Nicola Forrest has the will to change the world
Nicola Forrest has then business savvy and the will to make lasting improvements on the world.
Nicola Forrest is the driving force behind the rise of the Minderoo Foundation, arguably the nation’s most influential philanthropic organisation, turning an iron ore fortune into a force for change.
Ms Forrest will receive an Order of Australia recognising her service to the community through philanthropic support for education and the arts, to business, and to the community.
Under the leadership of Ms Forrest and her husband Andrew, the founder and chairman of iron ore heavyweight Fortescue Metals Group, Minderoo has set an example for philanthropy in Australia.
The massive wealth behind Nicola expands the realm of philanthropic possibilities open to her — the Forrests’ net worth was estimated at $7.34 billion earlier this year in The Australian’s List of Australia’s 250 richest people — but she believes the example she has set can be instructive.
“If everyone does what they can with what they’ve got, they will leave the world a better place,” she told The Australian.
Ms Forrest’s philanthropic efforts go beyond just writing cheques, with both Nicola and Andrew devoting the bulk of their time to working on the foundation’s projects.
The foundation’s key causes include ending slavery, improving the health of the oceans, eliminating cancer and creating parity for indigenous Australians.
Having spent so much time and money in philanthropy, Ms Forrest believes there is an opportunity to work more effectively through greater collaboration with government. Business, she says, can bring different perspectives, ideas and approaches to the way governments structure and implement programs.
“There have been some big announcements about large donations that Andrew and I have been able to make but when we look at government spending it’s a fraction of what governments spend on their programs,” she said.
“There needs to be much more co-operation and collaboration between business and government to bring about change.”
Most recently, Minderoo has started a campaign to raise the minimum purchasing age for cigarettes from 18 to 21. The campaign is initially focused on Tasmania, where a bill to raise the age will be read into parliament for a second time in August, but Minderoo has set its sights on implementing the change across the country.
Ms Forrest has also become a significant force in Western Australia’s art community, where her roles include chair of the Black Swan Theatre Company, patron of the Kimberley Rock Art Foundation and life governor of Sculpture by the Sea.
Today’s award means both Nicola and her husband have matching Orders of Australia. Mr Forrest was awarded his in 2017, the same year he was named Western Australian of the Year.
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