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Firm owned by Liberal Party donor Sally Zou faces being wound up over dispute with cherry grower

A COMPANY owned by major Liberal Party donor Sally Zou is facing being wound up over a dispute with a cherry grower.

Chinese donor story very bizarre: SA Opposition leader

A COMPANY owned by major Liberal Party donor Sally Zou is facing being wound up tomorrow over a dispute with a cherry grower.

Torrens Valley Orchards is the creditor in the case, which will be the subject of a winding up hearing for Ms Zou’s company, Aus Food Alliance, on Tuesday.

The Advertiser has attempted to contact both Ms Zou and Torrens Valley Orchards but has so far been unsuccessful.

Torrens Valley is a Gumeracha-based cherry company, which traces its history back to 1840 — just four years after the settlement of South Australia, when the Hannaford family established a small farm in Unley.

The company moved to Gumeracha in 1985 to establish its cherry operations.

Ms Zou, who is listed on company documents as living in New South Wales but has in the past spent a lot of time in SA and has donated large amounts of money to the state and national liberal parties, has a number of companies which are described as being involved in food exports and the resources sector.

She was the focus of attention before the last state election in March after she tweeted an image of a $1.2 million cheque made out to the state Liberal Party — a donation which never eventuated.

Adelaide-based Chinese entrepreneur Sally Zou. Picture: Jo-Anna Robinson.
Adelaide-based Chinese entrepreneur Sally Zou. Picture: Jo-Anna Robinson.

The cheque’s authenticity was called into question after it emerged the sum was comprised of figures which made out Premier Steven Marshall’s 50th birthday on January 21 this year.

Ms Zou was the state Liberal Party’s most generous donor in 2016-17, with her AusGold Mining Group donating $316,064, down on the $360,000 the company handed over the previous year.

Ms Zou also made headlines when The Advertiser revealed mid-last year that she had previously set up a company called “Julie Bishop Glorious Foundation” which the Foreign Minister said at the time she had never heard of.

Ms Zou, who is also a large financial supporter of the Port Adelaide Football Club, also set up a company last year called Australian Earthly Paradise.

cameron.england@news.com.au

Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business-journal/firm-owned-by-liberal-party-donor-sally-zou-faces-being-wound-up-over-dispute-with-cherry-grower/news-story/e1b23af3eea4acdc6bb600c02d47663d