Property

Movement at the Station: Properties for sale

Property editor Linda Rowley, 13/02/2019

Between $20m and $30m is expected for the blue-ribbon Central Queensland coastal cattle property Exmoor Station, which boasts 14km of beach frontage

 

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

  • CQ coastal country has 14km beach frontage
  • NSW: Ceres Ag carves off Golden Triangle asset
  • Well-grassed Hunter Valley properties
  • High rainfall country available in NSW’s New England
  • NT: Kingfisher Station changes agents
  • Land banking potential near Echuca

CQ coastal country has 14km beach frontage

Between $20m and $30m is expected for the blue-ribbon Central Queensland coastal cattle property Exmoor Station, listed recently by Gary Johns from Landmark Harcourts Mackay.

Spanning 7012ha, Exmmoor (pictured above) is located on Queensland’s Whitsunday Coast at Bloomsbury, 40 minutes south of Airlie Beach.

The property features more than 30 percent improved pastures, with the remainder mixed improved and native pastures as well as rangeland and saltpan areas.

The holding boasts 14km of beach coastline with tidal creeks. Fresh water supply is described as reliable with double frontage to the Hervey, Dempster, Rebus and Cedar Creeks, supplemented by 18 open earth dams.

Mr Johns said the property is uniquely located and boasts enormous potential.

“Not only for cattle breeding, backgrounding and fattening, but also as a depot for live export. Exmoor is a great land banking opportunity with its coastal frontage suitable for future subdivision. Large areas are also fit for cane production and irrigation water development for orcharding, plantations, farming and pastures.”

Exmoor has been carrying more than 4000 head of mixed cattle. Around 3750 head are included in the sale.

The property is being sold to finalise the estate of Bruno Giaiotti. Mr Giaiotti’s father developed the coastal block after purchasing it more than 50 years ago.

Expressions of Interest close on April 18.

NSW: Ceres Ag carves off Golden Triangle asset

Gunyerwarildi Station, one of Ceres Agriculture’s 15 properties currently on the market, is now being offered for separate sale by Richard Royle from CBRE.

In September last year, CBRE launched a public international expressions of interest campaign for Ceres Ag, a leading integrated Australian agricultural business, spanning 33,000ha of high-value grazing and cropping country across NSW’s Central Tablelands and Northwest Slopes.

It followed a 12 month, low-key, off-market campaign handled by Colliers International which reportedly piqued the interest of offshore and domestic suitors but failed to secure a buyer.

Ceres Agriculture is an integrated cropping, cattle backgrounding and finishing business turning off around 100,000 MSA-graded cattle and 40,000 tonnes of grain each year. Its holdings include Mayfield and Ballyroe at Oberon; Gunyerwarildi, Postmans, Brentwood, Lava Downs and Inverness near Warialda; and Brudle Park and Oaklands at Moree.

An expressions of interest process, which concluded on October 31, once again failed to secure a buyer.

Gunyerwarildi Station finishes MSA graded cattle and annually produces 20,000 tonnes of grain, pulses and oilseeds. The aggregation is located in the highly-acclaimed grain growing region of north-west NSW, known as the Golden Triangle.

Recently, the business has received certification and trade mark for their cattle finishing model, ‘Certified Free-Range Grain & Grass Fed Beef’ which has underpinned their award-wining beef brands.

It can accommodate 30,000 head of cattle at one time, with an annual turnoff capacity of 140,000 with further expansion capabilities. The cattle on the aggregation are accommodated in the licensed 7000 SCU feedlot (DA approval for an expansion to 20,000 SCU) with the remainder in paddocks under the grain and grassfed system.

More than 10,000ha of dryland cropping is grown to premium grade barley, bread wheat, durum wheat, sorghum, corn and chick peas.

The business operates its own fleet of modern livestock and bulk trucks allowing it to maximise cattle weight gains and minimise stress to livestock. The vast majority of bulk commodities are also transported using the company’s fleet.

Gunyerwarildi Station finishes MSA graded cattle and annually produces 20,000 tonnes of grain, pulses and oilseeds. The aggregation is located in the highly-acclaimed grain growing region of north-west NSW, known as the Golden Triangle.

Selling agent Richard Royle said Gunyerwarildi Station has outstanding infrastructure, quality plant and machinery, technology, a long-standing management team and support team of mechanics and maintenance staff.

“Significant investment has been undertaken in grain storage, paddock development, reticulated water troughs (972ML water licence), fencing, cattle yards, storage facilities, administration and accommodation, access laneways and all-weather roads.”

The Gunyerwarildi Station aggregation will be sold in one-line or separate aggregations. Other commercial options will also be considered.

Well grassed Hunter Valley properties

When most of eastern Australia is still experiencing drought conditions, two well-known Merriwa district properties are well grassed and enjoying good seasonal conditions.

Parkway and Templemore are being offered for sale via Meares online auction later this month.

Owned and operated by Hunter Valley irrigation pioneer, the late Keith Yore and his family, the two properties are 6.5km apart ‘as the crow flies’ or 15km by road.

The two mixed farming and grazing holdings complement each other. The 829ha Parkway is a backgrounding and fattening operation, while the 1375ha Templemore is highly-regarded as breeding and backgrounding country, suited to both sheep and cattle.

They are located within easy reach of Merriwa and 90km from Scone.

