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.

• Discounted SA grazing land attracts strong interest
• Two New England properties listed for $13m and $8.2m
• Tightly held northern NSW country boasts scale
• Infrastructure and pastures feature in Qld’s South Burnett
• Affordable grazing in Southern Qld
• Mary River West returns to the market

Discounted SA grazing land attracts strong interest

Corporates and individual producers seeking expansion are showing strong interest in discounted prime grazing land in South Australia’s south east.

The 7110ha parcel of land, pictured above, comprising 13 blocks, is situated in the heart of Wattle Range and Coles area on the Limestone Coast region – centrally located between Lucindale, Penola and Millicent.

Owned by a Sydney-based trust investment company, the unique Elad Road offering has been used for forestry. All lots contain remnant stumps from felled plantation trees harvested in 2014/15.

Currently being grazed under licence, each block is fenced and watered from one or more bores equipped with solar-powered submersible pumps connected to 5000 gallon poly tanks.

Simon McIntyre from Nutrien Harcourts Adelaide said interest has come from every state except Queensland.

“A feature is the seasonal reliability of these lots which are available to return to a grazing enterprise. They are situated in a highly reliable 23-inch rainfall district that hasn’t experienced drought.”

Mr McIntyre said the blocks are adjacent to proven, reliable grazing country.

“The large parcel of land offers potential buyers flexibility, with many lots adjoining for larger holding options. It is too early to call whether someone will purchase it as a whole or as individual lots,” he said.

The country was being discounted because of the work that needed to be carried out to return it to its highest-value and best use – cattle and sheep grazing.

The 13 blocks are being offered for sale by registration of interest, closing on March 25.

Two New England properties listed for $13m and $8.2m

David Adams’ adjoining New England properties Cleggswood and Meldon have been listed for sale for $13 million by MacDougall Rural Property.

The 1813ha Cleggswood is located 22km from Uralla and the 1895ha Meldon, which can be accessed via two points on the Thunderbolts Way, is situated 10 and 18km from Uralla.

Cleggswood is dominated by a gentle valley, running from south to north, rising to some sheltered hills in the north-west. Soils types include medium and fine granite, with a little trap in the hills. Sixty percent of the country is arable and the agent expects a fair increase in production with some fertiliser and seeding.

Water is secured via the Morses, Stoney and Sugarloaf Creeks, plus 16 dams. Most of the fencing is in good to very good order.

Fronting Thunderbolts Way, Meldon boasts 284ha of gently undulating fine granite soils. The 1811ha balance backs on to some hillier spots while being dominated by a wide, gently rolling northerly valley consisting of granite and trap soils.

The property is impeccably fenced and watered by 788mm of rain, three creeks and 24 dams.

Selling agent Graham MacDougall said there was strong interstate and international interest in the 3708ha aggregation, which is being offered with a guide price of $13m.

 

Meantime, Armidale’s well grassed Kurrajong Park boasts high quality infrastructure and fencing, and has been listed with an $8.2 million price tag.

Set in a discreet valley to the west of Uralla, the 2100ha Kurrajong Park is situated 45km from Armidale.

It has been owned since 2004 by John Kennedy who is now consolidating his assets.

In addition to Honeysuckle Creek, there are 58 stock dams on the property ensuring water security for the 32 grazing and four holding paddocks.

Around 600ha of Kurrajong Park’s trap soil country is arable, although current management uses native pastures supplemented by regular superphosphate applications.

Tightly held northern NSW country boasts scale

After 28 years, the Quarello family is selling its large-scale grazing property in northern New South Wales’ tightly held Upper Horton region.

The Horton Valley Aggregation, spanning 4209ha, consists of Mount Royal, Horton Park, Pikes End, Robina and Part Robina.

Located 32km from Bingara and 55km from Warialda in a 700mm rainfall area, the country is productive and undulating, running down to river flats.

It features black and red basalts and chocolate loamy river soils, 1600ha of well-established tropical grasses and 115ha of irrigation. Around 2000ha could be cultivated.

Before destocking due to the drought, the property was running 6500 Dorper ewes and 600 steers. Today, it is boasting a good body of feed after the seasonal break.

Water is a feature. The property has a dual river frontage – 5km one side and 2km on the other. It has a 269ML licence from the Horton River, as well as five bores, 104 dams and a well.

Allan Gobbert from North West Real Estate is handling the sale and the expressions of interest campaign for the Horton Aggregation which closes on April 15.

Infrastructure and pastures feature in Qld’s South Burnett

A premier South Burnett cattle property with outstanding infrastructure and pastures is being offered to the market with a $4.6 million price tag.

Long held by Jillian Fogg and her son Doug, the 711ha Kitoba is located 15 minutes from Murgon and 45 minutes from Kingaroy, in southern Queensland.

It features 50ha of blacksoil flats highly suitable for cultivation and the remainder is blacksoil, bottletree, softwood to volcanic red soil scrub country that is heavily pastured.

The property can run around 500 young cattle to feedlot export feeder weights or 400 bullocks to finishing or 350 breeders with progeny removed as weaners. In a very good season, the vendors have run up to 700 backgrounding cattle.

Kitoba fronts the seasonal Windera Creek, plus seasonal watercourses, and is connected to the Merlwood water scheme ensuring a safe and reliable water supply to holding tanks, with water gravity fed to stock troughs. There is also a bore and a dam.

Mike Barry from Shepherdson and Boyd said the property is carrying a good body of feed and has attracted interest from producers seeking scrub country to grow out feeder steers or finish bullocks.

Affordable grazing in Southern Qld

Southern Queensland’s well grassed Keetah Downs is attracting good local and interstate interest from producers seeking affordable grazing.

The property has been owned for the last six years by Michael and Gabrielle Murry and Kim and Wendy Frahn who are selling to dissolve a business partnership.

Located 52km northwest of Texas and 58km south east of Goondiwindi, the 2104ha property features large areas of well-established sub-tropical pasture that run 300 cows and calves.

There has been extensive pasture development and improvement, and the vendors believe the carrying capacity could be improved further.

Between 80 and 100 hectares of the river flats is old cultivation. While some of this area was used for irrigation, it has been left as pasture country partially improved with subtropical pastures.

There is some regrowth on the property, with the owners planning to pull around 500ha prior to the auction.

Keetah Downs boasts a 1.7km Dumaresq River frontage and is watered by a 300ML storage dam, 30 dams and two bores.

The property will be auctioned on April 16 by Paul Kelly from Moree Real Estate.

Mary River West returns to the market

The Northern Territory’s Mary River West has returned to the market with a $5 million price tag.

Spanning 93,000 hectares, the enterprise has been owned since 2008 by Melbourne-based Gunther Gschwenter, who founded the Britz motorhome business.

Mr Gschwenter has been winding down the family’s northern Australian assets. In December 2016, he sold the 187,300ha Ban Ban Springs, 180km from Darwin, and in August 2019 he offloaded the 101,850ha Scott Creek, 62km west of Katherine.

Olivia Thompson from Landmark Harcourts said Mary River West was undeveloped and currently holds a pastoral lease.

“With improvements and basic infrastructure, a perpetual pastoral lease would be granted and because the Stuart and Kakadu highways run through the property, there is potential for a substantial fencing subsidies,” she said.

Mary River West has a variety of native grasses and natural springs and can carry 6200 adult equivalents.

Located less than two hours from Darwin and one hour from Katherine, the property also boasts huge tourism potential.

Just 60km from Kakadu National Park, the incoming owner could be tempted to build a caravan park, an eco-resort or a safari lodge.

 

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