (Hancock Prospecting's) and her personal success was simply a product of hard work
rather than dishonesty'.
'The truth is Lang discovered the mining areas in the
Pilbara. He was the driving force behind the decision to start a mine,' he said.
The court also heard about the multiple disputes Mrs Rinehart allegedly had with her father in the 1980s, including after
he married his housekeeper Rose Porteous and she allegedly contacted the immigration department in a bid to have her stepmother
deported to the Philippines
Mr Withers said Mrs Rinehart lied to her children about her actions and threatened John Hancock
and his lawyers when they attempted to investigate the matter.
The court also heard about the multiple disputes Mrs Rinehart allegedly had with her father in the 1980s, including
after he married his housekeeper Rose Porteous and
she allegedly contacted the immigration department in a bid to have
her stepmother deported to the Philippines.
'(Lang Hancock) removed her as a director of (Hancock Prospecting) because she was saying very unfortunate
things ... for example calling (Mrs Porteous) an oriental concubine,'
Mr Withers said.
'She (also) repeatedly called Rose a prostitute.'
Mrs Rinehart also allegedly had a 'major rift' with her father after she took her mother's
will to the US to hold up probate amid fears her father would leave Mrs Porteous
mining assets in his will.
The claims were made in a high-stakes legal stoush in Perth in which
Mrs Rinehart's company and her children are defending the claims of Wright Prospecting and DFD Rhodes,
with Bianca Rinehart in court on Monday listening to her barrister.
Wright Prospecting is suing for a share of some Hope Downs tenements and royalties amid
a claim that it never relinquished the assets and Hancock Prospecting has breached a
series of partnership agreements.
The family company of the late prospector Don Rhodes, DFD Rhodes, says it is entitled to 1.25 per cent royalty share of the Hope Downs production following 1960s deal.
Mr Withers made repeated calls for Mrs Rinehart to front the court, saying she is one
of the few people still alive who could provide evidence about
many of the issues raised in the trial.
The Hope Downs mining complex near Newman is one of
Australia's largest and most successful iron ore projects, comprising four open-pit mines.
Perth
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