This fodder production and backgrounding operation near Gympie in south-east Queensland has been listed for $10m. The turnkey 263ha Bellmary can turn off around 800 steers at weights of 480-500kg, achieving average gains of 1kg a day.

THIS week’s property review looks at what $10 million can buy as a grazing investment on a state-by-state basis across Australia.

The report follows our earlier (mid-July) treatment of the same topic, but using a $25m budget as a guide.

What $10m allocation can buy varies dramatically according to rainfall, carrying capacity and location – from high-rainfall southern country to extensive northern pastoral leasehold.

In other words, the same budget can secure compact, high-rainfall improved pastures in the southern states or extensive semi-arid breeding stations in the north and north-west.

Providing an illustration of this, the largest land area asset on the list below covers 385,000ha, while the smallest are just 263ha and 361ha.

Queensland: Sold

South-west: Woonoona & Tatala – $8m – $9m

The 35,685ha aggregation near Nebine, 80km north-west of Bollon, is low-cost, drought-resilient breeder country.

Capable of running 1000 to 1200 breeders, Woonoona and Tatala have reportedly never been destocked, even during drought.

The country comprises soft mulga and poplar box woodlands, open and wooded alluvial plains, and an extensive natural lake system with seasonal water supporting soft native grasses and herbages.

Central-west: Evengy – $8m

The 52,800ha calf factory, 14km west of Stonehenge, sold under the hammer for $8m.

Presented with a strong body of feed during the marketing campaign, the property consistently carries 800 cows and calves, rising to 1200 in better seasons.

The productive flood-out and soft red mulga country includes black soils growing Mitchell grass. It is watered by numerous permanent and semi-permanent waterholes along Warbreccan and Frasers Creeks, while the Thompson River supplies Dinah’s Waterhole.

West: Lorne Station – $8.4m

In western Queensland, the 8310ha Lorne Station, 40km south of Aramac, achieved $8.4m, or $1011/ha bare, at auction recently.

The exclusion fenced, well-grassed grazing country is suited to breeding and backgrounding cattle and sheep, as well as rangeland goats.

The country is mostly pulled gidgee and open buffel and Mitchell grass downs, with some native grasses and herbages. Infrastructure was described as exceptional.

North: Mugwee – $8m

Low-cost, high-weight-gain country in North Queensland sold for $8m, or $793/ha bare a few weeks ago. The 10,084ha Mugwee is a breeding, backgrounding or finishing property in a tick-free area, 37km west of Stamford and 97km from Hughenden.

The undulating Mitchell and Flinders grass downs country and the small creek systems have fertile chocolate soils growing abundant buffel grass.

Significant investment in water infrastructure means cattle generally walk no more than 1.5km to water.

Queensland: For sale

South-east: Bellmary – $10m

A fodder production and backgrounding operation near Gympie in south-east Queensland has been listed for $10m. The turnkey 263ha enterprise can turn off around 800 steers at weights of 480kg to 500kg, achieving average gains of 1kg a day.

Around 222ha of fully irrigated cultivation grows improved pastures producing more than 300 tonnes of hay a year.

Offered with a 600ML water allocation, Bellmary has 2km of direct Mary River frontage and 3km of Curra Creek frontage.

New South Wales: Sold

Far west: Pulgamurtie Station – $8.2m+

In far western New South Wales, $10m can buy a grazing property roughly the size of Singapore.

The 74,663ha Pulgamurtie cattle station is near Packsaddle, 26km east of the Silver City Highway and 235km north-east of Broken Hill.

The breeding and backgrounding property was offered with a long-term carrying capacity of 17,000DSE to 20,000DSE.

The diverse country ranges from stony undulating land and tableland plains with heavier loam soils to vegetated sandhills and expansive lake and creek systems.

Western Plains: Warrawing – $9.5m

The 7385ha sheep and cattle breeding enterprise, underpinned by dryland cropping. Located 61km from Walgett, it runs 1200 ewes and lambs and 250 cows and calves on 5415ha.

Depending on seasonal conditions, around 1144ha of arable country is sown to winter crops for fodder or cash cropping.

It was offered with established containment-feeding infrastructure, with capacity for up to 1500 cattle and 4000 sheep and lambs.

Riverina: Kaloona – $8.9m

A picturesque 555ha turnkey mixed-grazing opportunity in southern New South Wales sold for $8.9m, or $16,036/ha.

Located 33km from Holbrook, Kaloona runs a self-replacing Merino flock together with seasonal cattle trading and agistment. It is estimated to run 15DSE per hectare on improved pastures and seasonal fodder crops.

New South Wales: For sale

Mid North Coast: Strike A Light – $9.7m

A high-rainfall grazing enterprise in the Manning Valley on the state’s mid north coast has been listed with a $9.7m price guide.

The 1936ha Strike A Light is a highly developed cattle breeding operation near Cells River, featuring open grazing areas, gently undulating hills and timbered support country. It can support 600 breeders or 9000DSE, subject to seasonal conditions and management practices.

Water is a standout feature, with around 20km of combined river and creek frontage, 35 dams, a 50ML water licence and irrigation infrastructure servicing 35ha.

Victoria: For sale

There are not many Victorian opportunities listed for sale in the $10m bracket.

