<\/p>\n
Gina Rinehart wants Queensland to give Elon Musk a private island for his SpaceX rockets<\/p>\n
Queensland\u2019s private island market has been thrown into the global tech spotlight, as a string of off-grid properties with their own airstrips emerge as the ultimate real estate play for Elon Musk.<\/p>\n
It follows bombshell comments from Australia\u2019s richest person, Gina Rinehart, who urged the state government to gift the world\u2019s first trillionaire an uninhabited island \u201cat no cost\u201d to expand his SpaceX rocket launch operations.<\/p>\n
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SpaceX employees celebrate the market close of the venture\u2019s initial public offering at the Nasdaq Marketsite in June. Picture: Spencer Platt\/Getty Images\/AFP<\/p>\n
With Premier David Crisafulli refusing to rule out the out-of-this-world proposal, the search is on for isolated coastal acreage capable of hosting a billionaire-backed aerospace empire.<\/p>\n
Current property listings reveal the Sunshine State already has several isolated, off-grid islands on the market that fit the brief, with some already cleared for takeoff.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
An aerial view of Toogoom Island.<\/p>\n
Toogoom Island, Hervey Bay<\/p>\n
Leading the pack is a 28ha private island portfolio located just 15 minutes from Hervey Bay, hitting the market for the first time in 17 years.<\/p>\n
The freehold estate has a 900m aircraft runway, a concrete helicopter landing pad, and deepwater jetty infrastructure. Fully equipped for off-grid living with a 30KW solar system, the property is marketed by Ray White as a premier candidate for strategic redevelopment.<\/p>\n
RWC Pacific Group director Jackson Rameau and Ray White Main Beach sales agent Matt Taylor are handling the deceased estate sale via an expression of interest campaign.<\/p>\n
\u201cFreehold islands and remote style properties simply don\u2019t trade often in Australia, let alone something this accessible,\u201d Mr Rameau said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd certainly not with this level of infrastructure, accessibility, and proximity to Brisbane, Gold Coast and K\u2019gari Island.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Clairview Island off the Capricorn Coast is listed at $6.9m<\/p>\n
Clairview Island, Capricorn Coast<\/p>\n
For a space program requiring a serious footprint, this 267ha island is currently listed for $6.9m.<\/p>\n
Spanning five freehold titles with seven kilometres of beachfront, the massive property features two private runways and even comes with a Cessna 206 aircraft included in the sale. The vast unpopulated terrain has just the parameters needed for hi-tech infrastructure and total privacy.<\/p>\n
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One of the beaches at blank-canvas Stone Island<\/p>\n
Stone Island, Whitsundays<\/p>\n
Sitting just off the coast of Bowen, this 92ha landholding is currently seeking expressions of interest. While it lacks an existing runway, listings boast it has \u201cpossible airstrip potential\u201d and comes with a brand-new multimillion-dollar ocean wharf and pontoon. Offering a mix of perpetual lease and freehold land alongside extensive development approvals, it\u2019s a prime blank canvas for a commercial pivot.<\/p>\n
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Wedge Island is comparatively small, but budget-priced at $2.4m<\/p>\n
Wedge Island, Capricorn Coast<\/p>\n
Should the government need a budget-friendly starter base to offer the trillionaire, Wedge Island is on the market for a modest $2.4m. While its compact 9.3ha footprint might be a tight squeeze for a towering Starship rocket, it does fit the brief of a non-populated island far from high-end resorts.<\/p>\n
The fully off-grid set-up includes an all-weather mooring, a 40kva solar system, and accommodation for 10, making it an easy lock-and-leave command centre.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Rinehart\u2019s Hancock Prospecting secured a $1.4bn stake in SpaceX<\/p>\n
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