The Tulmur, Tranby and Owens Creek aggregation located in Central West Queensland has been listed for sale. Pic: Supplied
The Tulmur, Tranby and Owens Creek aggregation located in Central West Queensland has been listed for sale through the Buntine’s Baldy Bay company. Meanwhile, Warakirri strikes $33m orchard deal with company linked to Japanese tycoon, and Tipperary’s Douglas West station listed for sale following uncompleted deal.
Size: 74,660ha
Location: Central West Queensland
Sale method: EOI closing May 29 at 4pm (AEST)
Price guide: $20 million-plus
Prominent cattle baron Sterling Buntine has listed a major pastoral aggregation spanning more than 74,660ha in Central West Queensland, with price expectations above $20 million.
The Tulmur, Tranby and Owens Creek aggregation, for sale through Buntine’s Baldy Bay company, is located about 100km south-west of Winton and 200km north-west of Longreach.
The freehold enterprise is being offered via an expressions of interest campaign managed by Geoff Warriner and Chris Holgar of JLL Agribusiness, alongside Walter Cooper of Rural Property and Livestock.
Mr Warriner said the aggregation had been developed with a strong focus on operational efficiency and low overheads.
“The property benefits from fit-for-purpose operational infrastructure,” he said.
“This includes three sets of cattle yards with a capacity for 1000 to 1500 head, well-maintained fencing that divides the holding into 12 main paddocks, and additional holding paddocks and coolers.
“Stock water is reliably supplied via a network of surface dams and seasonal and semi-permanent waterholes along the Diamantina River and Williams Creek systems.”
Mr Buntine, who owns cattle stations across Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, has been active in reshaping his portfolio.
He was a part of the group that made an unsuccessful $385 million bid for S Kidman and Co in 2016 and recently expanded his interests by acquiring sandalwood plantations in Kununurra.
Mr Holgar highlighted the versatility of the aggregation for its efficient, low-cost breeding, backgrounding, and fattening operation.
“This region is highly regarded for its capacity to support cattle, sheep meat and wool production,” he said.
“The aggregation features open Mitchell and Flinders grass downs to the east, transitioning into Gidyea woodlands and undulating hills, before giving way to the Diamantina River channels to the west, which support healthy stands of blue bush, buffel grass and a variety of seasonal pastures.”
Mr Cooper said the aggregation’s proximity to infrastructure added further appeal.
“The property’s proximity to the Winton township and the Landsborough Highway provides streamlined access from the north and direct connections to key markets in the south and east,” he said.
“In addition to the infrastructure, the aggregation is supported by two established homestead complexes at Tulmur and Tranby, each designed to reduce stock movements and support on-site operations.”
Livestock and equipment are available by separate negotiation. Expressions of Interest close on May 29 at 4pm (AEST).
Size: 200ha
Location: Goulburn Valley
Sale price: $33 million
The Warakirri Farmland Fund has added to its growing portfolio, acquiring three Goulburn Valley orchards in a $33 million deal from a company linked to Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing.
The 200ha aggregation, producing mainly kiwifruit along with smaller volumes of nashi pears, corella pears and jujubes, had been owned by CK Group’s CK Life Sciences, which has extensive Australian agricultural interests spanning vineyards, agribusiness and salt production.
CK Group, founded by Li Ka-Shing and now led by his son Victor Li, recently made headlines through a $36 billion ports deal with BlackRock.
The three Victorian orchards - Austral Orchard, Hayward Orchard and Lakes Orchard - are leased to New Zealand-listed Seeka Limited, the largest producer of kiwifruit across Australia and New Zealand.
Seeka has operated in Australia since 2015 and is responsible for about 70 per cent of Australia’s kiwifruit production, with major operations based in Te Puke, New Zealand.
Warakirri Farmland Fund Portfolio Manager Steve Jarrott said Warakirri was pleased to add another prime horticultural asset to the fund.
“The Goulburn Valley is one of the most productive agricultural areas in Australia and Seeka are not only a horticultural leader in this region, but a best-in-class operator in NZ and major global player in the kiwifruit category,” he said.
“We’re very much looking forward to working with Seeka on these industry leading assets.”
The investment builds on the Warakirri Farmland Fund’s existing portfolio of stone fruit, wine grapes and fruit assets across three states and is accretive to its current return profile.
“The company is delighted to have Warakirri Asset Management as a partner in Australia,” Seeka Chief Executive Michael Franks said.
“It opens up a number of opportunities for future sustainable development in the region.
“Warakirri are a progressive and complementary partner and we are very pleased to be alongside them.”
Size: 42,300ha
Location: 90 min south of Darwin, NT
Sale method: EOI closing May 30
Price guide: N/A
A major Northern Territory cattle station owned by prominent barrister Allan Myers AC KC is now officially on the market, following an earlier off-market sale announcement that did not proceed.
The 42,300ha Douglas West station, part of the broader 386,000ha Tipperary Group aggregation, has been listed with expressions of interest closing on May 30.
Situated along the Stuart Highway about 90 minutes south of Darwin, Douglas West neighbours Tipperary East and West (209,842ha) and Litchfield Station (133,859ha).
The Tipperary Group, primarily owned by Mr Myers and a consortium of investors, recently gained global attention after featuring as a backdrop for the popular Netflix series Territory.
Under the management of David Connolly, the stations have expanded into cotton and citrus alongside traditional cattle operations.
In March last year, investment firm CropScale Australia announced it had agreed terms to acquire Douglas West to pursue regenerative agriculture projects.
However, that deal did not proceed and the property remains in the ownership of the Tipperary Group.
Tanami Rural Property principal Susan Brosnan has been listed to sell the property via expression of interest closing May 30.
Tipperary has invested heavily in cotton production, growing from 150ha to 5000ha, supported by a new $80 million cotton gin near Katherine, which opened in December.
Size: 186.56ha
Location: Kyneton, VIC
Sale method: EOI closing May 28 at 5pm
Price guide: $3.95 million
A rare opportunity to secure a historic farming property just over an hour from Melbourne has emerged, with 'Swinton' hitting the market for the first time in 120 years.
Located at 284 Blackhill Rd, Kyneton, the 186.56ha property was purchased by Patrick Halloran in 1905 and has been held by the family ever since.
Now offered for sale via expression of interest, with a price guide of $3.95 million, ‘Swinton’ is attracting interest from locals and city-based buyers alike.
“The fact that the family’s had it and handed it down through the generations for 120 years is a little bit unusual and it has served them well,” Jellis Craig Woodend Director Tom May said.
‘Swinton’, which moved exclusively to cattle production in the early 1990s, offers excellent infrastructure including custom cattle yards capable of handling 800 head, quality fencing, a large hay and machinery shed, and productive granitic soils with a strong fertiliser history.
There is excellent lane access to 10 paddocks, all watered by dams, with many being spring fed. Road frontages to Blackhill Rd and Fordes Lane also makes the property attractive.
Its location just 7km from the thriving regional hub of Kyneton adds further appeal.
“The proximity to Kyneton is really unusual,” Mr May said.
“You are surrounded by rural living land, and it’s very unusual to have such a large landholding an hour from Melbourne.”
The property is attracting a broad range of buyers.
“There’s a few local buyers looking at it to add onto their existing properties, people looking at it for land banking, and those wanting a farm for lifestyle reasons where they can actually access Kyneton, which is just over five minutes away,” Mr May said.
Mr May said the property also offered flexibility for the future with several commanding home sites and subdivision potential (STCA).
Expressions of interest close May 28 at 5pm.
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