Parkway features soft rich red and chocolate basalt undulating/slopes and 85ha of farming country ideal for either cash or fodder cropping. It is well-watered with surface dams and two equipped bores supplying a network of troughs. It is conservatively estimated to carry 6400 DSEs or 320 breeding cows.

Templemore is mainly heavy chocolate and black basalt, undulating to low hill country, mainly easterly aspect and with open sheltered valleys. One hundred and fifty hectares of alluvial river flats have been prepared for the sowing of winter oats. The property is well watered with a 1.1km frontage to the Krui River supplying 64 livestock troughs. It is conservatively rated to carry 7000 DSEs or 350 cows.

John Flood for local marketing agents Flood Rural and Water said Parkway and Templemore are relatively low-cost operations.

“As a result, the Yores concentrated on the production of beef cattle, however there is no doubt that both properties would be also ideal for either a Merino wool growing or crossbred prime lamb operation.”

Chris Meares from Meares & Associates said quality rural properties in higher rainfall areas are attracting demand from investors.

“Parkway and Templemore boast an average of 660mm per annum and together with their excellent locations, soil types, versatility and improvements represent an ideal opportunity for both existing rural producers or off-farm investors to capitalise soundly.”

Templemore is expected to sell for between $5m and $5.25m. Parkway is likely to achieve between $3.7m to $4m.

The properties will be offered as a whole or individually at the February 26 auction.

The 1375ha Templemore is highly-regarded as breeding and backgrounding country, suited to both sheep and cattle.

High rainfall country available in NSW’s New England

The New England grazing property Loloma is being offered for sale for $5.95m after failing to sell at auction in December.

The 812ha property has been owned since 2006 by Tony and Pauline Kennelly who have decided to retire.

Last year, Andrew Starr from Ray White Rural told Beef Central, Loloma’s location was a selling point.

“The property is located at Woolbrook, midway between Tamworth and Armidale, which means good proximity to selling markets. It is suitable to background or breed cattle or to operate as a prime lamb or wool enterprise, or a combination of both.”

Mr Starr said Loloma was a highly arable parcel of land. Around 70 hectares are sown with an oat crop with the balance subject to an ongoing perennial pasture renovation program. There is also an opportunity to further develop the cropping and pasture work completed to date.

The vendors currently cut hay on the river flats to support the 450 to 550 breeding cows, plus 100 crossbred ewes.

Loloma has an average annual rainfall of 820mm. It boasts a 5km double frontage to the Macdonald River, which is renowned for its reliability of fresh flowing water. Not only does it provide assurance for stock and domestic purposes, the Macdonald River is also well known for trout fishing, platypuses, swimming and a range of recreational activities. Additional stock water is provided by 18 surface flow earthen dams.

Oban View

RWR is also marketing 855 hectares of grazing country in northern NSW’s highly-regarded and reliable Eastern Falls region.

Located 26km from Guyra, Oban View is improved and sown down to perennial pastures of fescues and clovers. It benefits from a long-standing fertiliser history.

The property receives 950mm annually and is watered by mostly spring-fed dams, complimented by numerous tributaries and frontage to the Oban River.

Oban View will be auctioned on March 8.

NT: Kingfisher Station changes agents

The Douglas-Daly beef enterprise Kingfisher Station is now being marketed by Alison Ross of Elders Katherine, after failing to sell following an expressions of interest campaign.

The 2027ha property is located 250km south of Darwin. It has a 1000 head carrying capacity, an all-weather access road and is close to cattle markets.

Historically, it has finished trading cattle, with cattle gaining weights of over 1kg per day between the months of November and April. The vendor estimates the capacity for livestock is two beasts per hectare over the wet season.

Kingfisher Station boasts 2km frontage to the Daly River – one of the largest river systems in the NT, providing great fishing for barramundi.

Positioned over multiple aquifers, including the Oolloo, Kingfisher has an additional 3000mgl ground water extraction licence.

The enterprise is currently used for intensive freehold grazing, however its Blain soils makes it suited to a range of cropping pursuits.

Seventy percent is cleared and developed to improved pastures which means Kingfisher could be further developed to hay production, fodder cropping or forestry – with many family-owned properties and corporate forestry groups holding land in the Douglas Daly region.

The vendors, Sam and Sarah-Jane McBean, own Ruby Downs, in the Douglas Daly, and Providence Station on the Sturt Plateau.

With 70pc of the property cleared and developed to improved pastures, Kingfisher could be also further developed to forestry, hay production or converted solely to fodder cropping.

Victoria: Land banking potential near Echuca

There’s been local and interstate interest in the 1255ha mixed farming operation Koraleigh Park, which is likely to make more than $6m.

Located minutes from Echuca in northern Victoria, the property is suited to broadacre cropping, sheep, cattle, hay and fodder production with the access to channel and bore water to facilitate the production of summer crops.

Koraleigh Park features a 1000t grain and fertiliser storage, sheep and cattle facilities and 200ha of irrigation layout with scope to increase.

Future development and subdivision are also an option, as Koraleigh Park sits on 23 separate titles and many original crown allotments.

John Moyle from Landmark Harcourts said the country around Echuca and Moama had escaped any downturn and negativity, with similar properties in the area making upwards of $5000/ha.

There’s been local and interstate interest in the 1255ha mixed farming and grazing operation Koraleigh Park, which is likely to make more than $6m.

Click here to access more properties listed for sale

 

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