THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across the country, and a separate article of recently completed sales of note.

• Large-scale Queensland portfolio offers diversity
• $70m+ for Tasmanian grass factory
• Chinese draw curtains on historic Tassie property
• Location to drive inquiry in Moonie’s Burnbrae
• Blue Sky Beef offloads Blackall powerhouse
• NQ calf factory lists with 6300+ cattle
• Joseland move prompts sale of Isisford aggregation

The 107,503ha Fairfield aggregation comprises six properties and spans some of the most productive areas of Queensland – from St George in the south to Charters Towers in the north.

Large-scale Queensland portfolio offers diversity

In Queensland, a productive vertically integrated beef enterprise is being offered for sale by the Mt Gambier-based Scott family.

Acquired over several generations and strategically expanded over the last 20 years, the Ray Scott Pastoral Co portfolio features geographic and climate diversity, with access to live export, feedlots and beef processing.

The 107,503ha aggregation comprises six properties and spans some of the most productive areas of Queensland – from St George in the south to Charters Towers in the north.

The quality, productive assets have been extensively pasture improved and offer beef breeding and finishing and extensive dryland farming.

The 28,555ha Fairfield Aggregation is considered the jewel in the crown and consists of 7536ha Fairfield North, 7859ha Fairfield Central and 13,160ha Fairfield South. Located in the renowned Bauhinia district, it offers some of the most fertile grazing country in Queensland.

The 10,526ha Ingaby, situated on the Balonne River near St George, is a backgrounding property with centre pivot irrigation for fodder or finishing.

Mark Barber and Tom Russo from Elders have been appointed to market the assets.

Mr Barber said the extensive arability of Ingaby and the Fairfield Aggregation provide enterprise diversity by way of large-scale dryland farming.

“Located in Central Queensland, the aggregation is ideally suited to producing large amounts of fodder and grain and/or growing out and finishing cattle from western and northern Queensland,” he said.

The 59,517ha Carse O Gowrie Station on the banks of the Burdekin River near Ravenswood and the 8907ha Echo Hills Station near Surat are breeding properties offering development opportunities.

Mr Russo is anticipating all segments of the market will compete for individual parcels, a combination of assets and for the portfolio as a whole.

The sales process for Ray Scott Pastoral will formally launch in early June.

$70m+ for Tasmanian grass factory

More than $70 million is anticipated for what is believed to be one of the largest contiguous holdings of agricultural land in Tasmania.

Owned by the Greenham Group, the 3368ha Westmore is located 7km south of Marrawah and 35km from Smithton, in Tasmania’s north-west – considered one of the best grass growing areas in the world.

Currently run as a beef cattle grazing operation, Westmore is conducive to a range of agricultural pursuits and comes with a 60,000DSE carrying capacity.

It offers year-round production and currently finishes around 6500 cattle a year, including a combination of F1 Wagyu, British bred and Dairy Beef cattle. It also runs a breeding herd of 250 self-replacing cows.

A key supplier to Cape Grim branded beef, Westmore carries Greenham’s globally recognised accreditation for the grassfed standard ‘Never Ever’ Beef.

It also comes with the new Greenham Beef Sustainability Standard – a voluntary on-farm program that outlines a practical set of key indicators and measures to enhance and showcase sustainable practices.

Greenham managing director Peter Greenham said the blue-ribbon property offered an opportunity to secure a proven livestock production asset, with an option to purchase the current herd.

“New owners will step straight into our supply chain, including accreditation, while benefiting from high productivity and a significant natural capital asset base,” he said.

The Greenham Group intends to reinvest the sale proceeds into its Smithton plant and downstream supply chain to continue to improve and develop its renowned Cape Grim program.

During its nine-year tenure, the sixth generation Australian-owned business has invested heavily in pasture development to significantly boost carrying capacity.

LAWD director Danny Thomas said Westmore was an opportunity to buy into a tightly held region where operations of this scale rarely come to market.

“The property is likely to attract significant interest from producers, high net worth individuals, domestic and global investors, and syndicates seeking expansion opportunities in either beef or dairy production,” he said.

Benefitting from a 1072mm average annual rainfall, Westmore is watered by four bores, numerous dams and rainwater tanks.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, three cottages, workers’ accommodation, numerous sheds, a cattle yard complex and a further three cattle yards.

Westmore is for sale by expressions of interest closing on June 13.

Currently run as a beef cattle grazing operation, Westmore is conducive to a range of agricultural pursuits and comes with a 60,000DSE carrying capacity.

