Each week, we take the pulse of rural property — from sales data to who’s making headlines. Check out this week's report from Kylie Dulhunty.
Size: Arcturus Downs Aggregation - 15601ha/ Pindari - 19,343ha
Location: Central Highlands QLD
Sale Price: Believed to be $120+ million
The landmark sale of the Arcturus Downs Portfolio in Queensland’s Central Highlands has been finalised, with LAWD confirming two buyers: the newly created $250 million Meldora platform and the Gale family of Springsure.
The extensively developed irrigated cropping, dryland farming and cattle operation was split into two hubs, with Meldora acquiring the 15,601ha Arcturus Downs Aggregation – comprising Arcturus Downs, Kronje and Barton Downs – while the Gale family purchased the 19,343ha Pindari property.
Known for producing cotton, sorghum and mungbeans across 1,000ha of irrigation, along with wheat, barley, chickpeas, oats and sorghum from 6,852ha of dryland country, Arcturus is regarded as one of the most productive assets in the region.
Pindari, 30km away, supports 1,500 breeders with a carrying capacity of 2,250 adult equivalents across a mix of open and timbered grazing and rangelands.
LAWD Director Simon Cudmore said the transaction highlighted the enduring appeal of scale and diversity in the Central Highlands.
“An offering of this scale and diversity in such a tightly-held region is quite rare, and LAWD was very pleased that strong interest in both the Aggregation and Pindari produced such quality buyers,” Mr Cudmore said.
“The Arcturus Downs Portfolio benefits from the trifecta of fertile soil types, an excellent climate and secure irrigation water, and we have every confidence that agriculture will be the ultimate winner from these substantial investments.”
The sale price for the portfolio has not been declared but is believed to be more than $120 million.
The acquisition also marks the first property purchase for Meldora, a platform launched by Canadian global investor La Caisse (formerly CDPQ) in partnership with the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
Meldora is designed to combine sustainable agriculture with large-scale environmental plantings under the Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) scheme, supported by a long-term offtake agreement with Rio Tinto.
Managed by Gunn Agri Partners, the platform has attracted $200 million from La Caisse and $50 million from the CEFC.
La Caisse Executive Vice-President and Head of Infrastructure and Sustainability Emmanuel Jaclot said the initiative signalled growing global confidence in climate-smart agriculture.
“This investment is a timely step toward advancing resilient, climate-smart agriculture in Australia, while delivering measurable environmental and economic value,” he said.
“Teaming up once again with the CEFC and GAP – and with Rio Tinto as a foundation offtaker – reinforces our confidence in this platform’s ability to scale.
“It reflects La Caisse’s commitment to sustainable land use and our broader net zero ambition, as we position ourselves early in a growing market for high-quality carbon credits.”
LAWD Senior Director, Jaclyn Hope, said the successful sale of the Arcturus Downs Portfolio, offered as two separate aggregations, represented a landmark transaction in Queensland’s agricultural market.
“The campaign drew strong interest and competitive bidding from a wide range of buyers, from family farming operations to large-scale institutional groups, underscoring the enduring appeal of scale, water security and regional productivity,” Ms Hope said.
Size: 212ha
Location: Tabbita, NSW
Sale method: EOI launching late September
Price Guide: N/A
One of Australia’s largest broiler farming operations has hit the market, with industry sources expecting the aggregation to attract nine-figure offers despite no formal price guide being released.
The VOAG portfolio, comprising 80 poultry sheds across five farms in the Tabbita district of the Riverina in NSW, is being marketed by Colliers.
Each of the self-contained farms includes 16 sheds and is situated just 30km north-west of Griffith.
VOAG rears broiler chickens under contract to Baiada, one of the nation’s largest chicken meat processors.
The aggregation spans 212ha and offers more than 245,000sq m of production area, with a current permit capacity exceeding 5.2 million birds per batch cycle.
Experienced staff reside on-site across the farms and are expected to continue under new ownership.
Colliers’ National Director Jesse Manuel described VOAG as a landmark agribusiness investment.
“VOAG is a modern agribusiness investment that has been built for financial performance across every aspect of its asset base and business,” Mr Manuel said.
“From its economies of scale driving operational efficiencies, to its high-end equipment driving maximum productive performance.
“The enterprise is a highly profitable, institutional-grade investment opportunity that has been developed with an emphasis on sustainability through investment in solar, water preservation and a continued focus on reducing its environmental footprint.”
