The legal professionals for one of many mining entities embroiled in a authorized stoush with Australia’s richest lady has introduced “significant evidence” earlier than Western Australia’s Supreme Court.
Tuesday was the second day of months of hearings to be held as Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd and govt chairman Gina Rinehart fend off royalty claims from rival mining outfits, the estates of now-dead Hancock business companions, and a few of Ms Rinehart’s personal youngsters.
Shortly earlier than the lunch break on Tuesday, lawyer for Wright Prospecting Julie Taylor SC tabled a letter to the court docket as a part of her opening submissions, which began with the civil trial’s graduation on Monday.
The letter was written by Hancock founder Lang Hancock to his daughter Gina Rinehart in early 1986. Mrs Rinehart on the time held a senior place with Hancock Prospecting.
The letter outlines the division of belongings between Hancock and Wright Prospecting, noting Hancock was to retain Hope Downs 4, 5, and 6 – the three iron ore tenements referred to on the time as “East Angeles.”
“Lang and Mrs Rinehart knew and understood that those areas were held jointly for the partnership,” Ms Taylor informed the court docket.
“[Ms Hancock] was only entitled, at most, to a half interest in them.
“This is important to demonstrate Lang’s understanding of the partnership and, most importantly, that Mrs Rinehart has known since 1986 that the assets are held jointly by the partnership.”
Earlier, it was revealed Mr Hancock, a staunch Liberal Party supporter, hoped for a Labor win in Western Australia to assist additional his iron ore mining operations.
The court docket heard correspondence between Mr Hancock and notorious former premier Brian Burke shortly after Mr Burke’s 1983 election win.
The events are preventing over the break up of royalties from six iron ore mining tenements in WA’s Pilbara area, collectively often called Hope Downs, as a slew of legal professionals attempt to show the existence of tenuous agreements made with Lang Hancock within the Nineteen Seventies and ’80s.
Ms Taylor introduced Justice Jennifer Smith with letters between Mr Hancock, his business accomplice Peter Wright after which WA premiers and mining ministers.
Despite being a notable Liberal Party supporter, Mr Hancock needed to see a change in state authorities within the early Eighties as a result of he felt a Labor authorities could be extra sympathetic by way of mining approvals, paperwork learn aloud in court docket confirmed.
“We feel your government and Hanwright have a common goal,” Mr Lang wrote to Mr Burke in January 1983, one month earlier than Labor’s state election win over Liberal incumbent Ray O’Connor.
Ms Taylor argued that by referring to “Hanwright”, a portmanteau of Hancock and Wright Prospecting, the 2 corporations had been working in partnership.
Some of the Hope Downs tenements had been taken again by the state authorities, solely to be purchased again by Mr Hancock in 1989.
The ongoing civil matter revolves across the royalties from iron ore operations at Hope Downs, with legal professionals for Wright arguing agreements with Hancock Prospecting imply the royalties needs to be break up evenly.
Also making an attempt to stake a declare is DFD Rhodes, one other prospecting firm who claims their founder Don Rhodes was promised 1.25 per cent of the royalty share by Mr Hancock.
And complicating the matter are the eldest youngsters of Ms Rinehart, John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, who’re persevering with a bitter dispute with their mom for management of the Hancock household belief, which income off Hope Downs operations.
Angela Bennett, the billionaire daughter of Peter Wright, can be being represented however, like Ms Rinehart, is unlikely to seem in particular person through the proceedings, that are anticipated to run to November on the earliest.
The youngsters of Ms Bennett’s late brother Michael, Leonie Baldock and Alexandra Burt, are additionally represented within the case.
Mr Wright died in 1985, and Mr Hancock died in 1992.
Mr Burke turned a controversial determine in WA politics after a royal fee was held right into a sequence of public-private partnerships from Mr Burke’s time as premier, the dealings finally shedding about $600m in public funds.
Mr Burke resigned as premier in 1987, with the WA Inc. scandal coming to gentle through the 1991 royal fee.
In 1994, he was discovered responsible of 4 counts of fraud and spent seven months in jail earlier than being launched on parole.
Ms Rinehart is Australia’s richest lady, with an estimated web price of about $34bn.
The Hope Downs tenements, that are half-owned by Rio Tinto, herald hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in mining royalties yearly.
The trial continues.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
