Introduction
Hancock Prospecting’s Executive Chairman, Hon Dr Gina Rinehart AO, has tonight been announced as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement award at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards night.
The Lifetime Achievement award recognises an individual who has contributed to the mining industry through their entire career. It is the most prestigious individual recognition award within the Australian Mining Prospect Awards and is determined through recommendations made by the judging panel.
The Lifetime Achievement award coincides with Mrs Rinehart’s 30th anniversary as Executive Chairman of Hancock Prospecting this month, so she is especially excited with this recognition. Under her leadership, Hancock Prospecting has gone from being a company facing many difficulties, including financial difficulties, to being the most successful private company in Australian history. And, one of the most successful private mining companies in the world.
“On accepting this award I’d like to pay tribute to everyone in our industry, we are at our core nation building, mining is the backbone of Australia. When mining does well so does Australia” Mrs Rinehart said.
“Our mining sector has delivered for the whole of Australia over many decades, opening up remote and rugged areas such as the Pilbara where I loved growing up. The mining industry provides employment, opportunities, infrastructure and revenue in remote places, where little opportunity existed before.”
Hancock’s majority-owned Roy Hill was also recognised at the Australian Mining Prospect Awards, winning “Hard Rock Mine of the Year and Australian Mine of the Year.”
“Congratulations to Roy Hill for their award tonight and our hardworking staff who work there and across the Hancock Group,” said Mrs Rinehart.
Mrs Gina Rinehart’s speech
Good evening, mining industry colleagues and thank you so very much for this very special Lifetime Achievement award. I do wish I could be in two places, as I would love to be with you all tonight.
We should all be immensely proud of our industry’s contribution to Australia, an industry I have certainly dedicated most of my life to. And I can say for most of my life, because my parents told me dad was on the early morning shift when I was around one year plus old, and my job was to crunch up papers in his Pilbara office when he’d finished with them. My goodness, was I really doing that with government paperwork nearly 70 years ago!
As you can probably tell, I’m over the moon with this lifetime award, thank you.
On accepting this award I’d like to pay tribute to everyone in our industry who continues to achieve for our country, we are at our core nation building, mining is the backbone of Australia. As you’ve probably heard me say, “When mining does well, so does Australia.”
Everywhere you look, from homes, offices, hospitals, vehicles, TVs and mobile phones – there’s very little that doesn’t contain minerals, or need machinery made from minerals to provide, and transport, again, can’t have transport unless by bare feet, without firstly mining minerals.
Is there any real thought going in to how these minerals will be available, to meet the increased minerals required to meet net zero and importantly our allies and our defence needs? Are we eliminating the government tape burden?
Are we acting to deal with nation-wide labour shortages? You may have heard me suggesting we urgently reform pension arrangements to help this shortage, enabling pensioners to work, without the current onerous consequences should they chose to work. Why should they be forced to pay higher effective tax rates than the Prime Minister and I, if they work beyond $480 per fortnight?
I stress, not mandatory work, just if they chose to work, as I believe many would like to do, especially as they face rising fuel costs, inflation, and unless subsidised, rising electricity costs too. Yes, green policies have consequences, as we’re seeing in USA and Germany, and very sadly it’s those who can least afford who will be hurt the most.
You’ve probably heard me too many times say we must reduce the government tape burden, but let me put it another way, borrowing from then-President Ronald Reagan, who told this little story much better than me. A then-USSR citizen was called to the planning office, to be told the good news, that if he paid now, he would be able to obtain a car in 10 years’ time, yep, about the time it took Roy to get through the more than 5,000 government approvals to develop the Roy tax-generating bonanza. The soviet asked, could you tell me please, should I collect the car in the morning or the afternoon. The official from the government planning office was perplexed, I don’t understand, in 10 years’ time, what’s the difference. The soviet replied, in the morning I get to see the plumber!!
I don’t want to see our country suffer from more government planning and tape burdens. Australia’s minerals are largely in the north, far from city amenities, isn’t it time to bring in a special economic zone like the more than 7,000 special economic zones operating very successfully around the world, including in countries that compete with us, and others who may not always be our friends. These overseas special economic zones all operate on less tax and less government tape, we need to have similar across our north, just what we should be doing to kickstart Australia after covid. But under this current government, we now have more tape than when we had under a socialist PM, Whitlam!
Our mining sector has delivered for the whole of Australia over many decades, opening up remote and rugged areas such as the Pilbara where I loved growing up. The mining industry provides employment, opportunities, infrastructure and revenue in remote places, where little opportunities existed before.
Let’s celebrate that mining contributes more to our nation than any other industry. It’s important we remember that and be proud to work in and stick up for our industry. National Mining and Related Industries Day is again coming up November 22, and we are celebrating our day and into the night in the Whitsundays. Please put in your calendars and join us.
If I may, I’d like to add warm congratulations to Roy Hill for their award tonight and to all the ecstatic award winners. Could you please join me in a rock rousing applause for everyone in our outstanding industry, and tonight’s delighted award winners.
Thank you again to the Australian Mining Prospect Awards for Roy’s and my treasured awards and again, from this very happy Aussie lady, hope you have a wonderful evening.
