Guy Barbera selling $1.25 million Sunshine Coast property
The patriarch of an established farming family who is the director of four companies in liquidation is selling a $1.25 million “blue chip” property on the Sunshine Coast.
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The patriarch of a farming family tied to four companies in liquidation owns a Brisbane CBD apartment and a “blue chip” property on the Sunshine Coast that boasts an Olympic-sized dressage arena.
Giatano (Guy) Barbera is the director of Barbera Fresh (with debts of more than $5.7 million), IPG (Global) ($1 million), Barbera Properties ($1.45 million) and Barbera Transport ($800,000) which have been placed in liquidation.
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The family is synonymous in the Bundaberg region where it has been farming zucchinis, capsicum and tomatoes for almost 50 years.
Over the past 20 months, Guy, who is the director of 14 companies, and his partner Joanne Marshall have had their 10 hectare property at Tinbeerwah on the market, including going to auction last December.
The asking price for the Hinterland property, which features a one bedroom house, 14 post and rail paddocks, an Olympic-sized dressage arena and eight stables is $1.25 million.
It’s has been marketed as secluded “blue chip acreage” with expansive lawn areas, natural rainforest, easy access to the Noosa trail network and views to Mount Tinbeerwah.
The couple bought it for $1.045 million in 2007, after just nine days on the market.
The property would have been perfect for Guy’s daughter Courtney who was an accomplished dressage rider.
She was placed in the Australian championships in 2015 in the same year International Equestrian Federation named her in the top 100 young dressage riders in the world.
The 24-year-old was also runner up in the Italian World Beauty Fitness and Fashion 2018 and is now a body builder.
Her 21-year-old brother Mason is a Supercar driver and the director of M & R Farms which is the current operator of the smallcrops business.
Mason is also the director of M Barbera Properties which owns the land on which the farm is located.
Until a fortnight ago Mason was also the director of Barbera Family Farms until Guy took over amid a $1.1 million lawsuit.
Barbera Family Farms, now known as A.C.N. 605 684 295, is the subject of wind-up application by Barbera Farms which was itself wound up last week with debts of more than a million dollars.
The wind-up application, which was started in late March, was listed for the Supreme Court on April 29.
Courtney started Barbera Farms in February 2017 and was a director until July 2018.
The director of Barbera Farms when it was wound up last week was a person from New South Wales.
Mason and Courtney are not the subjects of any investigation or directors of any company in liquidation.
Besides the Tinbeerwah property, Guy and Joanne also own an apartment in Brisbane’s Sebel Hotel.
The couple purchased the one bedroom 109sq m unit in September 2005 for $410,000. Last October a similar sized apartment in the Charlotte Street complex sold for $451,000.
Guy has refused to comment about the companies in liquidation and while Mason said last Friday that the small crops business created work for between 600 and 800 people and it was unfair to link the historical situation to this business.
“We pay all our bills,” Mason said.
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