Mining magnate Gina Rinehart has suggested Queensland should offer some of its islands to trillionaire Elon Musk.
Mrs Rinehart was speaking at the National Bush Summit in Townsville today, a News Corp event also sponsored by her company, Hancock Prospecting.
During her speech at the event, which attracted high-profile public figures including One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and Premier David Crisafulli, the billionaire said North Queensland could become an economic powerhouse.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk is the world’s richest man. (Reuters: Joe Skipper)
“What industries should we try to attract? Well, what about the world’s best microchips?” Mrs Rinehart said.
“What about Elon Musk’s communication satellites?
“What about defence manufacturing to protect our people and critical infrastructure?”
Mr Musk recently became the world’s first trillionaire after SpaceX debuted on the Nasdaq exchange.
Mrs Rinehart told the crowd Mr Musk needed land to expand because “he’s really got a massive program” and needed an “alternate weather place in an allied country”.
“Over at the sparsely or non-populated islands on the screen … where there aren’t high-end tourist facilities, offer to Elon … at no cost for his SpaceX satellite construction and launches,” she said.
In 2022, Mrs Rinehart’s company Hancock Prospecting abandoned its plans to redevelop Woppa-Great Keppel Island.
Gina Rinehart shares the stage with One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. (ABC North Qld: Chloe Chomicki)
‘We need an orange bulldozer’
During the speech, Mrs Rinehart also spoke about how she believed Townsville could become a base for the Israeli military.
“Townsville made important history years ago as a navy base at Townsville, helping defend our country in World War II,” she said.
“That important culture, a very important culture, could flourish again if we also offered free land, be that near Prairie [west of Townsville] if suitable or elsewhere near Townsville, for the Israelis.
“And encourage the Israelis to develop and build their advanced war drones and/or other advances in defence and improve upon their Israeli-style drones.
“Manufacture them here to sell to our country to help make our people and critical infrastructure safe.”
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She finished the speech by having a large bulldozer toy brought to the stage and presented to Senator Hanson.
“You might remember Elon Musk was given a big chainsaw to try and cut government tape and bureaucracies over in America,” Mrs Rinehart said.
“We need an orange bulldozer.”
