Rinehart and Bleijie coy on billionaire backer’s aquatic centre support

Australia’s richest woman and the Queensland government have failed to answer questions about whether the Swimming Queensland patron lobbied for a second 2032 Olympics venue decision which went against independent advice to the state.

A Right to Information application from this masthead has unearthed a personal letter from Gina Rinehart to Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie before the government venue plan reveal last March after the Games infrastructure authority’s 100-day review.

In it, the billionaire mining magnate and Rowing Australia patron spruiked a controversial plan first publicly floated by Nationals Senator Matt Canavan – and not recommended by GIICA – to host Olympic rowing on Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River.

The Crisafulli LNP’s March 2025 announcement also featured a new 25,000-seat National Aquatic Centre (NAC) at Victoria Park, despite GIICA recommending a temporary pool at the proposed Brisbane Arena as the best legacy outcome from the Games.

A recent media release by Swimming Queensland announcing medal bonuses for Commonwealth Games athletes described Rinehart and her Hancock Prospecting group as “swimming’s primary benefactor” and “largest private sponsors of Australian Olympic sports”.

On Thursday afternoon, the Labor opposition’s shadow treasurer Shannon Fentiman questioned – without providing evidence – whether Bleijie, the state government or LNP got anything “in return for [Rinehart] getting her way” on the Rockhampton rowing decision.

Fentiman also asked “whether or not there’s another letter to Jarrod Bleijie from Gina Rinehart about an aquatic centre that no one else seemed to ask for”.

Australia’s peak aquatic sports bodies publicly backed the NAC in a statement days before the government announcement, after arguing for it in their submission to the GIICA review.

This masthead had requested any correspondence between Bleijie and Rinehart between the 2024 state election and late June. The undated rowing letter was the sole document said to have been found in the search conducted by Bleijie’s office as part of the request.

Sent a series of questions on Thursday, a Hancock Prospecting spokesperson provided a statement which did not address one regarding any approaches to government about Brisbane 2032 Olympics swimming venue decisions.

The spokesperson pointed to Rinehart’s significant sponsorship of Australian athletes and status as a “champion of regional Australia”.

“Her insights expressed in the letter were done so for the reason of outlining the benefits hosting Olympic events would bring to a regional town like Rockhampton,” they said.

“Given that Mrs Rinehart is also the patron of Rowing Australia, has been involved in the sport for many years, and she knows Queensland well … it’s hardly surprising that she would offer insight on this matter, as other similar sporting representatives also did.

“To suggest she has done so for any ulterior motive or to gain any kind of personal benefit is completely false!”

In a response to this masthead on Thursday morning, Bleijie refused to reveal the date he received the letter and when the government finalised its venue decision. Further questions regarding the comments by Fentiman were yet to receive a response by publication.

“We listened to the chorus of regional communities who felt they were being denied the investment and generational infrastructure of the Games by Labor, which is why we’ve got 2032 back on track and ensured it will be an event and a legacy for all Queenslanders, including in places like Cairns, Townsville, Maryborough, Mackay, Toowoomba and Rockhampton.