Gina Rinehart's bold call to gift Elon Musk an island in Australia for 'no cost' as list emerges of potential sites

Published: 02:26, 6 July 2026 | Updated: 02:26, 6 July 2026 Gina Rinehart's proposal to gift Elon Musk an island in Australia for 'no cost' so he can launch his SpaceX rockets has shone a spotlight on potential sites. Mrs Rinehart made the suggestion during the National Bush Summit at Townsville on June 18, claiming North Queensland could become an economic stronghold. 'What industries should we try to attract? Well, what about the world's best microchips? What about Elon Musk's communication satellites?' she said. 'What about defence manufacturing to protect our people and critical infrastructure? 'Over at the sparsely or non-populated islands on the screen... where there aren't high-end tourist facilities, offer to Elon... at no cost for his SpaceX satellite construction and launches. 'He needs land to expand. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have those rocket launches with satellites happening on those islands out there? Imagine the tourism opportunity.' Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has not ruled out the proposal, sparking speculation of which islands could be gifted to the world's first trillionaire. Four remote and uninhabited islands were identified by realestate.com.au, with Toogoom Island making it on the list.  Australia's richest woman has called for Elon Musk to be gifted an island in Queensland at 'no cost' to launch his SpaceX rockets Mrs Rinehart said providing an island to Musk would also drive up tourism The 28 hectare private island, which has been listed on the market for the first time in 17 years, has a 900metre aircraft runway, a concrete helicopter landing pad, deep-water jetty infrastructure and a 30KW solar system. Ray White Commercial Pacific Group director Jackson Rameau, whose company is marketing the property, said islands with this level of infrastructure rarely came onto the market. 'Freehold islands and remote style properties simply don't trade often in Australia, let alone something this accessible,' Mr Rameau said. 'And certainly not with this level of infrastructure, accessibility, and proximity to Brisbane, Gold Coast and K'gari Island.' Clairview Island near Capricorn Coast could be another possibility, with the 267 hectare island coming with two private runways, seven kilometres of beachfront and a Cessna 206 aircraft.  It is listed for $6.9million and is big enough for hi-tech infrastructure.  Although Stone Island near Whitsundays doesn't have an existing runway for Musk to utilise, the 92 hectare site is advertised as having 'possible airstrip potential' and a brand-new multimillion-dollar ocean wharf and pontoon. Realestate.com.au has identified four remote islands it believes could be viable sites for the project, including Toogoom Island near Hervey Bay For a cheaper alternative, Wedge Island near Capricorn Coast has been listed for $2.4million  For a cheaper alternative, Wedge Island near Capricorn Coast has been listed for $2.4million. The 9.3 hectare land includes an all-weather mooring, a 40kva solar system, and accommodation for ten.  Mrs Rinehart's proposal comes weeks after acquiring a stake worth about $1.4billion in SpaceX, making it Hancock Prospecting's largest investment outside iron ore.  'We see SpaceX as a rare business: led by a truly exceptional person, technically exceptional and operating in sectors that are crucial, and with long-term potential,' she said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.