Colliers’ National Director Duncan McCulloch said the market backdrop made the portfolio particularly attractive.
“The significant increase in construction costs in recent years, together with enhanced regulatory due diligence, makes an acquisition of a turn-key operation considerably more attractive in today’s market,” Mr McCulloch noted.
“Australian agriculture is seen as a safe haven for investment, and we are seeing a record quantum of capital being raised throughout the globe for deployment in high-quality assets that offer scale and consistent returns, and that are underpinned by supply contracts and a professional management solution.
“The ability for investors to deploy more capital through the development of extensive additional shedding is a huge feature, further enhancing economies of scale to drive efficiencies and increase profit margin.”
The VOAG portfolio will be offered for sale by Expressions of Interest from late September.
Size: 34,005ha
Location: Near Blackall, QLD
Sale Price: $47.822 million
A sprawling 34,005ha Central Queensland cattle station aggregation has changed hands in a near $50 million deal, continuing the run of high-value pastoral sales across the state.
The Mt Harden Aggregation, located 72km southwest of Blackall, has been sold by AAM Investment Group to Redrock Cattle Company for $47.822 million, according to state property records.
The aggregation comprises three contiguous holdings - Mt Harden, Lowana and Morundahm - and was described at the time of listing as a “remarkable aggregation with strong breeding, backgrounding and fattening history”.
The buyers, John and Margaret Speed of Comet, run Redrock Trading Company, a family operation spanning Northern Territory breeding country and Central Queensland fattening country.
Their expanding portfolio includes the 59,669ha Croydon Station, acquired in 2021 for $80 million, and the 647,497ha organic cattle station Tobermorey in the NT.
For AAM, the sale represents a major return. The agribusiness investor purchased the aggregation in 2021 for $24.8 million and invested heavily in infrastructure before placing the property on the market in March.
Rated to carry 6,172 adult cattle equivalents, the aggregation features a blend of brigalow, open Mitchell grass downs, Coolibah Creek channels and 6,000ha of developed gidgee country with prolific buffel grass.
The off-market deal was managed by Ray White Rural Queensland’s Bruce Douglas and Rural Property & Livestock’s Walter Cooper.
Size: 643.56ha
Location: Jung, Victoria
Sale method: EOI, closing at 12pm (AEDT), October 9
Price Guide: N/A
A premium parcel of 643.56ha in Victoria’s Wimmera region has been listed for sale for the first time in more than half a century, presenting a rare opportunity for buyers to secure high-yielding dryland cropping land.
Owned and operated by Dennis and Dorcas Schneider for over 50 years, the portfolio at Jung spans four productive landholdings - Dennis (46.46ha), Ladlows (286.32ha), Bakers (183.06ha) and Owens (127.72ha).
Together, the properties support high-yielding crops including lentils, canola, wheat and barley, with additional scope for sheep grazing.
The holdings are being offered either as a whole or in separate blocks, with access available upon completion of the 2025 harvest.
Consistent growing season rainfall, favourable soil types and secure water from the Grampians Wimmera Mallee Pipeline underpin their productivity, supported by a further catchment at the main shedding complex.
With the Wimmera enjoying strong seasonal conditions, LAWD Sales Executive Patrick Kerr expects buyer competition to be fierce.
“We anticipate strong interest in secure, high-yielding cropping land of this quality, either from nearby landholders looking to expand, but also farming families seeking to acquire one or several of the holdings,” Mr Kerr said.
“With 97 per cent of the D&D Schneider Portfolio considered arable, this holding presents operational efficiencies and economies of scale ideally suited to low-input cropping.”
Soils across the four sites include self-mulching clays and Wimmera loams, complemented by key infrastructure such as a three-bedroom, one-bathroom brick veneer home, a 330sq m machinery shed, 90sq m chemical storage shed, 115sq m hay shed and sheep yards.
Located near the township of Jung, just 16 kilometres north-east of Horsham, the portfolio offers proximity to agricultural services, schools, health facilities and recreation.
The D&D Schneider Portfolio is being offered for sale by Expression of Interest, closing at 12pm (AEDT) on October 9.
Kylie Dulhunty is a journalist with more than 20 years experience covering everything from court to health. Today, Kylie loves nothing more than turning market trends, industry insights and epic property sales - residential, rural and commercial into captivating stories.