THE sale of central west New South Wales property Ashford Heath heads up this week’s review of property dealings across NSW and Queensland.

 Borg secures NSW property for $11m

 NSW Western Division holding fails to sell at auction

 Negotiations underway for Qld’s Turn Turn and Wittenburra

Borg secures NSW property for $11m

AUSTRALIAN resource recovery and organic waste recycling company (part of the Borg Group) is believed to have paid $11 million ($4334/ha) for Ashford Heath in New South Wales’ central west.

The 2538ha grazing and dryland cropping opportunity lies 12km from Bogan Gate, 13km from Trundle and 49km from Parkes.

The sale ends 70 years of ownership by members of the Jones family.

Around 1981ha (77pc to 80pc) of the fertile limestone to red and brown soils are arable, with the owners typically sowing around 800ha to dual purpose and fodder crops, including canola, wheat, barley and oats.

Alongside the cropping operation, the Jones had been operating a 9000DSE prime lamb breeding and finishing program on open Kurrajong country growing native pastures.

The property is securely watered by 44 dams and three bores (two equipped), supported by 533mm of average annual rainfall.

Infrastructure includes a four-bedroom home, a cottage, a four-stand shearing shed, an original two-stand shearing shed, steel sheep yards, numerous sheds and eight silos with 380-tonnes of grain capacity.

In addition, the property has a 6ha quarry with the Parkes Shire Council extracting between 30,000 and 50,000 tonne per year. Income is generated at $1 per tonne extracted.

Elders agents Brian McAneney and Chris Malone handled the sale of Ashford Heath but were unable to disclose the buyer or the price paid.

Warragundi Aggregation

Five years ago, Bettergrow (founded by brothers John and Michael Borg) paid $30m on a walk-in walk-out basis for the 5800ha Warragundi Aggregation near Mudgee on the Central Tablelands.

The aggregation is situated on the banks of the Cudgegong River, it consisted of three main hubs across nine holdings.

Since then, additional blocks have been added to make the Warragundi Aggregation one of the largest agribusiness enterprises in the region. Today, it spans 8547ha across 12 neighbouring farms producing pasture, fodder and beef.

NSW Western Division holding fails to sell at auction

Elders agents are negotiating with interested parties after the extensively developed Western Division grazing property Aitken was passed in at auction for $4.5 million.

The 5206ha property was offered by the Robson family after eight years of ownership. It is held under a Western Lands perpetual lease near Cumborah, 43km from Lightning Ridge and 90km from Walgett.

A mix of herbages, red and yellow copper burr, Mitchell grass and succulents provide a productive grazing base for sheep and cattle. Aitken is currently running about 3750 Dohne ewes.

The vendors have invested significantly in fencing, water and livestock handling infrastructure during their ownership, including more than 100km of new fencing.

Further development potential includes cropping more than 400ha to lift production.

A comprehensive water system spans the property, incorporating storage tanks and 40 new livestock troughs.

Water security is further supported by a dam and a connection to the Bangate Bore No. 2 cap-and-pipe scheme.

Other improvements include a three-bedroom cottage, shearers’ quarters, steel cattle yards, a five-stand shearing shed, portable sheep yards, eight containment feeding pens with troughs, sheds and 250 tonnes of grain storage.

Elders agent Baden Chaffey is managing the sale.

Negotiations underway for Queensland’s Turn Turn and Wittenburra

Negotiations are underway for the Turn Turn and Wittenburra Aggregation after it was passed in at auction last week.

The highly regarded Paroo watershed country, known as the ‘pride of the Paroo’, was offered for sale by Murray and Anne Todd, Cambooya, and their son Sam.

The 56,587ha aggregation is located 45km south of Eulo and 110km south-west of Cunnamulla in southern Queensland, placing it between northern and southern livestock markets.

It comprises two adjoining holdings – the 16,289ha Turn Turn and the 40,297ha Wittenburra – with an additional 3726ha of stock route crown land.

During their nine years of ownership, the Todds have undertaken a major fencing and water infrastructure program lifting the property’s production capacity and making it easier to manage.

Nutrien Harcourts GDL agent Nick Dunsdon said the exclusion-fenced area will soon expand from 30,513ha to 45,122ha, with 30km of new fencing being added to the existing 130km network.

Turn Turn and Wittenburra previously operated as a Merino and Santa stud, but are also well suited to beef, lamb, wool and goat production.

Mr Dunsdon said the sheep and cattle breeding and finishing country is renowned for heavy-cutting sheep and impressive fat cattle. This year, the Todds have cut more than 500 bales of wool.

The vendors estimate the aggregation can carry 22,000DSE. It is currently running 18,500 sheep and 600 cattle.

The mostly flat to gently undulating country features sweet, pebbly gidyea and mulga.

Open flooded plains carry mostly yapunyah with some gidyea, complemented by bluebush, sugar grass, green panic, Mitchell and Flinders grasses and prolific seasonal herbages.

The property sits in a 330mm average annual rainfall region and is watered by Turn Turn, Wittenburra, Wiseman and Flannelbelly Creeks, as well as 12 artesian bores, 19 dams and numerous Paroo River waterholes.

Improvements include two five-bedroom homes, two cottages, shearers’ quarters, a seven-stand shearing shed, steel cattle yards, three sheep yards, goat yards and numerous sheds.

A small HIR Project provides an additional income stream.