Angus stud's transformed SA farming property heads to auction

Size: 774.2ha (1913 acres)

Location: 6979 Dukes Highway, Culburra, South Australia

Sale method: Auction, 12pm December 10 at Coonalpyn Football Clubrooms

Price guide: Not disclosed

A 774ha South Australian farming property transformed into a highly productive cattle breeding and fodder operation over the past five years is heading to auction as its owners restructure their Angus stud business.

Located between Coonalpyn and Culburra, Coonaburra Gums spans 774.2ha (1913 acres) and will go under the hammer on December 10 through Ray White Rural South Australia.

Vendor Trent Walker, of KMM Angus, said the sale would allow the business to consolidate its breeding operations while exploring opportunities to expand elsewhere.

“We're going to sit back and smell the roses for a little bit and then see what opportunities present to us,” he said.

“We're going to market more bulls into Victoria, so we'll look to find a property down there in the future to market bulls from.”

Mr Walker said KMM Angus would continue operating across its remaining properties at Tintinara and Lameroo, and 650 registered breeders would be reduced to more than 400.

“We will sell some registered breeders at the beginning of next year,” he said.

“We're dispersing our autumn herd and going back to one calving, a spring calving. But we will still maintain over 400 stud breeders.”

Mr Walker and fellow vendor Robert Swinton have invested heavily in Coonaburra Gums since purchasing the former sheep property five years ago.

“We started with a bit of a blank canvas when we bought it,” Mr Walker said.

“It was a sheep property and hadn't had a lot of work done to it for quite a few years.

“We started again, with 95 per cent now refenced and internal laneways accessing almost every paddock.”

Ray White Rural South Australia agent Sam Krieg said the holding offered buyers the opportunity to capitalise on the extensive improvements.

“This well-developed mixed farming holding provides purchasers with the opportunity to benefit from the vendors’ significant recent investment of time, capital and passion in developing the property,” he said.

The gently undulating property comprises 29 paddocks, predominantly ranging from 10ha to 40ha, with improved pastures including lucerne, clover, rye and veldt grasses.

Its diverse soils range from sandy loams to heavier red-brown loams over limestone, including about 200ha particularly suited to cropping.

Significant infrastructure improvements include undercover Clipex cattle yards with a 250-head capacity, a near-new Spanlift hay shed capable of storing 1000 bales, machinery shedding, a workshop and grain storage facilities.

Water security is provided by a solar-powered bore supplying a 250,000L header tank, with water gravity-fed throughout the property and SA mains water available as backup.

A four-bedroom brick homestead with two living areas, an office and outdoor entertaining area completes the holding.

Mr Krieg said the property's location on the Dukes Highway, providing convenient access to livestock selling facilities and abattoirs, added to its appeal.

“‘Coonaburra Gums’ provides a genuine turnkey opportunity to take advantage of the current strength in the beef, sheep and wool sectors,” he said.

Mr Walker said the property's fodder production had been particularly valuable during difficult seasons, with the construction of silage pits providing an important feed reserve.

“The first year we took it on, we put silage away in pits and that really got us through the last two years previous to this, which was horrible,” he said.

“This year's been a phenomenal season. We've cut a lot of silage and hay off it this year.”

Mr Walker said the property would suit a variety of buyers.

“ I think it would suit a pastoralist really well as a property to conserve fodder on and obviously bring cattle down when they muster,” he said.

“ It's got the good quality yards for handling livestock and it would also suit a local or somebody wanting a property that they can run remotely. There's smaller paddocks so that cattle can be rotationally grazed and the water system is all on a Farmbot monitoring system, so you can see when there's any issues.”

The property will be auctioned at 12pm on December 10 at the Coonalpyn Football Clubrooms.

Queensland cattle stations to become national parks in major conservation deal

Photo credit: Justine Hausheer/The Nature Conservancy 

Size: 396,000ha across three properties

Location: Cape York Peninsula and Gulf Country, Queensland

Sale price: Undisclosed

Almost 400,000 hectares of Queensland cattle country will be transformed into national parks following a major conservation deal involving three significant pastoral properties.

