Nelson Yap, Australian Property Journal

The Laundy Hotel Group has acquired the Mercure Centro Hotel in Port Macquarie as tourism makes a comeback ... “Whilst not housed in the same equity structure as our other beachside accommodation assets in Noosa, Manly and Terrigal; this coastal property intersects perfectly with our national investment objectives, and adds deftly to the growing portfolio,” said new owner, publican Stu Laundy.

More than $400 million is expected for the Worral Creek Aggregation in Queensland, which is tipped to account for over 10% of this year’s Australian cotton crop. The Reardon family is bringing the 26,855 hectare aggregation in the Border Rivers region to the market as record crops and commodity prices attract more investors into the agricultural sector.

More than $10 million is expected for the large-scale Merriwa Pastoral Company cropping portfolio in Victoria’s Mallee region, at a time of strong seasonal conditions and commodity prices.

The Jolly Swagman Hotel Motel on the NSW and Queensland border is the latest regional venue to change hands. Affectionately known as ‘The Jolly’, the venue has been operated for over 20 years by local Jim Brown, who cited the buoyed market as the catalyst to sell the asset. More than $2 billion of hotels changed hands in 2021, and the market momentum has carried over into the new year.

Diversified national property development group Goldfields has snapped up three adjoining sites in Shepparton, as they continue to expand their residential platform in regional Victoria. The $15 million combined sites span 44-hectares and have been earmarked for development into a 450-lot strong masterplanned residential community, to meet increasing demand for affordable housing in the region.

Australia wheat farmers can expect increased farmgate prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, although the local impact is not expected to match that seen globally. Together, Russia and Ukraine make up nearly 30% of global wheat exports. Ukraine’s military has suspended commercial shipping at its Black Sea ports, which is tipped to disrupt the supply chains of grain and oilseeds exporters.

A 678-hectare landholding in the Booborowie District in South Australia has entered the market. Sitting in South Australia’s renowned Mid-North region, the mixed-use farm is being offered in one line or as two or three separate land parcels, making use of the five certificates of title.

ThriveAgri, AgTrade’s livestock nutrition division, is expanding its operations through the acquisition of major fodder business, Hay Australia. The move will see ThriveAgri’s presence in animal nutrition boosted throughout the country, while also providing new opportunities to produces and buyers of hay products, with Hay Australia accounting for around 10% of Australia’s 1.35 million tonnes of hay exports in 2021.

The numbers are in on the accelerated escape from the city trend, with quarterly migration from capital cities to regional areas over the past two years up 15% on the two years prior to the global pandemic. According to the latest Regional Movers Index, produced in partnership by the Commonwealth Bank and the Regional Australia Institute (RAI), the December quarter index showed net migration to the country’s regions is more than double what it was in the two years pre-COVID.