THIS week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across New South Wales and Queensland, and separate articles on listings in other regions, and recent sales of note.

• Scale & location in CQ
• Moonie River grazing attracts strong inquiry
• Water a drawcard in NSW’s New England
• $14m for Qld high rainfall grazing
• $9m for NW NSW grazing & carbon

Crossbred cattle on East Top, in the Belyando district of CQ

Scale & location in CQ

A breeding, backgrounding and finishing operation in Central Queensland is expected to attract strong interest from buyers across the state.

Spanning 7267ha, East Top is in the highly regarded Belyando cattle district, 150km north-west of Clermont. The property is being offered with 2050 head of crossbred cattle, along with selected plant and equipment.

Ray White Rural agent Richard Brosnan said East Top offers an appealing combination of location and scale in a tightly held district.

“The property’s location provides broad marketing options for cattle, with export abattoirs at Mackay, Rockhampton and Biloela all within a 400km radius,” he said.

“There are also regular cattle sales at Emerald and Gracemere, as well as access to southern markets and feedlots via Rolleston and Roma.”

Under normal seasonal conditions, the vendor runs four mobs of cattle, leaving two large paddocks available for general grazing, mustering and sale preparation.

The mostly cleared country includes brigalow, gidgee and ironbark, together with loamy alluvials, coolabah floodplains and box country.

Areas of mixed forest feature coolabah, Moreton Bay ash, bauhinia, emu apple, false sandalwood and gum.

Buffel, urochloa, seca and verano stylo provide strong ground cover, supplemented by native grasses. Rotational grazing has further improved the pasture base.

Water is supplied by a flowing artesian bore, three dams and seasonal flows along the Belyando River, which runs through the western portion of the property.

Improvements include a four-bedroom home, a combined workshop and residence, staff quarters, a shed and new steel cattle yards.

East Top is for sale by expressions of interest, closing November 12.

Moonie River grazing attracts strong inquiry

A Western Downs breeding and backgrounding operation on the banks of the Moonie River is attracting significant inquiry from across Queensland.

The 3634ha Cherry Park is near Flinton 20km from Westmar and120km east of St George.

Cherry Park is underpinned by brigalow and belah soils established to buffel, bambatsi and native grasses.

The property has been destocked since July but is offered with an estimated carrying capacity of 500 breeders plus the previous year’s weaners.

Around 1200ha was previously cultivated.

GLM/Raine & Horne Rural Dalby agent Brendan Gilliland reports Cherry Park’s scale, location and water are the main drawcards.

“Used as a breeder block, it is an exceptional backgrounding property,” he said.

“Rarely does an offering of this scale bring together such a compelling combination of freehold country, productive soils, established pasture, former cultivation country and substantial water infrastructure,” Mr Gilliland said.

Cherry Park receives around 600mm of average annual rainfall and benefits from 12km of Moonie River frontage, an artesian bore and 13 dams, with water reticulated to 20 paddocks.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom Queenslander, a renovated two-bedroom cottage, a shearers’ quarters, a five-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, steel cattle yards and sheds.

There is 6km of exclusion fencing along the north-eastern boundary.

Cherry Park will be auctioned on a bare basis on October 29.

Cherry Park yards

Water a drawcard in NSW’s New England

A well-established grazing property on the outskirts of Armidale, in northern New South Wales’ New England region, has been listed for sale by Charles and Dorianne Coventry of Achill Station and Sunnyside.

The 735ha Hillgrove Station, 25km east of Armidale with direct access to Waterfall Way, was once part of a much larger property of the same name.

Owned by the Coventrys since 2014, the property is divided into 25 paddocks and has capacity for around 330 breeding cows or 5000DSE.

Water security is underpinned by 7km of double frontage to Bakers Creek, along with several dams.

Ray White Rural agent Andrew Starr said the holding’s reliable water supply is attracting interest from local buyers and beef operators in southern Queensland.

Mr Starr said during their ownership, the vendors invested in maintaining and improving the property’s productive capacity.

“Pasture development has been supported by an ongoing renovation program, with selected paddocks established to perennial pasture species and complemented by regular fertiliser and top-dressing applications.”

Mr Starr said Hillgrove offered a compelling combination of lifestyle, agricultural productivity and long-term potential.

“The property’s layout and infrastructure are well suited to buyers seeking a productive rural holding that can be effectively managed alongside full-time employment in Armidale.”

Improvements include a three-bedroom home, sheds and livestock yards.

Hillgrove Station is scheduled to go to auction on November 5.

$14m for Qld high rainfall grazing

On the back of stability in the cattle market, there has been renewed interest in John Driver’s high-rainfall breeding and backgrounding enterprise near Bundaberg in Central Queensland, which has been listed for offers around $14 million.

Aggregated over 22 years, the 3675ha Crescent Valley is located 30km west of Gin Gin and 80km from Bundaberg.

Aussie Land & Livestock agent James Bredhauer said the aggregation is attracting good interest from local buyers, Central Queensland operators and New South Wales producers seeking value breeding country in a reliable 1000mm rainfall area.

“The well-managed, well-improved grazing enterprise boasts extensive creek frontages and quality infrastructure. Additionally, the multiple titles provide flexibility for expansion, future divestment options or additional income from timber,” he said.

Crescent Valley is currently running more than 2100 head of mixed cattle. The vendors believe that as a dedicated breeder operation it would comfortably carry around 1200 cows.

The property comprises undulating forest country interspersed with open valleys, offering a balance of grazing and shelter.

More than 2000ha has been cleared and established to improved pastures, with a further 1600ha cleared and sown to legumes, with potential to also grow leucaena.

Crescent Valley is well watered by 17km of double frontage to Gin Gin Creek, including permanent waterholes, as well as 2km of Dinner Creek frontage, 18 dams and an equipped bore.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a three-bedroom home, workers’ accommodation, four cattle yards and numerous sheds.

Crescent Valley is being sold on a bare basis, with cattle available to the successful purchaser.

$9m for NW NSW grazing & carbon

A cattle and sheep enterprise generating substantial carbon credits in north-western New South Wales has returned to the market with a $9 million price tag.

Operated remotely for more than 20 years by South Australian-based Bill and Natalie Brown, the 36,758ha Nantilla Station is a Western Lands Lease located 78km south of Wanaaring and 145km north of White Cliffs.

Nutrien Russell Property and Livestock agent David Russell said the grazing country is conservatively managed for carbon.

“Nantilla benefits from a large established Human Induced Regeneration (HIR) carbon project forecast to generate an additional 800,000 Australian carbon credit units to the end of 2041.”

Presently running cattle, Nantilla is rated to carry 8000DSE.

For the past 15 years, it has been lightly stocked resulting in abundant natural grasses, herbages and soft salines.

The semi-open rosewood, whitewood and mulga country has red loam soils, while the soft mulga land features numerous creek systems and waterholes fringed with red gum and box flood out flats with grey fertile soil types.

It is watered by five bores (two equipped) and ten dams, supported by an average annual rainfall of 270mm.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, a six-bedroom workers quarters, a five-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, steel cattle yards, nine goat trap yards and 7km of new fencing.

Cattle on Nantilla