Geologist Ian Plimer says agriculture and mining run Australia, but the industries have been attacked by bureaucrats for decades. Mr Plimer’s comments come after businesswoman Gina Rinehart was awarded Western Australian of the Year. “She’s the greatest Australian woman this country has ever produced, perhaps the greatest Australian this country has ever produced,” Mr Plimer said. “If it were not for what she has done, we would have lost some of the icons in this country, such as the Kidman Company. “She has been a huge supporter of the agricultural industry; she has started mines in places where there were previously no mines.”
