Property

Liina Flynn. Before he headed up North Coast Community Housing, John McKenna spent his childhood growing up in public housing. ... With 3000 families currently on the region’s wait list for social housing, John was proud to announce that a new social and affordable housing development project will be built this year on Callistemon St in Casino.

Global investment giant AXA IM has acquired around 24,000-hectares of Australian woodland, as well as an associated forestry management business, Green Triangle Forest Products (GTFP) estate, marking one of the largest investments into Australian forestry in more than a decade.

The Queensland Government will forcibly acquire Martha’s Farm on the southern Gold Coast, after talks broke down with the current landowners. Also known as Martha’s Vineyard, the government plans to transform it into one of the largest eco-parklands in Australia ... The acquisition continues the trend of state governments acquiring land for nature reserves.

Blue-ribbon grazing property Knockdown Park has sold for $6.25 million to a family with grazing interests in the area.

Geoff Helisma. Birrigan Gargle Local Aboriginal Land Council say the Birrigan Iluka Beach’ subdivision is another step towards achieving the land council’s ‘vision’, “to empower our members to become socially and economically self-sufficient through improved health, housing, education programs and employment opportunities”.

Packhorse Pastoral Co has forked out $30 million to acquire large-scale Roma district property Stuarts Creek and cattle, in one of the Maranoa region’s largest single grazing asset transactions, as it embarks on a five-year mission to grow the cattle and carbon fund to $1.5 billion.

Shenhua Watermark Coal has moved to sell off its Liverpool Plains landholdings with expectations of $120 million after the New South Wales government paid the company to give up its mining licence. They comprise three aggregations, Breeza, Tambar Springs and Barraba, covering a combined 16,570 hectares in the north west’s Gunnedah region.

One of the only licensed freshwater aquaculture properties in North Queensland has entered the market and is expecting offers in excess of $4 million. The 80-hectare Ausgold Aquaculture property, that sits 45km outside of Townsville, is a supplier for major fish markets, restaurants and supermarkets across the countries east coast.

Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF) has launched an equity raising, as the group bets on macadamias, cattle and water in central Queensland. Rural Funds Group is looking to raise $100 million, at an issue price of $2.47, through a fully underwritten 1-for-8.4 accelerated non-renounceable entitlement offer.

Australia's northernmost pastoral property, Bramwell Station, has been put up for sale amid heightened demand for domestic travel and some of the best seasonal and market conditions seen in living memory. Located 240 kilometres south of the tip of Cape York, Bramwell Station spans 131,900 hectares and is the last stop before the tip of Cape York and at the start of the famous Old Telegraph Line four-wheel-drive track.

Gabrielle Duykers. After almost 20 years behind the bar, Jack Jennings and Rhonda Brown say they are excited to get their weekends back, as they rejoice in the successful sale of the Bushman’s Arms Hotel ... Upon reflection of his time in the industry, Mr Jennings said pubs had been unfairly given a “bad rap” in recent years. “I think people forget the good that pubs do for the community,” he said. “Over the years we’ve sponsored nearly every sporting group going around and even the sporting groups from out of town. Pubs are a centre of a community, they’re fantastic for the communication of people, and in really small towns when the pub dies, the town dies.”

Wendy Kozicka believes the state government could buy Cape York’s most northern cattle station for conservation. The owner of Bramwell Station said it wouldn’t surprise her if the Queensland government made an offer to buy the property before it goes up for auction on August 11.

Shortly after its recent merger with Centuria Capital Group and the sale of the Vitalharvest Freehold Trust, Primewest has launched a new wholesale unlisted agricultural fund that will be seeded with a $53.9 million almond farm in the Riverina region, offered as part of the Western Rosella farming portfolio.

One of the sunshine state’s largest agribusiness properties, Croydon Station, spanning nearly 60,000 hectares, has been sold for a speculated figure of around $80 million in the sector’s latest blockbuster deal ... “We fielded around 40 enquiries from buyers, which resulted in 10 inspections and seven tenders, which is very significant in this price bracket,” Pat O’Driscoll said.

Australian agriculture is set to become a $100 billion industry by 2030, though positive conditions will need to be backed up by increased investments. According to NAB and Agrifutures Final Report on the capital needs of the industry, the $63.3 billion agribusiness sector is on track to meet the $100 billion target set by the National Farmers’ Federation.

Local commodities prices have continued to show gains despite some global measures softening, while the beef market can expect further record prices, according to Rabobank. The outlook will provide more confidence for farmers, after its recent quarterly survey showed 2021 is shaping up to be an “instrumental” year in the long-term prosperity of the Australian farming sector, with almost 90% of farmers expecting the strong business conditions to either continue or improve over the year ahead.

Chinese billionaire Xingfa Ma’s Tianma Bearing Group (TBG) has listed the modern feedlot and grazing property Emu Downs for lease, while it continues to shop around Balfour Downs and Wandanya stations in the Pilbara region.