Billionaires’ billboards battle: Rinehart sways council but Twiggy loses out

The City of Perth council has ditched the advice of planning officers to allow mining magnate Gina Rinehart to wrap her empire’s headquarters in company advertising, but rejected fellow billionaire Andrew Forrest’s bid to do the same.

Rinehart’s family company Hancock Prospecting had sought the city’s permission to install a wall sign covering the third and fourth storey of its Ventnor Avenue headquarters in West Perth.

Both Rinehart and Forrest had lodged applications with the City of Perth to install advertising banners at their headquarters.Credit: Nine.

The $40,000 sign, spanning 108 square metres, was proposed to replace a temporary wall sign less than half its size spruiking Rinehart’s apparel company Driza-Bone in front of a pink mining locomotive.

According to the company’s application, the sign was to display content relating to the businesses that operate from ‘HPPL House’ — the premises Hancock Prospecting has occupied since the late 1980s.

But as well as an exemption to the city’s stringent advertising signage limits, Rinehart — who also owns shoe brand Rossi Boots — wanted to be able to change the sign without needing the council’s consent.

The company maintained the 45-metre setback from the street and the “vibrancy” the sign would bring to an otherwise “bland and neutral” office building justified the council making an exception to its advertising rules.

The city’s officers, however, opposed the plan, stating the policy made clear that signage should not exceed 20 square metres or 25 per cent of a building’s wall space and claiming it would visually dominate the building.

But deputy lord mayor Bruce Reynolds moved his own motion, proposing the council approve the sign for three years on the condition that Hancock Prospecting share the final concept design and management plan before installation.

Councillor Liam Gobbert rallied against granting Hancock Prospecting an exemption, branding the proposal excessive and alleging the development application constituted an abuse of process.

“That is not a minor encroachment, it is excessive and impacts the local amenity,” he said.

“To bring a development application before council for this has been an abuse of process.

“If you’re not budging on size, then a refusal is warranted.”

While the majority of councillors approved the motion, a question of whether it could be legally implemented was raised — temporarily preventing the city’s administration from signing off on the approval.

Just over a kilometre away on St Georges Terrace, the property arm of fellow billionaire Andrew Forrest’s investment vehicle Tattarang, Fiveight, proposed to erect its own mega banner.

The company had lodged an application to display third-party advertising content at 190 St Georges Terrace, the building Forrest dropped $55 million to acquire from Credit Suisse in late 2020.

The property firm wanted to install an 82 square metre digital sign worth $1.5 million at the top of the 12-storey building, which houses Forrest’s clothing retailer RM Williams on the ground floor.

The concept design lodged with the council had the iconic boots on full display.

But the city’s administration were not convinced of its merits and recommended the council reject it on the basis it was inappropriate for its location and the building’s design.

Councillor Clyde Bevan backed Fiveight’s plan, arguing the building was a blank canvas in the middle of the central business district that was ripe for bright signage.

His fellow elected members were divided on the move, forcing Reynolds to utilise his casting vote to carry the officer’s recommendation for refusal.

Both Hancock Prospecting and Fiveight were approached for comment.

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