Property

We've sung about the pub with no beer. Tabulam now has the pub with no publican. George and Alison Martin ran the Tabulam Hotel for decades and George, now 78, had talked about retiring for years ... The person who bought the pub has on-sold the entitlements. This includes the six poker machines.

South East Queensland’s Shamrock Vale Station and its world-class Wagyu operation has been sold to a Brisbane-based buyer for $27 million. Spanning 1,857 hectares in the Kerry Valley area of south east Queensland’s Scenic Rim on the Albert River, the property has fertile alluvial cultivated river flats running to undulating ridges and gullies, with plateaus of sheltered grazing.

New York-based investment firm The Rohatyn Group is hoping for more than $55 million from the sale of the 28,000-hectare Kaiuroo Aggregation in Central Queensland’s Mackenzie River district.

“There are a number of strategic benefits and alignments that will result from what is a financially compelling acquisition, which include greater export supply to key Asian export markets, production scale, increased variety offering, including rights to commercialise varieties with plant breeder rights in certain jurisdictions, access to a proven 30-year proprietary breeding program, expanded geographic footprint and extended season timing,” Sean Hallahan, Costa Group CEO said.

Peter and Jane Hughes have splashed out a figure believed to be north of $180 million to buy the 438,000-hectare Miranda Downs in Queensland’s Gulf of Carpentaria, setting a new record for a single pastoral holding as the agricultural sector sees a wave of investment demand amid strong trading conditions.

Renowned sixth generation cattle and sheep farmer, and wind farm developer Peter Downie has quietly bought one of the Apple Isle’s historic farms in the largest single asset transaction in Tasmania in recent memory. Industry sources told Australian Property Journal, that Downie has acquired Stonehouse Grazing in Lemont, from farmer Tony Seymour for $46 million.

“Australian agriculture has continued to perform relatively well despite the ongoing disruption of the pandemic, the higher Australian dollar and the trade issues with China. This is reflected in the ongoing uplift in annualised farmland values, as the demand for agricultural property remains high," says Tim Sheridan, Rural Funds Management.

South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group has quickly exited of the Warragundi aggregation in the NSW Mudgee region, selling the 5,800 hectare property for $25 million just two years after its acquisition.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has called on NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro, who leads the Nationals in Government, to reverse the NSW Government's policy of 'gifting' private power poles to farmers and rural landholders. Ms Saffin has moved a motion in Parliament condemning the policy where the corporatised Essential Energy shifts the legal and cost burden of fixing faulty private poles and overhead lines to thousands of country people across NSW.

Agribusiness identity David Williams has added to his rural portfolio with the $3 million acquisition of Sorell Creek, spanning 718 hectares on the Derwent River north of Hobart. About 19 kilometres from the capital, the property reportedly may be used by Williams for sheep or salmon farming, and as a future land bank play. It previously held a permit for a 43 lot subdivision. About 241 hectares is zoned for rural living.

Northern Territory pastoralists Roy and Janet Chisholm have sold a central Australian farm for $6.1 million to Caason Group. The 1,047-hectare Oolloo Farm, which produces irrigated hay, sits 200kms north of Alice Springs and included a 1,000-megalitre per year water extraction licence, as well as six centre pivots.

Readers may have noticed stories concerning Minister Pavey handing the operation of graveyards to the NSW Public Service ... The Jewish faith and the Islamic faith are supporting the Roman Catholic Church which is in Court with the Government. The People of the Book have united in the issue of looking after the dead.

Environment Minister, Matt Kean has today announced the second largest land acquisition for national parks in the last 10 years with the purchase of the neighbouring Langidoon and Metford stations, 65km east of Broken Hill. The plan for the two properties, totaling 60,468 hectares, is to create a new outback reserve conserving significant biodiversity and Aboriginal heritage in the region ... The purchase follows on from the recent creation of another outback reserve - Narriearra Caryapundy Swamp National Park which was the largest purchase of private land for the national parks estate.

Doonan Creek Environment Reserve in Peregian Springs is now the largest reserve in Sunshine Coast Council’s conservation estate thanks to the acquisition of an additional property. The latest purchase adds 94 hectares to the existing reserve and brings it to an impressive 474 hectares in total.

New homes currently being rolled out in Tennant Creek have not only created a building boom in town but have been welcomed by residents whose living conditions are now drastically improved. The $7 million investment, delivered by the Territory Labor Government, include nine three-bedroom homes and four four-bedroom homes.

Woolworths Group is buying into wind in its first renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) as the group moves towards 100% green electricity by 2025. The PPA of a newly built NSW wind farm will add 195,000 Megawatt hours of green electricity into the state’s energy grid every year and will power around 30% of Woolworth’s energy needs in the state.

The Murrumbidgee valley’s multi-million dollar winter cereal crop has dodged a bullet with minimal mouse damage and recent rain lifting grower’s spirits ... The promising cropping outlook and buoyant land values have resulted in three blue-ribbon corporate holdings in the region hitting the market in the same week.