Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting launches action to split John and Bianca from Hope Downs court feud

Iron ore billionaire Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has launched a fresh bid to stop serious allegations by her two eldest children, John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, being aired in a multi-billion-dollar feud over her Hope Downs riches. Less than three weeks after the High Court threw out an appeal by Hancock Prospecting, Supreme Court judge Rene Le Miere has pencilled in a 60-day hearing next year for a feud half a century in the making. Supreme Court actions by the descendants of the late Lang Hancock’s business associates are currently tangled with pushes by John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart for a bigger slice of a $30 billion family empire. Wright Prospecting, the family company of Mr Hancock’s late business partner Peter Wright, is claiming to be entitled to half of Hancock Prospecting’s Hope Downs wealth as part of the rich HanWright partnership. And pointing to deals going back to 1969, the family company of late Pilbara prospector Don Rhodes is claiming a 1.25 per cent royalty on Hope Downs production by operator Rio Tinto. John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart have claimed Hope Downs tenements were held on trust for Gina Rinehart’s four children and Rhodes and Wright interests knew this. Lawyers for Hancock Prospecting said it could take up to four years to prepare the Wright and DFD Rhodes actions for trial if the court simultaneously dealt with claims by “the kids”. Christian Bova said their allegations included that the Hope Downs tenements were acquired for Hancock Prospecting as part of a fraudulent scheme and they alleged a concerted course of conduct relating to other assets. “The enormity of their case is apparent from the 300 paragraphs,” Mr Bova said. The bid to exclude claims by John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart comes after the High Court refused to hear an appeal by Hancock Prospecting aimed at delaying the entire Supreme Court action until the completion of the family’s confidential Federal arbitration. Bianca Rinehart’s lawyer, Christine Ernst, said Gina Rinehart’s team was re-agitating issues already decided by Justice Le Miere and later subject of failed appeals. Ms Ernst said there had been no evidence presented to support warnings that including the children’s claims in the planned hearing next year would considerably slow trial preparations. Justice Le Miere said the issues raised by Hancock Prospecting were important for case management and should be “determined as quickly as possible”. He scheduled legal argument for two days starting April 14. He pencilled in the main hearing to start on April 19 next year.