Palmer’s foundation does the Easter egg run delivering chocolates, toys to sick children

LOVE him or hate him, Clive Palmer has just established a new philanthropic organisation and it has already carried out its first mission.

Palmer Foundation operatives fanned out across the country on Thursday, dropping off chocolate and toys to sick children in hospitals.

LOVE him or hate him, Clive Palmer has just established a new philanthropic organisation and it has already carried out its first mission.

Palmer Foundation operatives fanned out across the country on Thursday, dropping off chocolate and toys to sick children in hospitals in a bid to brighten up their Easter holidays.

More than 3000 big eggs, along with 30 hampers and 500 allergen-free soft toys, arrived at nine hospitals, including Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

The polarising mining identity and former pollie, who didn’t take part in the deliveries, hasn’t revealed any details about his Foundation.

But, in comments dripping with irony, the mercurial tycoon told City Beat that the charitable undertaking “has been established to help Australian families doing it tough’’.

“Spending time in hospital away from their loved ones is incredibly difficult for children especially around important family occasions such as Easter,’’ Palmer said.

“We recognise the incredibly hard and compassionate work being done by hospital staff taking care of our youngest members of the community when they need it most.

“The Foundation is honoured to be able to spread a little joy this Easter to the many brave children staying in hospital over Easter.’’

RATHER GALLING

WE don’t know how much Palmer splashed out on this feel-good exercise but we’re sure the 800 or so dudded workers from his mothballed Townsville nickel refinery would find it rather galling, to say the least.

They walked away from the disaster owed about $74 million, which would certainly buy several warehouses full of Easter eggs.

As Palmer continues battling liquidators of his Queensland Nickel, which crashed in 2016 owing more than $300 million, he’s actually had a welcome reversal of fortune recently.

Indeed, Palmer has gone on a quite shameless spending-spree following a court win late last year which saw his firm Mineralogy recover $300 million from former Chinese business partners in WA. Just this month Palmer forked out $4.4 million to buy two properties at the flashy Sovereign Islands on the Gold Coast.

Back in January, he parted with $7.4 million to acquire the Brisbane riverfront mansion formerly owned by failed Linc Energy boss Peter Bond.

Against this backdrop, Palmer has also flagged plans to move forward with his new $6.5 billion Waratah Coal mine in the Galilee Basin.

CHOCOLATE SPEND

SPEAKING of Easter bunnies, Australia consumer spending on chocolate over the holidays is tipped to reach almost $210 million, according to the good folk at forecasting outfit IBISWorld.

That record amount, up from $183 million just five years ago, equates to a spend of more than $10 on average per person.

But the latest research shows the $6 billion chocolate and confectionery sector faces mixed fortunes over the next five years.

While concerns about fat and sugar have dampened sales of sweets, demand for premium and healthier products has lifted.

That’s good news for smaller, niche operators who have entered the market to focus on stuff like top-shelf dark chocolate.

BOX OF VEGGIES

WHILE we’re on the subject of food, City Beat was intrigued to learn this month that a Canadian mob flogging “vertical hydroponic farms’’ has picked Brisbane for its new Aussie HQ. The company, known as Modular Farms, sells composite steel boxes that resemble shipping containers.

Backers say they can reduce waste, increase productivity and eliminate supply chain logistics. Last week Modular Farms unveiled its first a permanently-located box full of herbs and veggies at Brisbane’s Eat Street Northshore market.

Eat Street partner John Stainton was chuffed. “You can’t get much fresher than having a farm on site,’’ he said.