With a lot of grazing property listings hitting the market this month, this week’s property review includes this wrap-up of interesting recent listings across Queensland, and a separate article on listings in the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.

• Gattonvale standout NQ breeding & finishing property
• Breeding and finishing country in Central Qld’s renowned Alpha district
• FNQ’s Coralie offers beef breeding & carbon
• Taylors list Condamine River fattening country
• Jericho’s Speculation to go under the hammer
• Opportunities await on Chinchilla’s Wamba Aggregation

 

Gattonvale standout NQ breeding & finishing property

There has been considerable interest in the Cox family’s standout breeding and finishing country in North Queensland’s Whitsunday region.

The 31,474ha Gattonvale is located 32km from Collinsville and 144km from Bowen and is being sold after 62 years of ownership.

Conservatively carrying 7500SCU, the walk-in walk-out sale includes 4900 Santa Gertrudis cattle including 1900 breeders and followers.

The property is centrally located to meatworks near Mackay, Townsville and Rockhampton, live exports out of Townsville and southern and Central Highland feedlots.

In just one week, Shepherdson & Boyd agent Mike Barry has emailed information memorandums to 35 prospective buyers and scheduled seven inspections.

“The quality of country and scale is attracting strong interest from mostly Queensland and some interstate producers,” he said.

Mr Barry said Gattonvale was renowned for breeding and finishing prime bullocks and cull cows.

“This financial year, 656 prime bullocks (397kg average dressed weight) and 156 prime cull cows (313kg) have been sold to Borthwicks Mackay, with most bullocks grading for the premium grass-fed Nature’s Fresh specifications. A further 270 prime bullocks will leave for Borthwicks on July 24,” he said.

Gattonvale has more than 16,000ha of heavy, self-mulching brigalow scrub soils carrying abundant feed, 8500ha of narrow leaf ironbark and gum top box, 2400ha of heavily grassed downs country, 2400ha of river country with alluvial soils and 2000ha of mountainous range country.

It boasts frontages to the Bowen River and the Bowen River Weir. Water is also secured by a 35ML allocation from Newlands Mine pipeline, five bores (three are equipped), 20 dams and several seasonal watercourses.

Infrastructure includes three homes, workers quarters, three cattle yards, numerous sheds and 300 tonnes of molasses storage.

 

Breeding and finishing country in Central Qld’s renowned Alpha district

Breeding and finishing country in Central Queensland’s renowned Alpha district has been listed for sale by the Hack family after 78 years of ownership.

The 8765ha Rocklea and Prior Park, located 42km east of Alpha and 142km west of Emerald, are being offered with around 1250 adult cattle plus followers.

TopX agent Brett Christie is anticipating interest from locals, northern breeders wanting country to finish cattle, as well as producers to the east.

“The Rocklea and Prior Park herd is one of the best crossbred commercial herds in Central Queensland. They are a mix of Charolais, Simmental and Limousin with some Bos indicus in some cows.”

Mr Christie said the production powerhouse herd has the strength of European breed fertility and tremendous weight for age and marketability.

“Recently, cattle exhibited at the local Alpha show performed extremely well with slaughter steers returning a dressed weight of 410kg (6mm to 12mm fat, two and four tooth).”

The aggregation consists of well-grassed hilly forest country supporting a big body of feed running into hollows and creeks and developed softwood scrub country with improved and native pastures.

Carefully managed and developed by the Hack family, Rocklea and Prior Park are rated to carry 2200AE, but have always been conservatively stocked.

The Chantrey and Sheep Station Creeks traverse the property and flood out over large areas of country that are presently well grassed, providing a significant boost for feed production and water supply late into the year.

The property may lend itself to future soil carbon projects.

Situated in a 559mm average annual rainfall region, the properties are watered by 14 dams, 11 bores (10 equipped) and seasonal waterholes along the creeks.

Infrastructure includes a three-bedroom home, a two-bedroom workers cottage, a two-bedroom donga, numerous sheds and two cattle yards.

 

FNQ’s Coralie offers beef breeding & carbon

Carbon Farmland Fund is selling its low-cost breeding enterprise complimented by an active carbon project in Far North Queensland’s Savannah Gulf region.

The 71,600ha Coralie Station is located 70km south-west of Croydon.

It has mostly open forest country with 30,000ha of beneficial flood-out areas.

During its five-year ownership, the vendor has built an additional 20 dams across the property with watering points now within a 2km radius.

It has also installed more than 33km of fencing to increase grazing efficiency with the property estimated to carry 6000 Adult Equivalents.

