On 18 June, Australian billionaire and mining magnate Gina Rinehart proposed a contentious plan that would provide free land to Israelis and American trillionaire Elon Musk to attract investment to northern Queensland, in a controversial speech delivered at News Corp’s bush summit in Townsville.

The islands marked for the plan included Magnetic, Rattlesnake, Acheron, Palm, Orpheus and Pelorus Islands.

After being introduced to the summit by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, Rinehart referenced the area’s historical role as a naval and air base during World War II.

She suggested free land at “sparsely or non-populated islands” would be given to Elon Musk, for SpaceX satellite construction and launches.

“Add water and the infrastructure Elon needs. He needs land to expand, and an alternate weather place in an allied country for his multiple satellite launches,” she told the summit.

Earlier that week, Rinehart made a large $1.4 billion investment in Musk’s SpaceX company.

She added the land could also be provided to Israel’s “skilled people” and their “immediate families” to develop war drones and other military weapons which would be sold to Australia.

“Wouldn’t this be fantastic for Australian university student graduates, to be able to have the opportunity to learn near Townsville with world-leading proponents and facilities, instead of having to leave their families and go overseas?” She said, defending her proposal.

But who exactly is Gina Rinehart, and how much influence do her proposals have on Australia’s policy decisions?

Rinehart is Australia’s richest person with a net worth of $35.7 billion AUD, according to Forbes. She rebuilt her late father’s distressed company, Hancock Prospecting, becoming its executive chairwoman in 1992.

Rinehart has made significant investments into Australia’s booming rare earth industry, as well as the gas sector, earning her wealth in a similar manner to other Australian billionaires like Clive Palmer.

She has also become a close friend of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who has said she considers Rinehart an unofficial policy adviser to her. Since the 2025 federal election, Hanson’s party has skyrocketed in the polls, becoming the leading conservative force in Australian politics.

“My policy on pensioners being able to work unlimited hours and without losing their pension or healthcare card came from Mrs Rinehart. And I think that’s great. I listen to anyone who brings good policy to me,” Hanson told ABC Radio in Perth in June.

"I consider her a friend and I'm very … grateful for her support. She's an Australian identity, she's one of the highest taxpayers in the country," she continued.

Found pictured dining together with Hanson in Thailand in early 2025, Rinehart has been signalling her shift in support away from the failing Liberal Party, which has dominated the right of Australian politics until its catastrophic defeat in the 2025 election.

Rinehart has been joined in her support for One Nation by corporate executive Adam Giles, one of her closest allies. Giles revealed that he was now backing One Nation and “was encouraging my friends to be donating all they can”.

After seeking to minimise the extent of Rinehart’s support in a heated press conference in February, Hanson has begun to gloat about her friendship in a post on X.

The Guardian has revealed many instances which reveal the depths of Hanson and Rinehart’s flourishing friendship.

Hanson and other politicians, including high-profile One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, have flown multiple times in Rinehart’s private jet.

The publication also found that multiple of the gifted flights were in breach of  Senate rules, which require sitting Senators to declare gifts worth more than $300 within 35 days.

Later, Hanson was given her own private plane which is worth more than $1.5 million.

During an event hosted in December, Rinehart convinced three former Liberal donors to switch their support to One Nation.

When the Guardian contacted Hancock Prospecting asking if the company or Rinehart had made any financial contributions towards the donations, the company declined to answer.

“This is a purchase of a political party in Australia and it is done in a way to absolutely dominate and influence a party” said Anthony Whealy, Chair of the Centre for Public Integrity.

Whealy said that Rinehart’s bankrolling of One Nation exposes the “state of absolute chaos” within Australia’s electoral laws.

“The net result has been that very wealthy companies and people have been able to donate large sums of money to get access, and once they get access they use that to get influence,” Whealy added.

Meanwhile, Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who has been a vocal critic of Rinehart, has stated that Hanson is a “wholly owned subsidiary of Gina Rinehart”, warning of the billionaire's “agenda”.

“She’s flagged things like getting rid of the minimum wage and all of these sorts of things, and I think pretty frequently we see One Nation dance to Gina Rinehart’s tune.”

Image source: Chloe Chomicki / ABC North Qld