In this week's Property Round-up:
FNQ cotton powerhouse tipped to fetch $70m plus
FNQ cotton powerhouse tipped to fetch $70m plus
Size: 44,000ha
Location: Mount Surprise, QLD
For sale price: N/A
Sundown Pastoral Company owners and renowned cotton growers, David and Danielle Statham, have listed their 44,000ha property, ‘St Ronans Station,’ in Far North Queensland.
'St Ronans' is the largest holding within the Sundown Pastoral Company portfolio, and has been listed for sale as the Statham's are focusing on developing a major wind farm on a portion of the holding.
The property has been listed for sale via expressions of interest, with hopes of fetching over $70 million, according to the AFR.
Located 300 km southwest of Cairns, ‘St Ronans’ was one of the first farms in the region to produce dryland (non-irrigated) cotton.
Purchased in 2019, ‘St Ronans’ has undergone extensive development, producing about 30,000 bales of cotton annually on a small portion of the property.
Mr Statham highlighted the station’s potential for renewable energy projects, including wind farms, carbon offsets, and tree crops for sustainable aviation fuel.
“We are currently developing the St Ronans Renewable Energy Hub as a joint venture between Sundown Pastoral Co and Australian renewable energy developer, PROJECT.e,” said Mr Statham.
This planned hub aims to generate around 1.8 gigawatts of energy through wind turbines. Construction of the hub and grid connection is slated for 2030, with Sundown Pastoral Co retaining the development rights.
“We have kept the wind farm project and all related activity completely separate from the existing cropping land and operations on St Ronans,” Mr Statham added.
In addition to the cotton production, the property supports 5,500 head of cattle. The listing includes a large feedlot, high-pressure irrigation bores, a storage dam, 4,300 tonnes of grain silo storage, as well as steel cattle yards.
LAWD’s Danny Thomas and Elizabeth Doyle are managing the sale.
Shoalwater Bay cattle operation listed for $30m
Size: 15,378 ha
Location: Shoalwater, QLD
For sale price: $30m
After more than 30 years, a slice of the tightly-held Shoalwater Bay region has entered the market with the listing of the 15,378-hectare ‘Hollins Bay.’
Located 200 km north of Rockhampton, ‘Hollins Bay’ has been utilised for cattle breeding and fattening, with the current herd of Red Brahman cattle also available for purchase.
A key feature is the marine plains, described as having the capacity to “fatten cattle all year round.”
The balance of the property consists of undulating forest ridges timbered mainly with ironbark, interspersed with blue gum, box, and bloodwood. These ridges provide a refuge for livestock during wet weather and flooding.
Notable infrastructure includes an airstrip and stockyards with a covered vet crush, weaner, and calf handling facilities. All livestock and station equipment are available for purchase, with 3,100 head of mixed cattle counted at the time of offering.
Broc Winten from Winten & Co Property Sales is handling the listing.
Historic Wimmera district powerhouse listed after 70 years
Size: 1,007ha
Location: Marnoo West, VIC
Price: N/A
After three generations, the Taylor family has listed their historic mixed farming property, ‘Carrs Plains.’
The property is a significant piece of the Wimmera district’s agricultural history, known as the original home of the Polwarth sheep breed.
Located 36 km north of Stawell and 65 km west of Horsham, it has been listed for sale via expressions of interest, with an estimated price of $17,297/ha according to The Weekly Times.
‘Carrs Plains’ produces a mix of winter crops and a self-replacing Merino sheep flock. The property is divided into 23 paddocks on fertile black, grey, and red soils.
Key infrastructure includes external and undercover sheep yards, a shearing shed, workshop, machinery shed, two Ahrens 82-tonne grain silos with automated aeration, stables, and ample water storage.
Accommodation consists of a three-bedroom homestead and shearers' quarters.
Expressions of interest close on October 30, with Ray White Rural agents Max Brown and Jason Hellyer handling the sale.
Wakool River irrigation parcel up for grabs
Size: 1,323ha
Location: Kyalite, NSW
For sale price: N/A
The ‘Mascotte Farm’ is now on the market, offering diverse farming opportunities with irrigable land suitable for cereal cropping, potato production, and permanent plantings such as nut trees, citrus, and vines.
Located in a tightly-held agricultural region, the property is ideal for large family operations or corporate expansion.
Notable infrastructure includes multiple centre pivot sites, open channel water supply, a 75HP 3-phase electric pump, shedding, and an unequipped four-stand wool shed.
The property has 1245ha of cereal and irrigation land with 64ha benefitting from Wakool River frontage. The property's soil types include arable red sandy loams with some heavier grey soils for riverfront grazing.
Accommodation consists of a three-bedroom homestead and a two-bedroom cottage. The farm is currently leased until the end of the 2024 cereal season, with access from January 2025.
The ‘Mascotte Farm’ has been listed for sale via expressions of interest. Matty Deacon from Elders Real Estate Mildura is handling the sale.
