Property

Agribusiness leaders offer drought-proof farm in NSW

Property editor Linda Rowley April 26, 2024

THIS week’s property review includes a wrap-up of interesting recent listings across the country.

 Picturesque Hunter Valley Suffolk home

 Moonie’s Minna Billa lists for the first time

 NSW grazing powerhouse

 NQ’s Barragunda passes in at $9.25m

Picturesque Hunter Valley Suffolk home

TWO agribusiness leaders have listed their highly developed, drought-proof farm running, what is believed to be, the largest Suffolk flock in Australia.

The 910ha Wingarra is located on the western side of the Bylong Valley, 44km north of Rylstone and 90km east of Mudgee in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales.

The vendors are former Carbon Farmer of the Year and Landcare Primary Producer Champion, Tim Woods, and Jeannine Biviano, a former Telstra Business Woman of the Year.

Wingarra is equally suited to any combination of sheep and cattle. It is currently supporting 1000 self-replacing ewes producing trade and export lambs, alongside 260 Angus breeders in a winter calving operation.

Mr Woods described Wingarra as arguably the best property in one of the most beautiful and fertile valleys west of Sydney.

“The mixed pasture sward has the ability to sustain stock and respond quickly to rainfall events regardless of timing, which has allowed us to increase the property’s carrying capacity.”

LAWD director Col Medway described Wingarra as an outstanding farming, fattening and breeding holding.

“This property is exceptionally well improved and lends itself to a variety of enterprises. Everything is complete, so the new buyer will walk into an unbelievable opportunity.”

The country rises from alluvial flats through arable slopes to areas of timbered sandstone escarpment growing a balance of irrigation, summer and winter responsive pastures.

Around 110ha are under irrigation producing lucerne and other high-performance pastures across the year.

The property is watered by a bore and a 419ML ground water entitlement from the Bylong River in a 606mm average annual rainfall region.

Infrastructure includes a three bedroom sandstone home, two two-bedroom cottages, two cattle yards, a two-stand shearing shed, sheep yards, numerous sheds and three silos with 190 tonnes of grain storage.

Wingarra is being offered for sale by expressions of interest closing on May 16.

LAWD agents Col Medway and Daniel McCulloch are handling the sale.

Moonie’s Minna Billa lists for first time

After experiencing an exceptional season, southern Queensland’s Minna Billa Aggregation is being offered to the open market for the first time by Fred and Rita Giltrow.

The 7473ha backgrounding operation comprises two neighbouring holdings, Minna Billa and Ballymena, located 44km south of Moonie and 75km north of Goondiwindi.

In recent years, 52km of exclusion fencing has been constructed that means the entire property is now vermin-free and in most seasons can run between 3500 and 4000 adult equivalents.

Adcock Partners Property and Livestock agent Andrew Adcock said the country on Minna Billa has never looked better.

“It is looking unbelievable with a large body of feed that has recently been watered by a further 190mm of rain.

“The holding produces strong weight gains on the brigalow belah melon hole country growing diverse improved pastures,” Mr Adcock said.

Most of the country is arable, offering an opportunity to expand the current 485ha farming area that is growing forage crops.

Water is described as plentiful and is sourced from a bore, 12km of Weir River frontage as well as numerous dams.

Infrastructure includes two homes on Minna Billa, two cottages on Ballymena, numerous sheds, steel cattle yards, a four-stand shearing shed and sheep yards.

Mr Adcock is handling the offers to purchase campaign closing on May 24.

NSW grazing powerhouse on the market

A grazing powerhouse on the south-west slopes of New South Wales is being offloaded by former Woolworths chief executive Paul Simons and his family.

The 3236ha Glencoe is situated near Taylors Flat, 50km north-east of Boorowa and 80km south-east of Cowra, and is currently running 18,000DSE on improved and native pastures.

It was purchased by Mr Simons in 2015 and is now being sold to consolidate the family’s assets.

The 97-year-old Mr Simons also owns Euralie near Yass — the original home to three generations of the Hume family, including explorer Hamilton Hume — where he grows superfine wool.

Elders agent Richard Gemmell said Glencoe has been progressively developed to benefit from multiple income streams under differing seasonal conditions. He said the property is suited to sheep, cattle and pasture production, and will provide the incoming purchaser with sound agribusiness risk management and operational scale that will continue to deliver ongoing financial growth.

The country is mostly central valley creek flats run to rolling timbered hills with alluvial soils and granite and deep red loams. More than 80ha are sown to oats.

Glencoe is situated in a 675mm average annual rainfall region and is watered by 22 dams, three equipped bores, a creek and numerous springs.

The infrastructure is described as high quality and includes two renovated homes, staff quarters, a new shearing shed, sheep yards, machinery sheds, grain and fodder storage.

Glencoe is being offered by expressions of interest closing on May 15.

North Queenland’s Barragunda passes in at $9.25m

Goats on Barragunda.

North Queensland’s Barragunda has failed to sell at auction, passing in at $9.25 million.

Brodie Agencies agent Tom Brodie is continuing to negotiate with interested parties on behalf of the vendors Peter and Marie Atkinson.

The 9269ha of open downs breeding, backgrounding or finishing country is located 67km south of Hughenden in a tick-free area.

Barragunda is situated in a 475mm rainfall region and has been enjoying an excellent start to the season, with between 119mm and 282.5mm falling across the property.

A good body of Mitchell, Flinders and buffel grass, and other native grasses and sweet fattening summer herbages, are growing on the pebbly chocolate and red fertile soils.

In an average season, the Atkinsons estimate Barragunda can comfortably carry 1100 cows and calves, or sheep or goat equivalents.

Barragunda is watered by a sub-artesian bore and six equipped dams and following a good wet season, numerous short-term waterholes can be found along the Yantee and Gum Creeks.

Infrastructure includes a five-bedroom home, a one-bedroom cottage, steel cattle yards, steel sheep and goat yards, numerous sheds and 20km of exclusion fencing.

Barragunda is close to the 9788ha blue ribbon Peronne Station that sold for a record $13.1m (including 480 breeders) at auction in August 2022 – around 30 percent above the previous best sale. On a bare basis, Peronne sold for around $11.6m or $1185/ha or $10,000 a breeder area.

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