Size: 7,070ha
Location: Kununurra, WA
Sale method: EOI closing 11am on February 7
Price guide: N/A
A rare opportunity has arisen to secure a promising Western Australian agricultural property in the highly sought East Kimberley region, with significant water security.
The vast ‘Kingston Rest’ aggregation spans 7,070ha (17,470 acres) across 12 titles, presenting significant potential for agricultural development.
Elders Real Estate has the listing and General Manager Farmland Agency and Investments, Mark Barber said the ‘Kingston Rest’ aggregation included a 3,022ha dam, which supports a substantial 20,000ML annual water entitlement.
“There are a couple of things that make this property really special, with water security probably the most important thing,” he said.
“It has the Dunham Dam and 830mm rainfall. Dunham Dam was built to irrigate that area, and it’s just massive.”
Currently, 1,877ha are irrigated for sandalwood production, demonstrating the property’s ability to sustain high-value crops. Pic: Supplied
Situated in the thriving agricultural hub of the Ord River region, ‘Kingston Rest’ benefits from booming agricultural production and expanding opportunities in crops such as cotton, maize, mangoes, watermelon, and chickpeas.
Cotton, in particular, is expanding with the Kimberley Cotton Company (KCC) developing a new gin in the Kununurra region.
“That whole area is expanding quickly and has proven it’s a high value horticultural area,” Mr Barber said.
Logistically, the property is a standout. Located just 70km from Kununurra via a bitumen national highway, it offers year-round accessibility.
Kununurra’s domestic airport and transport hub, coupled with the nearby port of Wyndham (80 kilometres away), ensure efficient transportation and export capabilities.
Mr Barber said the property’s location wasn’t just a boon from a horticultural perspective but a livestock one as well.
“From a cattle perspective, if there are some cattle producers that would look at this, it can produce an enormous amount of fodder and aggregate cattle on the way to live export ports,” he said.
“You can bring cattle in from any direction and send them to Wyndham, Darwin, Broome, or whichever is most convenient.
“The utility of this place is quite extraordinary.”
The property is being sold via expression of interest closing 11am on February 7.
Size: 10,000ha
Location: Mendooran
Sale method: Off-market
Sale price: Believed to be $70 million-plus
Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has further cemented her position in Australia’s cattle industry with the acquisition of the 10,000ha ‘Wongaboori Station’, in central west NSW.
The sale to Pastoral Properties, a Hancock Prospecting subsidiary, is believed to have exceeded $70 million, according to The Weekly Times.
The latest acquisition adds to Ms Rinehart’s growing agricultural footprint in the region, bringing her total holdings in the Mendooran district to more than 26,000ha.
Her existing properties in the area include the ‘Glencoe Station’, ‘Boogadah’, ‘Caigan’, and ‘Hiddendale Aggregation’, which has become a hub for her fullblood Wagyu F1 herd – now one of the largest in the country with more than 12,000 cattle.
Hancock Agriculture began its investment in the region in 2014, purchasing ‘Boogadah’ and ‘Caigan’ for $25 million, followed by ‘Glencoe Station’ in 2015 for $30 million, and ‘Hiddendale’ in 2016.
Wongaboori Station, made up of four non-contiguous blocks, was sold by Sydney-based Paul McGirr through an off-market deal.
Hancock’s Wagyu cattle are primarily grazed in NSW before being moved to feedlots in Queensland.
Ms Rinehart has also diversified her agricultural investments with purchases in Victoria and Queensland, funded in part by selling several iconic cattle stations spanning 6.7 million hectares.
Australian agriculture real estate and advisory firm, LAWD, will share its expertise on the world stage, as a founding member of the International Ag Alliance (IAA).
The IAA is a coalition of top agricultural land firms from across the globe, coming together to streamline international investment in the sector and advance responsible land management.
The IAA will connect international expertise to agricultural opportunities in key regions by fostering collaboration among firms and supporting clients to navigate acquisition, management, appraisal and expansion across borders.
The founding members are Iowa-based Peoples Company as experts in the US market, respected UK firm, Brown & Co, representing European and Latin American markets, and LAWD, providing expertise in the Asia Pacific region.
LAWD Chief Executive Enda Foley said the increasing appeal of agriculture as a global asset was a key factor driving the IAA.
“Over the past two years, we have interacted with Peoples Company and Brown & Co, and it was clear we all shared the same business values and objectives,” Mr Foley said.
“Being formally aligned in a strong alliance avoids the complexity of global ownership structures and creates an optimal global ag investment collaboration platform to seamlessly connect our people and our clients.”
Each of the countries or regions represented by the firms is required to have a stable agricultural sector defined by political stability, economic resilience, favourable climate conditions, established infrastructure, and a sound regulatory environment.
As part of the IAA, farming families, institutional investors and agribusinesses will gain access to tailored opportunities in diverse agricultural regions backed by trusted and local expertise from IAA member firms.
IAA members have committed to sharing critical insights and trends from their regions to help navigate the complexities of international markets.
Under a shared vision of responsible and agricultural best practices, the IAA will also promote sustainability, innovation and leveraging initiatives, such as Leading Harvest or equivalent sustainability frameworks.
Knowledge sharing is another key benefit of the IAA, with members sharing industry networks and collaborative projects to expand their reach, enhancing client services, and exchanging critical knowledge on supply chain challenges and solutions.
Mr Foley said LAWD’s membership of the IAA was another important step in the real estate firm’s growth.
“International relationships and connections have been a key part of our offering since inception,” Mr Foley said.
“Through the IAA, this is now formalised into something very tangible that will benefit our customers here and overseas and also allow our team to provide their local insights and knowledge to colleagues abroad.”
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.
