29 July 2025
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The mining magnate’s new West Perth HQ includes rooftop wellness, a "kinetic" pink façade—and cat-friendly spaces (complete with cats!). We promise that its more than just crazy billionaire stuff.
Gina Rinehart is turning her not-so-little corner of West Perth into a new kind of corporate precinct. From a look at the plans, it's one that merges high-end infrastructure - think helipad on the roof and you're there - with feline-friendly wellbeing.
Development plans on public display at the City of Perth right now outline a $250 million mixed-use project led by Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting that will span several sites anchored around 53 Ord Street.
The plans include more than 10,000 square metres of commercial office space, serviced apartments, and public green spaces. Also proposed: rooftop pools, a wellness centre, bars, childcare, and landscaped terraces. The footprint covers 7,187 m² across properties on Ord, Ventnor, Outram and Richardson Streets.
This project adds to a $19.5 million retrofit already underway at 53 Ord Street—soon to be the new home of Rinehart's empire of business interests.
The design is distinctive to say the least: there's a pink kinetic façade, made from petal-shaped fins that will wrap the building. But like many elements of the new building, it's distinctive for another reason. Rinehart will include this in the design as a tribute to breast cancer awareness. Rinehart has supported said cause since the passing of her mother, Hope Hancock, in 1983 from the condition.
And then of course, there's the cats.
Here's why this really hit the headlines late last week.
While the towers include the usual mix of high-end commercial features, they also house something far more personal. Floor plans reviewed at the City of Perth confirm two cat-specific facilities. Yes: you read that right. Cats.
First theres the dedicated indoor “cat room” on the second floor meant as a quiet retreat for staff to interact with resident rescue cats.
That then opens up onto an open air (but likely adequately fenced) "Meow Terrace”: an outdoor podium-level space landscaped for feline enrichment and staff relaxation.
These features were first flagged in The Australian Financial Review last week and have now been confirmed in the planning documentation.
Much like the breast cancer-awareness wrapping for the building, the inclusion of cat-friendly infrastructure isn’t a novelty or accident. It's another cause Rinehart has supported for decades.
The mining magnate and multi-time title-holder of Australia's richest person is actually a patron saint to stray moggies everywhere. So much so that she's an Honourary Patron of the Perth Cat Haven for her support over the years.
Rinehart’s support stretches back to childhood. She grew up with Cat Haven rescues and has, in recent years, provided substantial financial backing to the charity’s Companion Cat Program, Emergency Vet Care, and Rescue Services. Her companies have also adopted cats into workplace programs at her company's existing offices.
According to the Cat Haven’s website, Rinehart and her companies have been “long-term supporters” and key enablers of the shelter’s rehoming and rescue work. The cat room and Meow Terrace are designed to extend this welfare ethos into the daily life of staff, providing comfort and mental wellness benefits in a corporate setting.
See! I told you it wasn't just crazy billionaire stuff!
The office hub will not only serve Hancock Prospecting, but will also provide facilities for other Rinehart-linked businesses. These include: Atlas Iron, a major Pilbara iron ore company; Kidman & Co, the cattle empire jointly owned by Rinehart and China’s Shanghai CRED; and Hope Dairies, her Queensland-based agribusiness venture.
We've taken the liberty of imagining up the cat spaces using AI throighout our piece. The imagined spaces look well-appointed, but as a cat owner myself, i can assure you that the cats (and maybe some staff?) will mostly ignore the amenities in favour of the box it all came in.
