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.

• Strong interest in RIFA Salutory’s grazing portfolio
• Augathella’s Gladys Downs listed for more than $20.5m
• Well-watered Lancewood
• Neighbouring Orange cattle properties hit the market
• Grassed-up Waterview
• Myrrlumbing a going concern

 Strong interest in RIFA Salutory’s grazing portfolio

CBRE Agribusiness is reporting strong interest for Rifa Salutory’s Australian grazing operations, placed on the market back in July.

The sale, by one of the biggest Chinese investors in Australian land and cattle, is a diversified and geographically dispersed portfolio of five aggregations across NSW and Victoria, including 10,000 Angus breeders, covering almost 44,000ha.

Selling agent Col Medway said the international expressions of interest campaign had now closed.

“The first round of offers has been reviewed and will be submitted to the vendors this week. Parties will then be short-listed and invited to participate in the second round.”

Mr Medway said offers had been fielded from a range of potential buyers.

“It’s come from existing cattle players in northern NSW and Victoria and from institutions and corporates, both domestic and international. There is interest in the individual properties, those in the north, those in the south, and for the lot,” he said.

The holdings include:

• 2405ha Blackwood Station (Victoria’s Western District)
• 4390ha Kulwin Park Station (Victoria’s Southern Mallee)
• 23,977ha Cooplacurripa Station (Nowendoc, NSW) – pictured above
• 4391ha Ashleigh Station (Gravesend, NSW Northern Slopes)
• 8613ha Middlebrook Station (Nundle, Northern NSW)

Augathella’s Gladys Downs listed for more than $20.5m

More than $20.5 million is expected for the admired Augathella district property Gladys Downs which has been listed for sale by Landmark Harcourts.

The sale will bring to an end 102 years of single family ownership by the Schmidt family.

In 1917, Clarence Schmidt drew a selection of 1335 hectares which formed a small part of what is now the 20,025ha Gladys Downs.

Clarence’s grandchildren Kelvin Schmidt and Judy Bowles, who have been running a 3000 to 5000 head cattle breeding and fattening operation, have now decided to retire.

Water on Gladys Downs is exceptional and is sourced from bores, tanks, dams, waterholes and creeks. There is also 34km of new exclusion fencing.

Located in the Augathella Merge, it is a property that boasts a diverse mix of land types.

There are highly developed brigalow, gidgee and bottletree scrub soils, tremendous buffel grass country, responsive soft red loams and timbered and open Mitchell downs country.

Roma-based selling agent Darryl Langton said Gladys Downs is well grassed with a good body of feed.

“Feed is an added bonus, but not all the potential buyers are grass hungry. Multi-generational grazing assets boasting scale and quality rarely come forward and that is why they are keenly sought in the market at present.”

Mr Langton said there had been wonderful interest in the market already.

“There’s been strong enquiry from producers in the Northern Territory, north western Queensland, the western downs and central and northern NSW,” he said.

Well watered Lancewood

Water security is the key selling point for North Queensland’s highly productive and versatile Lancewood Station.

The 1545ha mixed grazing and irrigation aggregation is located in a tightly held area on the Burdekin River, 115km from Townsville and 40km north of Charters Towers.

Its wide frontage to the Burdekin provides permanent natural supplies for stock, irrigation and water harvesting purposes. It also has two water licenses totalling 2000ML, nine dams and a 200ML water storage area.

The carrying capacity under its current operation is 600 head, but those numbers could be lifted if the property was adapted to high intensity grazing.

Earthworks have been carried out on Lancewood in anticipation of an 1800 SCU feedlot and while there is suitable operator application (SOA) approval, the DA has lapsed and would need to be revisited.

David Woodhouse, Landmark Harcourts said it is early days, but the inquiry has been from families and from corporate interests.

Luke and Lauren St George who have developed Lancewood are now moving on to other ventures. The property will be auctioned on a walk-in walk-out basis, including a comprehensive list of modern plant and equipment and a crop, on October 17.

Neighbouring Orange cattle properties hit the market

Webster Nolan is offering two adjoining cattle properties on the NSW Central Tablelands.

Located 18km from Orange, the picturesque and productive holdings are suitable for both cattle and sheep.

The 229ha Koolabah, valued between $3.75 and $4m, features heavy red, highly fertile basalt grazing and farming country that can carry 120 cows and calves. It is well-watered by two creeks, 11 dams, a bore and troughs.

The neighbouring and complementary 153ha Pine Elder can be purchased as a stand-alone farm. Featuring fertile basalt fattening and breeder country, it is capable of running 70 cows and calves. It is watered by two creeks, six dams and troughs and is valued between $1.8m and $2m.

The two properties will be offered separately at auction on October 27.

Grassed up Waterview

Grass-hungry producers from Nebo, McKinlay and Beaudesert are showing strong interest in north Queensland’s Waterview, which has been listed for $3.1m.

The 17,815ha breeder block is located 97km south of Prairie and is described as being easy to run with low operational costs.

Waterview is boasting a good body of grass after 38mm of rain in June and that is prompting inquiry from existing producers chasing grass, a breeding block or expansion.

Over many years, the country has proved to be safe with a mix of grasses and edible scrub that cattle happily forage on in dry times.

It also responds quickly to rain and has the scope for further development with aerial seeding of improved pastures and extending the existing water plan.

Living up to its name, the Waterview homestead boasts views of a large dam. It is also watered by permanent and semi-permanent holes from two creek systems that run through the property, as well as 16 dams, a bore, troughs and tanks.

John Soutar from Elders Charters Towers is handling the sale on behalf of Bob Bode, who is selling due to succession planning.

Myrrlumbing a going concern

The Pemble family’s well improved Charters Towers cattle property Myrrlumbing is being offered to the market as a going concern by Elders.

Located 60km west of Charters Towers, the 15,800ha block has been consistently running over 2700 mixed cattle in recent years. Around 1335 cattle and station plant will be included in the sale.

The country is a mix of frontage country and basalt ridges, open red soil timbered country, plus black soil box flats that are heavily grassed.

Water is supplied by seven bores and 14 main dams with a number of smaller dams plus seasonal holes in Hann Creek and permanent water in Lolworth Creek.

Myrrlumbing will be auctioned on September 27.

 

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