Rinehart to hand over docs, pay costs

Billionaire mining magnate Gina Rinehart has been ordered to hand over secret family trust documents after losing a Supreme Court battle with her eldest children to keep them hidden.

John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart will be granted access to the documents, which relate to the family's multi-billion dollar Hope Margaret Hancock Trust, on Friday.

The documents are already on the court file and will be released to Bianca Rinehart, who replaced her mother as trustee, later this week.

The delay is to give Mrs Rinehart an opportunity to appeal.

Justice Paul Brereton said that as the new trustee Bianca Rinehart was now "as much entitled" to the documents as Mrs Rinehart was and that guidance obtained by a trustee belongs to the trust.

He also ordered that Mrs Rinehart must pay two-thirds of her eldest children's court costs, incurred in civil claims heard last year.