Gina Rinehart’s $200m commitment to help homeless veterans opens second residence where Ben Roberts-Smith cut the ribbon
19 October 2026
Originally published by Laurence Karacsony of News24
“Very sadly, when Len came home from the war, he was unable to build the flying career he wanted,” Ms Rinehart said.
“Too many of today’s veterans also come home to find no home and doors not open to them, thanks to current uni-party decisions. Veterans are restricted from working as much as they may want or need, or heavily penalised if they work more than what the government allows.
“Approximately 6,000 veterans are homeless and our unused or scarcely used barracks sit empty or are being sold off to fund government overspending. Pretty speeches and pollie photo opportunities at veteran parades or similar gatherings, don’t help the veterans one iota.”
Ms Rinehart’s $200 million commitment is the largest private commitment ever for veterans in Australia.
“By itself (the commitment) is inadequate,” Ms Rinehart said.
“I again remind the government, we are on a wrongful path proven to not serve the interests of our veterans.
“(I) again call on the federal government to open underused defence facilities to homeless veterans and their families, and to let veterans work as much as they choose, with their earnings taxed as ours are, but without touching their much deserved pensions.”
The nation’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith VC, officially opened the residence in Brisbane on Sunday evening alongside his family and the daughter of Mr Waters, Di Russell.
Mr Roberts-Smith said it was an honour to stand beside Ms Russell and her family to open a home named after her father.
“At a time when the odds were stacked against him, he earned his wings and flew 95 sorties for his country,” Mr Roberts-Smith said.
“Every veteran who walks through these doors has served our country, and some have been through very hard times since. What they find here is a safe, secure place to call home, among people who understand what they’ve been through.
“No private Australian has done more for homeless veterans than Mrs Rinehart. She hasn’t waited for governments to act. She has put her own resources on the line, and veterans right across Australia are better off for it.”
Ms Russell said her family was “so proud to see Dad’s name on a place that gives veterans a safe home”, adding that it was a “wonderful” way to remember him.
“Flying was Dad’s dream from the time he was a boy. Like a lot of veterans, he came home and had to find his own way,” Ms Russell said.
“Knowing that veterans doing it tough will now have a stable home in a building that carries his name means a great deal to all of us.
“We thank Mrs Rinehart and everyone involved for honouring Dad in this way, and for looking after the veterans who will call this place home.”
The Len Waters Apartments are the second of Ms Rinehart’s four Brisbane apartments to be officially named, following the opening of the Daniel Keighran VC Apartments in Norman Park on Monday, October 12.
Six apartment buildings have now been acquired across Australia under the commitment, with more to come.
Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart has opened another block of apartments as part of her company’s $200 million commitment to help homeless veterans.
The apartments in Brisbane’s Bowen Hills marked the second residence opened by Ms Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting in a single week.
Ms Rinehart said the apartments honoured the only known Aboriginal fighter pilot to serve in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II.
Len Waters, who served at the same time as Ms Rinehart’s uncle, Sir Valston Hancock, was an Aboriginal who left school before 14 to support his family by shearing, before becoming a pilot in 1944.
Ms Rinehart said Len’s story deserved to be “far better known”, choosing to name the Brisbane residence the “Len Waters Apartments”.