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The nation’s richest person, Gina Rinehart – at last count worth $36bn – was one of 25 Australians to become an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), in Mrs Rinehart’s case for distinguished service to the mining sector and for her philanthropy. The 67-year-old iron ore billionaire was recognised for her support of causes such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service and her patronage of sports, including swimming and volleyball.

Governor-General David Hurley congratulated the winners. “Collectively the recipients, whose achievements span community service, science and research, industry, sport, the arts and more, represent the strength and diversity of Australia,” he said. “It has been a challenging couple of years and the recipients announced are a reminder and reflection of the richness of spirit, selflessness and good in our community.”

Mrs Rinehart, who oversees the Hancock Prospecting mining empire that helped deliver a fortune estimated at $31 billion last year, and extensive cattle and pastoral interests, has been made an officer (AO) of the Order of Australia. After sponsors withdrew support for Swimming Australia in response to its poor showing at the London 2012 Olympics, Mrs Rinehart stepped up her funding. “This allowed many athletes myself included to see that there was a future career in swimming for us,” Ms Campbell said.

Ms Rinehart was made an officer in the general division of the Order of Australia. The mining magnate was recognised for distinguished service to the mining sector, to the community through philanthropic initiatives, and to sport as a patron. Governor-General David Hurley welcomed the new additions to the honours list. “It has been a challenging couple of years and the recipients announced today are a reminder and reflection of the richness of spirit, selflessness and good in our community,” he said.

The mining magnate is one of just 25 people in the country to be appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the general division. According to her citation, she has been recognised for “distinguished service to the mining sector, to the community through philanthropic initiatives and to sport as a patron”.

Wishing you a safe and happy Australia Day 2022.

Rinehart’s interests, largely driven by Roy Hill and her other iron ore investments delivered Hancock Prospecting a monster $7.3 billion profit in FY21 after iron ore prices scaled record highs. Mulga Downs is the latest in a string of mid-tier Pilbara iron ore proposals to emerge or reemerge in recent times, which notably include expansions at Hancock’s own Atlas Iron, the APIJV and MinRes’ (ASX:MIN) 30Mtpa Ashburton hub in the West Pilbara.

GINA Rinehart is set to add a new Pilbara iron ore mine to the portfolio of Hancock Prospecting, the first stand-alone iron ore operation to be built solely by the family mining company.

Mining magnate Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has filed for environmental approval for a 20 million tonne per annum (mtpa) iron ore mine on her family’s Mulga Downs station in the Pilbara. The proposed area is located within an area of existing pastoral and mining land use with transport of the ore proposed via the Great Northern Highway to Port Hedland for export. According to the proposal filed with the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), facilities will be developed to support production of up to 20 million tonnes of ore per annum (Mtpa) over a
minimum 30-year period.

Miners could face the end of two years of prosperity where they remained almost untouched by COVID-19 within Premier Mark McGowan’s fortress WA when the state opens up in three weeks. Curtin University infectious disease expert Archie Clements likened WA’s isolated mining fly-in fly-out camps to islands that were “very vulnerable places during pandemics.” “They are good at keeping infection out, but if the infection gets in it tends to sweep through the entire population and incapacitate them,” he said.