A trial involving Gina Rinehart, her children and a multi-billion dollar family trust fund has been delayed for several hours as a new trustee is appointed.
The billionaire mining magnate was due to face allegations in a NSW Supreme Court civil trial on Tuesday morning that she engaged in serious misconduct over the lucrative trust.
Last week, a last-minute appeal to have the matter dealt with in private arbitration was dismissed.
The appeal came soon after Ms Rinehart, the country's richest person, announced she wanted to be discharged as trustee.
On Tuesday the court heard that Ms Rinehart had made an offer to her two eldest children for a new trustee to be appointed.
The court proceedings have adjourned until 2pm (AEDT), when it is expected a new trustee will have been chosen.
In what has been described as the trial of the year, Rinehart's children John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart claim their mother acted "deceitfully" and with "gross dishonesty" in her dealings with the family trust, which was established by her father Lang Hancock in 1988, with her children as beneficiaries.
Ms Rinehart has consistently denied the claims.
The courtroom was packed on Tuesday as a large group of media, lawyers and members of the public turned to up watch the much-anticipated trial.
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