Property Roundup: 238,435ha Alice Springs cattle station and hay farm listed for EOI, $26m for Maranoa bullock country

23 April 2024
'Orange Creek Hay Farm' has been operating for over 50 years. Pic: Supplied.
An article by  Alex McLaughlin

‘Orange Creek Station’ and ‘Orange Creek Hay Farm’ located 85km south of Alice Springs has been listed for expressions of interest by vendor Wally Klein, who has owned the property for the past 25 years.

The 238,435ha aggregation offers an opportunity to acquire a large-scale cattle station with mixed farming operation in the tightly held Central Australia region of the Northern Territory.

‘Orange Creek Station’ comprises 238,300ha and is utilised for cattle breeding, supporting 5,000 head of mixed-herd cattle including 3,000 breeders.

‘Orange Creek Hay Farm’ spans over 135ha, of which 52ha has been developed to centre pivot irrigation utilised for hay production, supporting cattle breeding and fattening.

‘Orange Creek station’ has been divided into 15 paddocks with 36 water points and 17 drafting yards, trap yards and holding paddocks situated at every water point.

Recent property development has included expansion and upgrades to water points, including solar transitions, additional fencing as well as a pasture improvement program.

The property includes a feedlot with a five-way hydraulic draft, double deck loading ramp and all-season highway access to the Stuart Highway. The property is well-positioned to transport cattle to Port Augusta or Murry Bridge.

The pasture profile features a variety of native grasses and 2,000ha of improved pastures including buffel, old man saltbush, wild oat grass, couch, woollybutt grass, mitchell grass, button grass and northern bluebush.

Water is sourced from five high-performing irrigation bores, reaching depths of 40m, and producing 40L per second.

The station is supported by a 100kW solar system powering the homestead, workshop and cattle yards. Pic: Supplied.

Accommodation includes a four-bedroom main homestead with separate office and guest accommodation, in addition to residencies for management and staff.

‘Orange Creek Hay Farm’ is a freehold landholding complementary to Orange Creek Station, utilised for the average annual production of up to 10 crops of lucerne and rotational crops including sorghum in the summer and oats and wheat in the winter.

52ha have been developed under two centre pivots, further supported by a 1,010ML groundwater extraction license and a ring main water distribution system connected to three irrigation bores.

Notable structural improvements include both hay and machinery shedding and a workshop. Substantial amounts of the plant and equipment will be included in the sale.

The farm’s accommodation includes a four-bedroom brick home and a four-bedroom demountable staff accommodation.

‘Orange Creek Station’ and ‘Orange Creek Hay Farm’ are being offered in-one-line assets or separate assets by Expression of Interest closing at 12pm (ACST) Monday May 27, 2024.

Olivia Thompson and Eline Wesselink of LAWD are handling the sale.

$26m for Maranoa bullock country

Pamaroo was largely farmed during development leaving a legacy of open, clean paddocks ideally suited to producing bullocks. Picture supplied

Large areas of the property were previously farmed, leaving vast open paddocks of rich soils covered in Buffel Grass and improved pastures ideal for fattening cattle. Pic: Supplied.

The 4,477ha ‘Pameroo’, located 65km North of Roma, was purchased at auction for $26.3m, with estimates of $5874 per ha.

The property, previously owned by the Kadel family, was acquired by Reade and Jill Radel along with their family from Taroom, who manage the Kandoona Red Brahman stud.

Sale agent Carl Warren of TopX reported that out of eight registered bidders, three were actively participating in the competitive and well-attended auction event held in Roma on Thursday, according to QCL.

The property hosts considerable volumes of Buffel amongst areas of improved pastures including Purple Pigeon, Rhodes Grass and Green Panic. The property’s timber types include brigalow, bottle tree, and belah.

According to the Queensland Government vegetation map, 98% of the property falls under category X classification, indicating it’s predominantly open vegetation cover.

Large areas of the property were previously farmed, leaving vast open paddocks of rich soils covered in Buffel Grass and improved pastures ideal for fattening cattle.

Water infrastructure includes 23 dams and numerous gullies that provide seasonal watering points.

‘Pameroo’ is equipped with a solar-powered bore system that feeds water into tanks and troughs, offering another dependable water supply option for livestock. The property features three bores, with two currently operational.

Accommodation on the property includes two four-bedroom houses, a four-bedroom demountable, as well as an old shearing shed and workers’ quarters.

Goondiwindi aggregation offered to the open market for the first time

The 7,473ha ‘Minna Billa’ aggregation comprised of four freehold titles known as ‘Minna Billa’ and ‘Ballymena’ has been offered to the open market for the first time by Fred and Rita Giltrow.

Located 75km North of Goondiwindi, QLD, the aggregation is highly arable with extensive water supply and a successful history operating as a cattle backgrounder.

The country is largely cleared for open grazing and forage crops, with the inclusion of strategic shade lines throughout the aggregation.

Water is secured through a bore system, which supplies a 560,000L storage unit, in addition to 12km of single frontage to the Weir River and numerous dams. Pic: Supplied.

486ha of the aggregation has been farmed for forage crops, with the balance supporting an extensive mix of improved pastures including buffel, bambatsi, purple pidgeon, creeping blue grass, prolific clovers, medics and herbages.

The vendors estimated the carrying capacity for the aggregation is optimal with 3,500 to 4,000 Adult Equivalents in most seasons, with notable weight gains achieved.

Accommodation includes two homes on ‘Minna Billa’ and two cottages on ‘Ballymena’.

Operational infrastructure on the aggregation includes steel cattle yards with modern handling equipment, six-way draft, circular race and loading ramp.

Further infrastructure includes vermin proof exclusion fencing and a laneway system.

Offers to purchase close on May 24, 2024. Andrew Adcock of Adcock Partners Property & Livestock is handling the sale.

12000ha Nymagee property set for auction

‘Shearlegs’, a 12,253ha property located 50km south of Cobar has entered the market, with a price estimate of $2.8m plus based off surrounding property values.

Owned for more than 20 years by the Wilson family of the Albury region, the property has historically functioned as a Merino sheep breeding operation, carrying 2,500 breeder ewes and seasonally run cattle.

Property agent David Russell, of Nutrien Russell Property and Livestock, said there was a large opportunity for an increased carrying capacity with further land development.

With 650ha (1,600ac) of the property fallowed at the end of 2023, the property holds ample opportunity for further pasture development.

The property’s pasture profile includes a variety of Copper Burr, Spear Grass, Triefoil and variety of seasonal herbages. The property is supported by soft red loam soils, to semi open Rosewood, Pine, Wilga, with areas of Belah.

The property is well-watered by 18 earth dams with an additional lease of a government tank and acreage until 2038. The property’s average annual rainfall is 300mm. Pic: Supplied.

Notable infrastructure on the property includes 6km of electric fencing on the property’s boundary, with a further 7km to be erected before June 2024.

The property has all steel fencing of nine grazing paddocks and six holding paddocks.

The property is set for auction on the July 3, 2024 and will be interfaced through AuctionsPlus.

Marketing agent David Russell, Nutrien Russell Property and Livestock, is handling the sale.

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