The Queensland Government has acquired 396,000ha across Kendall River Station (137,000ha) on Cape York Peninsula, and portions of Westmoreland Station (90,000ha) and Cliffdale Station (169,000ha) in the Gulf Country.

The acquisitions were supported by $21 million from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and $3.5 million from the federal government, alongside state government funding and philanthropic contributions.

The properties encompass extensive wetlands, grasslands, savanna woodlands and permanent waterholes, providing important habitat for threatened wildlife.

Cliffdale Station alone contains 174 wetlands, with 93 per cent of the property identified as having high or very high aquatic conservation value.

TNC Protected Landscapes Director Mike Roache said the acquisitions would protect important ecosystems in one of Australia's most intact tropical savanna regions.

“The properties provide habitat for several threatened species, including the vulnerable Carpentarian Grasswren, Grey Falcon and the endangered Golden-shouldered Parrot, along with numerous other plants and animals that remain poorly documented,” he said.

Queensland Environment Minister Andrew Powell said partnerships were essential to expanding the state's protected areas.

“We want our national parks to be good neighbours, with practical land management that protects their environmental values while respecting surrounding landholders and communities,” he said.

The acquisitions will contribute towards Australia's commitment to protect 30 per cent of its land by 2030.

However, local councils have raised concerns about lost rate revenue, ongoing road maintenance costs and the resources needed to control invasive weeds.

Burke Shire Mayor Ernie Camp has warned that rubber vine and prickly acacia threaten the region's natural environment without adequate management.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife will oversee most of the protected land, although ranger numbers and future tourism infrastructure are yet to be finalised.

TNC Director of Conservation Tim Cronin said further investment was needed to meet national conservation targets.

“This is a positive step toward Australia’s commitment to protect 30 per cent of its lands and oceans by 2030, and more investment like this is critical to ensure nature in Australia can thrive,” he said.

Farming families drive $42 million in WA rural property sales

Size: 1987ha (Bullaring aggregation); Hyden property size not disclosed

Location: Bullaring, WA and Hyden, WA

Price guide: $18 million (Bullaring aggregation) and $24 million (Hyden property)

Two major rural property transactions worth a combined $42 million have been negotiated in Western Australia this year, highlighting continued demand from farming families despite a quieter agricultural property market.

Raine & Horne Rural WA negotiated an $18 million deal involving two broadacre holdings in the Shire of Corrigin.

The aggregation, at 2929 Rabbit Proof Fence Rd, Bullaring, comprised the 1174ha Bullaring Blue Bush and 813ha High Farm.

Most of the transaction has settled, with the balance due for settlement in 2027.

The agency also secured a $24 million sale at Hyden, in the state's Wheatbelt region, which settled earlier this year.

Raine & Horne Rural WA Director Gerald Wetherill said established farming families and neighbouring landholders continued to drive demand, despite reduced activity from corporate and institutional investors.

“The super funds and big farming corporates are quieter,” he said.

“A lot of ‘mum and dad’ buyers and next-door neighbours are still seeking quality assets.

"This demand can be traced to families getting bigger. It's good family enterprises that are looking to expand.”

Mr Wetherill said progressive farming businesses remained active regardless of broader market conditions.

"Regardless of where the market is in the rural property cycle, the progressive farmers want to continue to expand,” he said.

“They're the people in the market.”

However, rising fuel and input costs, seasonal uncertainty and several years of strong property price growth had contributed to a slowdown in transactions.

“What we’re finding is that it's quieter in the rural sector compared to the last few years,” he said.

Many landholders were also holding off selling, hoping to achieve stronger returns when operating costs eased.

Mr Wetherill said rural property prices appeared to have plateaued, although there had been no significant correction.

Recent widespread rainfall had provided some relief following a particularly dry winter, improving seasonal prospects across parts of WA.

Despite softer market conditions, Mr Wetherill remained confident in the underlying demand for quality agricultural land.

He said rural sales activity was typically concentrated in spring, with transactions often settling several months later.