Who owns Western Downs farms in 2021

An investigation into property ownership in Australia has revealed several national and international investors hold the rights to thousands of hectares of Western Downs farmland. SEE INSIDE:

PROPERTY OWNERSHIP: Record-low interest rates, improved seasonal conditions and strong commodity prices are behind a record grab for farmland across Australia. Picture: File

A thorough investigation into property ownership in Australia has revealed several national and international companies own thousands of hectares in and around the Western Downs.

Record-low interest rates, strong commodity prices and improved seasonal conditions have contributed to the record land grab for farming properties across Australia.

An annual report into who owns Australia’s farms, conducted by AgJournals, has shown how the big are getting bigger in 2021.

The biggest landholder, by value, is the Canadian PSP Investments, which have garnered a portfolio of more than $4 billion worth of land and water assets throughout the past five years.

Other major players include Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets which have more than $3 billion invested through three agriculture-specific funds.

The biggest landholder by size is Australian billionaire Gina Rinehart, who as amassed about 10 million hectares through her Hancock Agriculture and S Kidman and Co ventures.

See who owns what properties across and near the Western Downs.

GIBSON GRAZING

Owned by cattle producers and lot feeders Mick and Declan Gibson from Dalby in Queensland.

Reportedly run 73,000 cattle across more than two million hectares in Queensland and the Northern Territory.

• Darran Aggregation, St George QLD – 12,095 hectares.

• Manners Creek Station, Alice Springs NT. 687,900 hectares. Purchased in 2016.

HUGHES PASTORAL GROUP-GEORGINA PASTORAL COMPANY

Hughes Pastoral Group and its sister Georgina Pastoral Company operate more than 2.8 million hectares across nine stations in Queensland, NSW and the Northern Territory.

• Grassdale Feedlot, Dalby QLD.

Source: hughespastoral.com.au

TIAA-CREF/NUVEEN (UNITED STATES)

One of the biggest investors in Australian agriculture, the New York-based Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund, through its asset management subsidiary Nuveen, owns almost 300,000 hectares of developed cropping country about 70 properties or aggregations. Its land and water portfolio is worth an estimated $1.8 billion.

• Cecil Plains QLD – 3967 hectares.

• Condamine QLD – 2761 hectares.

• Dalby QLD – 3797 hectares.

• Dalby QLD – 785 hectares.

• Jondaryan QLD – 4034 hectares.

WARAKIRRI ASSET MANAGEMENT

Warakirri Asset Management is another of Australian agriculture’s multimillion-dollar behemoths, with its own Warakirri Cropping and Warakirri Diversified Agriculture Fund assets as well as Aurora Dairies and Daybreak Cropping (which are both backed by Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board – see separate listing)

– WARAKIRRI CROPPING

• Myola, Dalby QLD – 4200 hectares.

• Wyobie, Dalby QLD – 2800 hectares.

BIDGEL GRAZING

• Dalkeith Station, Flinton QLD – 15,411 hectares. Purchased in 2021 for $19-$20 million walk-in, walk-out.

CAMM AGRICULTURAL GROUP

Headed by father and son David and Bryce Camm. Sold the 390,600-hectare Natal Downs, Longton and Narellan stations to Rural Funds Group for $53 million, then leased them back. Also own three central Queensland breeding and backgrounding properties and a breeding property in Queensland’s South Burnett region.

• Wonga Plains Feedlot, Bowenville QLD.

PARAWAY PASTORAL

One of Australia’s biggest livestock producers with 4.48 million hectares spread over 27 aggregations. The properties run more than 250,000 sheep and more than 220,000 cattle producing more than 30,000 tonnes of beef, 1460 tonnes of wool and 170,000 surplus sheep for sale annually.

• Moira Runda, Condamine QLD – 12,510 hectares.

NORTH AUSTRALIAN PASTORAL COMPANY

The purchase of the 135,000-hectare Mantuan Downs Station in central Queensland last year has taken the North Australian Pastoral Company’s investments in farmland to more than six million hectares.

• Wainui Feedlot and Farm, Bowenville QLD – 5000 hectares.

PALGROVE HOLDINGS PTY LTD (NEW ZEALAND)

Beef operation operated by Prue and David Bondfield. Comprises the Palgrove Charolais, Charbray and Ultrablack studs. Teamed with the New Zealand Superannuation Fund in 2017 to grow the business.

• Killaloo, Drillham QLD – 2025 hectares.

PROTERRA INVESTMENT PARTNERS-ONE TREE AGRICULTURE

Spin off of Cargill’s Black River Asset Management, Proterra is a private equity firm focused on investment in natural resources. Sold the 7350-hectare Kinbeachie aggregation to Daybreak Cropping in January 2019 for $25 million. Assets include:

• Calmyle, Macalister QLD – 996 hectares.

• Encliffe and Glendaloch, Jandowae QLD – 1250 hectares. Listed for sale in 2019.