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Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has forked out millions of dollars for a block of townhouses in a beachside Perth suburb, naming them after former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith.
Rinehart’s subsidiary bought the 1960s Scarborough block, comprising one villa and two townhouses, for $8.75 million in May this year, and a sign has since gone up on the building’s facade naming it “Ben Roberts-Smith Beach Houses”.
Hancock Prospecting bought the block under its entity Valley Investments, which is a subsidiary of the company.
The property sits a few hundred metres back from the Scarborough entertainment precinct and beachfront.
In April this year, Hancock Prospecting committed to contributing $200 million in private funding towards buying properties to house more veterans, and Rinehart has previously bought accommodation south of Perth for a similar purpose.
“I was shocked to learn recently that more than 6000 veterans are homeless. This is unacceptable. I hope that others will also actively and generously help to lessen this tragedy,” Rinehart said.
Rinehart has been steadfast in her support of accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith, who has been charged with five counts of war crime murder after a prolonged investigation into his work with the Australian Army by the Australian Federal Police and the Office of the Special Investigator.
At the time of his arrest, she criticised the resources that had gone in to securing Roberts-Smith’s charge sheet.
“I don’t understand how it can be justified to spend more than $300 million to try for years to bring SAS veterans, who have served our country, towards criminal proceedings, and most recently the arrest of Ben,” she said.
“As the recently passed, Brigadier George Mansford succinctly stated, ‘The oath to serve your country did not include a contract for the normal luxuries and comforts enjoyed within our society. On the contrary, it implied hardship, loyalty and devotion to duty’.
“Have we lost sight of the fact that in our inadequately defended country, facing uncertain times, the morale of our defence force has already been brought to its lowest ebb since inception, our defence personnel numbers are inadequate, and recruitment is suffering.
“Like many Australians, I hope that compassion and the Aussie spirit is extended to Ben and his family and his duty to our country in the hardship of war is never forgotten.”
Rinehart’s latest move comes after a bizarre showing by the billionaire at the National Bush Summit, which is run by News Corp Australia, where Rinehart asked audience members to mimic a bulldozer as she handed over a toy-sized replica of the machinery to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.
