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Rinehart’s huge cattle operation S Kidman & Co has confirmed it is moving its head office to Queensland as part of a greater focus on the Sunshine State. The company declined to give details of where or when the office would be relocated, but sources said it was likely to be in Brisbane or on the Darling Downs. Founded by Sir Sidney Kidman in 1899, S. Kidman & Co is one of the Australia’s largest beef producers, with a herd carrying capacity of 171,000 cattle. Sir Sidney was a friend and business partner of James Nicholas, Rinehart’s maternal grandfather.

Looking at the papers now and in The Courier-Mail, Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, is taking a bigger slice of Queensland. Rinehart’s cattle operation S. Kidman and Co has confirmed it’s moving its head office to Queensland as part of a greater focus on the Sunshine State.

“Beauty is an iron mine,” once remarked the Australian mining magnate Gina Rinehart. She was talking about a precious resource, but iron is also profoundly important to living organisms – from bacteria and fungi, to mammals like us. Iron acts as a key to numerous metabolic functions within our bodies. But iron deficiency remains as one of the top global health risks recognised by the World Health Organisation. Iron deficiency has become the most prevalent micronutrient disorder worldwide, and COVID-19 may be worsening the problem.

“We’ve always set out to achieve excellence, and this award is evidence that, as a small business, we’re well on our way to achieving that.” Ms Rinehart says she shares her partners’ excitement about taking out “this
wonderful award” and looks forward to seeing the company continue to thrive. “It’s very exciting to hear of the win for our fresh milk in the prestigious 2022 AGDA People’s Choice Award – a most deserved recognition for the efforts of the hard-working team and a great reward for their commitment and dedication to taking care of everything, from the paddock through to deliveries, and particularly in these challenging times since early 2020,” she says. “I’m very proud of Bannister Downs winning this best in Australia accolade.”

Australia has half a million jobs up for grabs but is finding it near impossible to fill most of them. The Prime Minister’s $5.4b plan to make child care cheaper for families also forms a central part of his strategy to address the skills shortage. But Mr Albanese is also facing calls to encourage pensioners to return to the workforce. New Liberal leader Peter Dutton has pressed the Albanese Government to allow pensioners to earn more money without seeing their pensions being cut back — borrowing an idea championed by WA mining magnate Gina Rinehart and rejected by the Coalition. Currently pensioners can earn $300 a fortnight before their pension payments are reduced, but Mr Dutton wants the income threshold to be increased to $600.

1 July, 2022.

2022

Peter Dutton is in Perth for the second time in less than a fortnight , this time to spruik his calls for the Albanese Government to let pensioners earn more money without their pensions being cut back. WA mining magnate Gina Rinehart championed a similar policy before the Federal election as a way to help solve Australia’s worker shortage, but the idea was never adopted by former prime minister Scott Morrison.