Gina Rinehart has hit back at the Sydney Morning Herald’s coverage of her $5 million donation to a children’s hospital centre bearing her name.
The Hancock Prospecting boss donated $5 million towards the Rinehart Kookaburra Centre at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
The centre will provide coordinated care for almost 10,000 children across NSW living with chronic and complex medical conditions.
But the Sydney Morning Herald’s CBD column seemed to take issue with the fact that Ms Rinehart’s donation automatically triggered naming rights.
The column suggested the $5 million donation “came with strings attached” before citing one unnamed doctor who said: “There has been consternation amongst the senior staff about Rinehart’s name.”
But Hancock Prospecting hit back at the publication’s framing of the issue and said children’s health should not be politicised.
“Medical professionals should not politicise children’s health. If there is one issue that could be considered above politics, it is children’s health,” the spokesperson said.
“If any of these critics would like to match Mrs Rinehart’s $5 million, we’re sure the Foundation would welcome it. So would we.
“Recognising major donors is long-standing practice across Australian healthcare, from the Forrest Minderoo Centre at Randwick – which the SMH was happy to report on this year with nothing but praise – to the Lowy Cancer Research Centre and the Fox, Gandel, and Murdoch medical centres in Melbourne.”
The donation was made as part of the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation’s 2023 Gold Dinner, which raised $19.2 million for the centre.
The foundation said donations of $5 million or more were eligible for naming opportunities as part of its fundraising for the redevelopment of Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
All naming arrangements were subject to formal governance and approval processes, the foundation said.
Hancock Prospecting defended the multi-million-dollar donation and said the medical centre “would not have been possible” without Ms Rinehart’s support.
“This facility is desperately needed as the number of children requiring care for chronic and complex medical conditions has risen from around 6,500 to almost 10,000 in just two years – growth of more than 50 per cent,” the spokesperson said.
“Mrs Rinehart’s $5 million donation to the Kookaburra Centre is in addition to decades-long generous support for a range of medical causes.”
The Hancock Prospecting boss has donated to rural and regional healthcare in remote areas of Western Australia as well as tens of millions of dollars to the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Ms Rinehart has also invested in patient suites in Perth and Brisbane as well as providing care packages to hospital patients through her company.
“Hancock Prospecting is also one of the largest private corporate taxpayers in the country, having paid around $2.6 billion in FY2025 alone, and nearly $23 billion over the past decade,” the spokesperson said.
“These taxes also contribute significantly to healthcare services, nurses, doctors, aged care and more right across the country.”
The Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation said it was “particularly grateful” to Ms Rinehart for her contribution, describing the gift as a landmark donation that had helped bring the Australian-first service to life.
The new Rinehart Kookaburra Centre will bring specialist teams together in one location to coordinate treatment.
It aims to reduce unnecessary hospital visits, repeated tests and the amount of time children spend in hospital.
It also includes dedicated spaces for families, while virtual-care technology allows children and families to connect with clinicians and support services beyond Westmead.
The foundation said the centre was already supporting children and young people, with activity being introduced progressively as clinical teams move into the new model.
The centre is expected to support children and families across NSW with complex medical needs, with the foundation describing the model as focused on both the child and their carers.
Ms Rinehart’s support for One Nation has come under scrutiny in recent days, with One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce defending her backing of the party.
It came after it was revealed Ms Rinehart had purchased an $8 million office block which would be leased by One Nation at commercial rates.
Read related topics:Gina Rinehart Sydney News