Article courtesy of the Land.
AUSTRALIAN mining and agriculture icon Gina Rinehart has again stepped up for rural Australia, this time becoming the patron of rural charity Rural Aid.
Mrs Rinehart said Rural Aid was an organisation that ‘stands with our mates in the bush’ during their hard times.
“And it does get tough in the bush, with floods, fires and severe drought, in addition to the usual dangers of snakes, spiders and in some northern areas, crocodiles too,” she said.
“As patron of Rural Aid, I encourage all Australians to throw their support behind its ongoing efforts in ensuring that our food producers – our farmers- are able to get back on their feet quickly when drought, flood or bushfire hits them.”
Founded during the 2015 drought, Rural Aid has a well earned reputation for its support of farming families before, during and after disasters.
Such has been the enormous scale and impact of disaster events since its inception, Rural Aid has raised and distributed more than $100 million of assistance to families across the country.
The organisation is also very well known for its Buy A Bale campaign.
I encourage all Australians to throw their support behind its ongoing efforts in ensuring that our food producers – our farmers- are able to get back on their feet quickly when drought, flood or bushfire hits them.
– Gina Rinehart
Mrs Rinehart’s family is one of the longest continuing pastoral families in Australia – starting in the Pilbara region of West Australia in the 1860s, and before that on farms closer to Perth.
Today that pastoral connection continues with S Kidman and Co, founded in 1899 and Hancock Agriculture, which breeds full blood Wagyu cattle under its 2GR brand.
Chief executive officer John Warlters said Rural Aid was honoured to have Mrs Rinehart advocating in support of and championing the organisation’s ongoing work.
“Rural Aid enables farming families impacted by disasters receive assistance rapidly wherever they are – be it financial, fodder for livestock, drinking water or a chat with one of Rural Aid’s professionally accredited counsellors,” Mr Warlters said.
Beyond her agricultural interests, Mrs Rinehart is a leading figure in Australia’s Olympic efforts.
She is patron of four of the nation’s Olympic teams and was recently made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her distinguished service to the mining sector, to the community through philanthropic initiatives, and to sport as a patron.
Mrs Rinehart said the mining and agricultural industries were the backbone of Australia.
“They not only provide thousands and thousands of jobs, but they present billions of dollars of taxes for governments to build such things as hospitals, the elderly, emergency services and roads and pay for our much needed police, security and defence forces,” she said.
“Preserving the agricultural and mining industry’s future is in the interests of not only all the businesses that the primary industries support, but every Australian.”