Sale: Tanjil – $12m

One of Australia’s leading Hereford and Angus Studs has hopes of raising around $12m.

The 471ha Tanjil, home of Mawarra Genetics, is located near Longford, 16km south-west of Sale and 44km east of Traralgon in the Gippsland.

The property is suited to stud stock, commercial beef and backgrounding pursuits.

It is offered with a strategically designed stud complex, extensive support infrastructure, 88ha under centre pivot irrigation, a 170ML water entitlement, pasture improvement and input history, in addition to significant Latrobe River frontage.

South Gippsland: 40 Walkerville South Road, Tarwin Lower – $9.5m to $9.975m

A 368ha grazing block with uninterrupted views across the Bass Strait and Wilsons Promontory has listed with a price guide of $9.5m to $9.975m.

Suited to both cattle and sheep, the holding is offered with a carrying capacity of 400 to 450 bullocks.

The property has a history of annual fertiliser use and is underpinned by highly regarded soils and 956mm of average annual rainfall.

South Australia: Sold

At a $10 million investment level, Sam Krieg from Ray White Rural said buyers in the SA pastoral market could acquire a property with a long-term carrying capacity of 8000 to 13,000 breeding ewes plus followers, depending on the property’s location, quality and infrastructure.

Northern Pastoral: Gilles Downs, Mt Freeling & Farina Stations – $10m

It is understood Gilles Downs, Farina and Mt Freeling Stations combined, spanning 170,000ha, would command a $10m price tag.

Gilles Downs Station

Situated on the north-eastern Eyre Peninsula, the 47,400ha sheep grazing enterprise changed hands on a walk-in, walk-out basis, including 3500 wethers, plant and machinery.

The mostly flat to gently undulating grazing country, featuring bluebush and saltbush, along with native grasses and clovers, is rated to run 6000 sheep equivalents.

An added income stream is generated through the annual harvesting of between 1000 and 2000 goats.

Mt Freeling Station

The 100,000ha Mt Freeling Station in South Australia’s northern Flinders Ranges is located just off The Strzelecki Track.

Featuring mostly open low hills and undulating valleys covered with mulga, dead finish and prickly wattle, as well as low bluebush, native grasses and clovers, it was offered with a pastoral board rating of 9700 sheep or cattle equivalents.

Mt Freeling Station offers untapped tourism potential.

Farina Station

In the state’s far north, the 22,700ha sheep and cattle station was sold on a walk-in, walk-out basis for $2.75m, including 1460 breeding ewes and around $250,000 of plant and equipment.

With a pastoral rating of 2700DSE, Farina Station has historically carried a self-replacing Merino sheep flock, while also supporting Dorpers and Angus and Hereford cattle.

Farina Station also earns income from tourism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdjjvOHpdSI

Western Australia: Sold

Gascoyne: Ella Valla & Yalbalgo Stations – $4m

It is a similar story in Western Australia, where 162,616ha of breeding and backgrounding country in the Gascoyne region achieved around $4m.

Spanning 76,167ha, Ella Valla Station, 75km south-east of Carnarvon and 85km west of the Gascoyne Junction, can run 875AE.

The neighbouring 86,449ha Yalbalgo Station, 55km west of Gascoyne Junction and 110km south-east of Carnarvon, has an assessed carrying capacity of 1131AE.

Located near Inggarda, both assets have red deep sandy and red sandy duplex soils supporting spinifex grasslands and scattered shrubs.

Western Australia: For sale

Mid-West: Prenti Downs – $9m

Prenti Downs, a 383,510ha pastoral lease near Wiluna, is listed for sale with more than 2500 breeding females and progeny, as well as plant and equipment. The property has a 3000 Adult Equivalent carrying capacity and features a home, 41 bores and 38 trap yards with remote camera monitoring.

Northern Territory: Sold

Top End: Heaton Hill – $4.5m & Coomalie Holding Depot – $7m

The 543ha Heaton Hill near Tortilla Flats, 15km north of Adelaide River and 30km from the Batchelor Meatworks, changed hands for $4.5m. The well-positioned depot block, one hour from Darwin Port, has Stuart Highway frontage and all-season road train access.

It is well established to gamba grass and seasonally stocked with 700 feeder cattle.

Infrastructure includes 2000 head steel cattle yards for feeding and spelling, depot yards, an undercover race, shaded feed yards, sprinklers, loading ramps and lighting for 24/7 operations.

Around 150ha are established to hay paddocks (jarrah and tully grass) yielding between 3000 and 4000 large square bales of hay a year, with the capacity to increase.

The nearby Coomalie Holding Depot, also near Tortilla Flats, changed hands for $7m in a private sale.

Located 25km north of Adelaide River and an hour south of Darwin, the live export depot facility supplies cattle to Southeast Asia.

Northern Territory: For sale

Top End: Victoria Downs – $4.8m to $5.3m

An emerging dryland cropping and live export opportunity near Robin Falls, in the Adelaide River region, is carrying a price guide of $4.8m to $5.3m.

The 3000ha Victoria Downs, carved off Mount Bundy Station, is being operated commercially for hay, with scope to expand fodder production as well as cattle breeding or backgrounding.

The property features well-drained, gently undulating country with sandy red and yellow soils suited to improved pastures and fodder production.