This Month
Future Fund-backed OneFortyOne in mega forestry deal
The biggest forestry deal by an Australian-owned firm in a decade comes as the country prepares for the next home-building boom.
Here’s how this fundie is making money from the land
Warakirri’s Steve Jarrott is looking to buy up more agricultural land just as farmers enjoy the fruits from the US-China trade wars.
May
Hong Kong tycoon snares carbon project in outback WA
Billionaire Li Ka-Shing’s CK Group has taken over an area it describes as “three times the size of Hong Kong” to dedicate to regenerative agriculture.
The few types of farming land holding ground while others slide
Agricultural fund manager Garry Edwards expects all but the very best farmland to face declining values in 2025 amid slowing profitability.
US investor puts $85m grape operation up for grabs
Australia’s table grape industry is worth almost $1 billion annually. More than half the annual crop is typically earmarked for export to Asia-Pacific markets.
April
Regional bank levy still an option with Treasury seeking more data
A pre-Easter email from Treasury officials to regional banks seeking detailed cost data suggests plans for a cost-sharing levy remain in the works.
Cattle baron Sterling Buntine puts $20m central Qld run up for grabs
Buntine’s is a big name in northern Australia, with a portfolio that stretches from the Kimberley, across the Northern Territory to central Queensland.
Warakirri snares $33m orchards deal from Hong Kong tycoon
With about $3.5 billion under management, the investment manager is among a busy group steering domestic and foreign capital into agriculture.
New Forests’ agriculture arm launches $750m raising
Previously, the fund manager has landed mega deals on cropping and cattle properties backed by Canadian giant AIMCo. Now it’s throwing the net wider.
Prominent cropping and sheep farm up for grabs at $50m
On Western Australia’s favoured south coast, The Oaks is controlled by descendants of a famed British tea entrepreneur.
Chris Corrigan leads investors in $500m farm sale to Canadian fund
A venture backed by PSP Investments has bought out co-investors including the prominent businessman in the Kooba aggregation once part of ASX-listed Webster.
Mormons broaden horizons with $38m NSW farm deal
The acquisition is the latest expansion into Australian corporate agriculture by the investment arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Vestey family puts ‘tariff-resistant’ winery on sale with $20m hopes
One of the UK’s wealthiest clans will exit a long-standing Australian investment portfolio – once it disposes of The Lane.
March
Tough times for orchards, vines send values plummeting
Capital values for orchards and vineyards plunged over 2024. In contrast, farmland used for grazing and annual crops has prospered, and the outlook is rosy.
Wealthy silk Allan Myers puts Western District run on the market
High-profile lawyer Allan Myers also runs an extensive agribusiness and investment platform, with much of its focus on Dunkeld where he was raised.
TV star Edwina Bartholomew swaps Woollahra unit for country project
The “Sunrise” presenter and her hotelier husband Neil Varcoe have listed their Sydney apartment to help fund a heritage project in Central West NSW.
US giant quits NT cattle station amid carbon confusion
Uncertainty and delays in the release of new rules for carbon projects spur Hartree, indirectly owned by US global funds giant Brookfield, to sell
Swiss outfit to exit $100m of Queensland cattle stations
The two sprawling stations are part of a substantial cattle and sheep empire put together over years by Swiss aviation dynamo Oskar J Schwenk.
Top paddocks on Darling Downs tapped for renewables
Landowners are seizing the initiative to test market appetite for their property from the renewable energy operators.
Jumbuck sells Rawlinna, Australia’s largest sheep station
The $20 million-plus price tag of the property covering more than 1 million hectares reflects the risks of its volatility.