Chinese draw curtains on historic Tassie property

After years of speculation, one of Tasmania’s most notable rural properties is being offloaded by Chinese businessman owner Xianfeng Lu.

Mr Lu is the owner of Kresta, one of Australia’s largest suppliers of custom-made curtains, blinds, shutters and awnings.

The 9500ha Woolnorth is located in Tasmania’s north-west and boasts some of the state’s most spectacular coastline.

Established by a group of London merchants in 1825, the Van Diemen’s Land Co ran sheep and cattle for 170 years to become a major producer of wool and beef.

From the 1960s through to the 1990s, the property ran up to 40,000 sheep and more than 2000 Hereford breeders, and grew poppies, barley and potatoes.

In 1993 it was sold to the New Zealand publicly listed Tasman Agriculture which converted large areas into dairy country, including the eight rotary dairies which have milked up to 8593 dairy cows.

In 2008, it was taken over by Taranaki Investment Management, the investment arm of New Zealand’s New Plymouth District Council.

In 2015, the asset, with around 18,000 cows, was listed for sale.

The following year, it was controversially sold for $280 million to Mr Lu’s Moon Lake Investments, outbidding TasFoods’ offer of $250m at the 11th hour.

Foreign Investment Review Board approval was subsequently granted subject to Moon Lake’s commitment to undertake a number of investment projects on the VDL farms.

Since the 2016 purchase, the Van Diemen’s Land Co has been plagued by problems. While achieving some of its promises, many undertakings were not fulfilled.

Since it was formed in 1825, the Van Diemen’s Land business has been held by the British, New Zealanders and the Chinese – it has never been held by Australians.

Infrastructure includes 30 homes (some of which are historic), eight dairies, a 13-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, two cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Woolnorth is being offered for sale via expressions of interest closing on June 12.

Location to drive inquiry in Moonie’s Burnbrae

A southern Queensland beef cattle enterprise that has hit the market for the first time is likely to achieve between $12 million and $13 million.

The 2597ha Burnbrae, 14km east of Moonie and 99km west of Dalby, has been held by the Campbell family for 57 years.

JLL Agribusiness, which has been appointed to handle the sale, is not offering a price guide, however recent sales in the region have achieved $4700/ha to $5000/ha.

Agent Chris Holgar noted the property’s location is expected to be a key driver.

“Burnbrae fronts the Moonie Highway, is ideally positioned between Roma and Dalby, which serve as two of Queensland’s major livestock selling centres, and sits within a 130km radius of every major feedlot in the state’s south-east.”

He believes the property will hold particular appeal for existing industry participants and family farming groups.

Featuring developed brigalow and belah land types and a mix of productive soil types, most of Burnbrae has been farmed with 73ha currently planted to oats.

While the property is suitable for conversion, Burnbrae is being operated by the Campbells as a breeding and backgrounding enterprise.

Agent Geoff Warriner said the turnkey enterprise had had one of its best seasons in recent times and is fully grassed up.

Water is secured by an artesian bore reticulating to 17 watering points, a dam and dual frontage to the Toombilla Creek.

Infrastructure includes a home, a shearing shed, numerous sheds, grain silos and steel cattle yards.

Burnbrae is offered for sale by expressions of interest closing on June 6.

The 2597ha Burnbrae, 14km east of Moonie and 99km west of Dalby, has been held by the Campbell family for 57 years.

Blue Sky Beef offloads Blackall powerhouse

A Certified Organic breeding, backgrounding and finishing enterprise is being offloaded by Blue Sky Beef after eight years of ownership.

The 18,077ha Gowan Station is located 70km south of Blackall and can carry 3000 adult equivalents.

The property once formed part of the CSR Pastoral portfolio (sold-off around 1985) and last changed hands in 2016 when Consolidated Pastoral Co sold it to Blue Sky Beef – newly founded by Stewart and Emma Taylor with three other equal share partners.

In 2018, the company purchased the 21,650ha Norwood west of Blackall and in 2020 secured the 10,562ha Tarves, 25km north of Blackall.

Since 2016, a partner has been bought out and three major shareholders remain.

On the back of an excellent wet season, the vendors told Beef Central it was a good time for the company to sell Gowan and purchase backgrounding country further east to allow finishing feeder cattle closer to feedlot markets and for internal succession.

Gowan carries a mix of developed gidgee country growing prolific stands of buffel grass, lightly shaded Mitchell grass and coolibah creek systems.