Previously described as ‘exceptionally well-watered’, Coralie now has 63 dams, supported by two bores, seasonal waterholes in the Belmore and Finch Creeks and a reliable monsoon.

Coralie is offered with a Registered Human Induced Regeneration (HIR) Carbon Project, run by the Carbon Farmland Fund and the Tagalaka Aboriginal Corporation.

Since August 2020, carbon has been sequestered through strategic vegetation management on around 10,000ha to 15,000ha, allowing controlled native timber regrowth through rotational grazing and improved water management.

The vendor said more than 236,172 Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) will be generated over the remaining life of the project.

The sale is most likely a direct play for big emitters, such as power stations or mining companies, who need to comply with the Federal Government’s safeguard mechanism (in other words buy carbon credits if they exceed their emission limits).

The safeguard mechanism is the main policy underpinning demand for carbon credits, setting a limit for emissions and making companies offset those emissions if they exceed the limit.

While originally a Coalition policy, Labor has ramped it up with demand for credits expected to increase towards the end of the decade.

JLL Agribusiness is handling the sale of Coralie which is offered for sale by expressions of interest on a bare basis closing on July 18.

 

Taylors list Condamine River finishing country

Condamine River finishing country in southern Queensland will be auctioned by Nutrien Harcourts on July 11.

The 986ha Moriah is located 18km south-east of Chinchilla and 84km west of Dalby and is being sold by Steve and Esmae Taylor after 25 years of ownership.

Fully cleared, developed and established to heavy carrying, high weight gain improved pastures, Moriah is rated to run 400AE but is currently lightly stocked as the vendors prepare for retirement.

The mixed undulating dark soils and Condamine River flats were previously farmed to winter cereals such as wheat and barley, oats, chickpeas and mungbeans.

While they have returned to improved pastures, Nutrien Harcourts agent Darryl Langton said they could be reverted back to cropping.

“Good interest is coming from locals, the Western Downs, Central Queensland and northern New South Wales, as well as some overseas inquiry.”

“Another strong line of inquiry is coming from downsizing producers wishing to shift from larger holdings closer to regional centres with accessible services,” Mr Langton said.

Moriah is watered by three dams and a reticulated, solar powered water system (with remote monitoring) from a permanent lagoon and the Condamine River.

Infrastructure includes an immaculately presented four-bedroom home, two sheds and two cattle yards.

 

Jericho’s Speculation to go under the hammer

Bruce and Annette Currie’s safe breeding property in Queensland’s central west will be auctioned by Ray White Rural on July 19.

The 24,923ha Speculation Station is located 75km north of Jericho and 128km north-west of Alpha.

Agent Andrew Turner is anticipating good interest from producers, particularly across Central Queensland, seeking renowned calf factory country.

Speculation is well grassed with native grasses, such as desert Mitchell, black spear and buffel, that can support 800 cows and calves to weaning plus replacement heifers.

The country comprises mostly lightly timbered broadleaf ironbark, yellow jack, soap bush, quinine and kurrajong, with some scattered brigalow and dead finish.

Situated in a 575mm average annual rainfall region, Speculation is watered by eight dams and two equipped sub-artesian bores reticulated to 25 troughs and 16 tanks.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, two sheds and steel cattle yards.

 

Opportunities await on Chinchilla’s Wamba Aggregation

Three generations of Davis family ownership will come to an end with the sale of the Wamba Aggregation on Queensland’s Western Downs.

The 753ha mixed farming enterprise is located 22km south of Chinchilla and 82km north-west of Dalby and is being sold by Colin and Marcia Davis.

Purchased in 1907, it offers versatile opportunities including farming and backgrounding, a cattle feedlot and a piggery.

The country consists of slightly undulating brigalow and belah running down to box and wilga creek flats.

Previously, the cultivation country, comprising grey and black cracking clay soils, has been levelled.

More than 535ha of winter crops are currently planted to 249ha of wheat and 188ha of barley and are included in the sale.

Wamba has a 1500SCU feedlot with 18 pens and 400 tonnes of silo storage. The piggery is registered for 3500 grower SPU and 1700 breeder SPU.

The property is watered by a number of dams, two bores, Wambo Creek frontage and two water licences totalling 111ML.

Across the aggregation, there are three homes, a donga, numerous sheds, 740 tonnes of silo storage and cattle yards.

Eastern Rural Dalby agents Roger Lyne and Andrew Kirtley and Elders agent Jon Kingston are handling the sale.

The Wamba Aggregation is being offered as a whole or as two separate holdings (532ha and 221ha) with expressions of interest closing on July 3.