Gina Rinehart wants Queensland to give Elon Musk a private island for his SpaceX rockets
Queensland’s private island market has been thrown into the global tech spotlight, as a string of off-grid properties with their own airstrips emerge as the ultimate real estate play for Elon Musk.
It follows bombshell comments from Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, who urged the state government to gift the world’s first trillionaire an uninhabited island “at no cost” to expand his SpaceX rocket launch operations.
SpaceX employees celebrate the market close of the venture’s initial public offering at the Nasdaq Marketsite in June. Picture: Spencer Platt/Getty Images/AFP
With Premier David Crisafulli refusing to rule out the out-of-this-world proposal, the search is on for isolated coastal acreage capable of hosting a billionaire-backed aerospace empire.
Current property listings reveal the Sunshine State already has several isolated, off-grid islands on the market that fit the brief, with some already cleared for takeoff.
An aerial view of Toogoom Island.
Toogoom Island, Hervey Bay
Leading the pack is a 28ha private island portfolio located just 15 minutes from Hervey Bay, hitting the market for the first time in 17 years.
The freehold estate has a 900m aircraft runway, a concrete helicopter landing pad, and deepwater jetty infrastructure. Fully equipped for off-grid living with a 30KW solar system, the property is marketed by Ray White as a premier candidate for strategic redevelopment.
RWC Pacific Group director Jackson Rameau and Ray White Main Beach sales agent Matt Taylor are handling the deceased estate sale via an expression of interest campaign.
“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 off the Capricorn Coast is listed at $6.9m
Clairview Island, Capricorn Coast
For a space program requiring a serious footprint, this 267ha island is currently listed for $6.9m.
Spanning five freehold titles with seven kilometres of beachfront, the massive property features two private runways and even comes with a Cessna 206 aircraft included in the sale. The vast unpopulated terrain has just the parameters needed for hi-tech infrastructure and total privacy.
One of the beaches at blank-canvas Stone Island
Stone Island, Whitsundays
Sitting just off the coast of Bowen, this 92ha landholding is currently seeking expressions of interest. While it lacks an existing runway, listings boast it has “possible airstrip potential” and comes with a brand-new multimillion-dollar ocean wharf and pontoon. Offering a mix of perpetual lease and freehold land alongside extensive development approvals, it’s a prime blank canvas for a commercial pivot.
Wedge Island is comparatively small, but budget-priced at $2.4m
Wedge Island, Capricorn Coast
Should the government need a budget-friendly starter base to offer the trillionaire, Wedge Island is on the market for a modest $2.4m. While its compact 9.3ha footprint might be a tight squeeze for a towering Starship rocket, it does fit the brief of a non-populated island far from high-end resorts.
The fully off-grid set-up includes an all-weather mooring, a 40kva solar system, and accommodation for 10, making it an easy lock-and-leave command centre.
Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting secured a $1.4bn stake in SpaceX
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The unusual property push comes after Ms Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting secured a massive $1.4bn stake in SpaceX during its recent stock exchange listing.
Speaking at the Future Townsville event, Ms Rinehart said handing over a sparsely populated island would provide Musk with a crucial alternate weather site in an allied country, while creating massive tourism and local graduate opportunities.
“Over at the sparsely or non-populated islands … where there aren’t high-end tourist facilities, offer to Elon … at no cost for his SpaceX satellite construction and launches,” she said. “He needs land to expand.”
The Qld premier said he was happy to ‘energise’ Musk as a potential investor in the state
The bold pitch could also breathe new life into the state’s northern coastal footprint, coming at a time when several of Queensland’s legacy holiday hubs, including South Molle and Brampton Island, languish as abandoned ghost resorts.
Premier David Crisafulli cautiously welcomed the idea of tech investment, stating the government was open to all potential space exploration opportunities.
“I haven’t thought about what role we can play with Elon Musk … we’re certainly happy to play our part in energising anyone who wants to invest in this great state,” Mr Crisafulli told the Courier Mail.
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