Agents from Ray White Rural and RPL have been appointed to sell the property. They believe the Blackall powerhouse has scope for further development with pasture and water improvements.

Gowan is currently watered by 12 dams and a capped artesian bore with a reticulation system to tanks and troughs, in a 526mm annual rainfall region.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, steel cattle yards, numerous sheds and a six-stand shearing shed and quarters.

Gowan will be auctioned on June 14.

NQ calf factory lists with 6300+ cattle

Footy Prior and Leanne Condon’s large-scale North Queensland calf factory has returned to the market with more than 6320 Brahman cattle included in the sale.

Located 75km north-east of Georgetown and 104km west of Mt Surprise, the 96,609ha Vanlee is close to the 40,922ha Mistletoe which quietly sold shortly after being listed in July last year, along with more than 4000 head of cattle.

While Stockplace Marketing was unable to disclose the buyer or the price paid, Beef Central was told Mistletoe sold to a Richmond family for around $20 million.

Slaney & Co agent Henry Slaney, who is handling the sale of Vanlee, would not offer a price guide, preferring the market to dictate the value via an expressions of interest campaign closing on July 3.

Included in the sale are around 6320 adult cattle and progeny including 4000 breeders.

Footy Prior and Leanne Condon purchased Vanlee as an undeveloped property in 2003 and listed it in 2015 and again in 2017, when it failed to meet vendor expectations.

Centrally located, it has good access to the Mareeba and Charters Towers saleyards, Townsville, Charters Towers and Cloncurry live export yards, Townsville and Tolga meatworks, as well as grass finishing on the Atherton Tablelands.

The reliable breeder operation has wide ranging country, soil and vegetation types, including fertile river and creek frontage country, red and basalt soils, sand ridges and decomposed granite surrounded by ranges.

Vanlee is currently running 7500 adult cattle and agisting a further 2000 head plus progeny.

The vendors estimate the holding can comfortably run 8500 breeders plus replacements or 9000AE and suggest carrying capacity upside with further development.

The Einasleigh River tracks 35km through the property and double frontages to Elizabeth, Parallel, Martins, Dickson, Two Mile, Bullock and Cattle Creeks provide seasonal waters and quality grazing.

Vanlee is also watered by semi-permanent waterholes along the Red River, supported by 29 dams and 12 equipped bores.

Infrastructure includes a modern three-bedroom home, a four-bedroom home, a two-bedroom workers cottage, numerous sheds and three cattle yards.

The Einasleigh River tracks 35km through Vanlee and double frontages to Elizabeth, Parallel, Martins, Dickson, Two Mile, Bullock and Cattle Creeks provide seasonal waters and quality grazing.

Joseland move prompts sale of Isisford aggregation

A Central West Queensland backgrounding operation offering water security and high-quality infrastructure is being offered for sale via expressions of interest closing on June 20.

The 15,779ha Eltham Aggregation is being offered for sale by Tim and Kerry Joseland and family who are planning to move closer to children in south-east Queensland.

Located 30km north of Yaraka and 44km south-west of Isisford, the aggregation comprises Eltham (purchased in 1999) and Nobdale on the western side of the Barcoo River (purchased in 2016).

The aggregation has an estimated carrying capacity of 1575 adult equivalents but has been conservatively grazed for several years.

The country comprises 6041ha of alluvial plains which have a high-water holding capacity ensuring deep moisture and growth for long periods.

A mix of trees found on the 4674ha of hard gidgee, 2893ha of boree wooded downs and 2171ha of open downs can be used for scrub feeding if required.

Benefitted by fertile soil types, the property is growing a productive mix of pastures, including Mitchell and Flinders grasses, as well as quick responding summer and winter herbages.

In addition to 15km of dual frontage to the Barcoo River, the aggregation is watered by 13 dams and 17 permanent and seasonal waterholes, with 423mm of annual average rainfall.

LAWD director Darren Collins said the water system has been strategically designed for optimal grazing efficiency and is a key selling feature of the holding.

“Cattle have access to secure water across all areas of the aggregation which maximises carrying capacity and makes optimal use of pastures, ensuring the property has the resilience to thrive in a range of seasonal conditions.”

Mr Collins described the infrastructure development as high quality.

“The Joseland family has invested significant capital into land and pasture development, infrastructure and fencing – with most of the aggregation exclusion-fenced.”

Other infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, guest quarters, a two-bedroom cottage, two cattle yards, a shearing shed and numerous sheds.