Property

Energy giant QGC continues to roll-out of its rural portfolio

Property editor Linda Rowley, 25/05/2022

Watering point on QGC’s heavily improved Greenacres, southwest of Wandoan

 

QGC appears to be divesting its rural portfolio, with the natural gas producer offloading more prime grazing properties – this time a large-scale backgrounding/finish aggregation on Queensland’s Western Downs.

Over the past ten years, QGC aggregated more than 80 properties with gas prospects, mostly in Queensland.

The gas assets on these holdings have now matured, which means well construction and other infrastructure are complete and are in full production.

As a result, QGC has no need to hold on to its rural property portfolio and is slowly rolling them out for sale.

In August last year, QGC (previously Queensland Gas Co and now owned by Royal Dutch Shell) decided to offload five productive grazing and cropping properties on Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Minjara, Old Marmadua, Duck Ponds, Waterside and Brentleigh spanning 11,500ha and each with the added benefit of passive income, sold to three individuals making in excess of $20m. See more details in tonight’s separate recently completed sales article.

The latest offering comprises three adjoining, well-developed grazing properties situated 40km south-west of Wandoan. All are within easy reach of Queensland’s major livestock selling centres of Roma and Dalby, with access to the largest concentration of major beef cattle feedlots in Australia.

Combined, Ewingsdale, Lucky Downs and Greenacres span 15,522ha and can carry up to 5500 adult equivalents.

Ewingsdale

The 5178ha Ewingsdale is the most southern of the three properties. The country consists of undulating brigalow/belah softwood scrub running through to productive flats. Buffel grass is dominant with Rhodes grass on the flats. The property is watered by four bores, 15 dams plus seasonal holes in creeks.

Lucky Downs

The 5636ha Lucky Downs is north of Ewingsdale and south of Greenacres. Extensive land improvements include 775ha under silk perennial sorghum.

The country consists of undulating brigalow/belah softwood scrub with poplar box rising to low hills with spotted gum. Pastures include buffel, Rhodes, green panic and blue grass. It is watered by six bores, 19 dams and seasonal holes in creeks.

Greenacres

The 4707ha Greenacres is north of Lucky Downs and features prolific buffel grass. The country consists of undulating brigalow/belah softwood scrub with ironbark, areas of spotted gum and low cypress pine hills. Water is provided by two bores, seven dams and seasonal holes in creeks.

While Ewingsdale, Lucky Downs and Greenacres share common boundaries, they are being marketed separately by Knight Frank Agribusiness and Colliers Agribusiness via an ‘offer to purchase’ process closing on July 21.

Just like the earlier five Darling Downs holdings, the three Wandoan district properties have been leased to Stanbroke Pastoral Co for the past six years.

Phillip Kelly from Colliers Agribusiness said each property has an established coal seam gas infrastructure providing purchasers ongoing passive income payments under existing conduct and compensation agreements.

“These assets are likely to attract larger family corporate operators. We anticipate interested parties will conduct a yield assessment on investment (ie. the CCA return), not just on agricultural beef production,” Mr Kelly said.

“These people may have pre-existing engagement and relationship with the CSG industry or have the capacity to develop long term beneficial working relationships with tenement holders,” he said.

 

 

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