Lifestyle, spring water property at 45 Reserve Rd, Don Valley for sale

It’s a farm with no livestock, and for good reason — a crystal-clear spring has long been used for a bottling operation.

Don Valley spring water property for sale

IT WAS the water quality that attracted Richard and Danielle Hack to their Yarra Valley property, and it will be the water that they think will sell it.

The couple has worked over the past 14 years to fine tune a water-bottling operation to protect the crystal-clear springs that run on their farm.

Such has been their determination to keep the water clean that they have run no livestock on the land, and have instead slashed and mulched the grass that grows.

DON VALLEY

45 RESERVE RD

PROPERTY: Lifestyle/spring water

SIZE: 64ha

SALE: Expressions of interest

PRICE: More than $4 million

AGENT: Colliers International

CONTACT: Duncan McCulloch, 0416 047 484

45 Reserve Rd, Don Valley.

It means the property has had no fertilisers or chemicals used, and Mr Hack said it could be ideal for permaculture or even organic production.

“There is a lot of permaculture in our valley, including our new neighbours who are about to set up a large permaculture operation,” Mr Hack said.

The pristine nature of the farm was what attracted the couple to buy it. With views down the Yarra Valley, it has been a quiet retreat as well as an income source through the water.

At its peak, the springs on the property were providing water to the Pump water brand, but the operation has slowed in recent years.

Mr Hack said all the infrastructure was there to ramp up the sales of water again for either bulk spring water, or in small bottles.

He said there was even the potential to sell water to other food or alcohol processors or even local restaurants or coffee operations who wanted the highest-quality ingredients to produce their products.

The property includes a 50-megaltire water entitlement which harvests spring water from Mt Donna Buang, a bottling warehouse and functional bottling line, a state-of-the-art water filtration system including six stainless-steel storage tanks, with a combined capacity of more than 310,000 litres, and three extraction lines.

Other improvements include a three-bedroom home, an all-weather laneway system and a sophisticated security system.

Mr Hack said the couple would miss much about the property, but especially the quietness.

“This is one of the few places that when you go to bed, you hear absolutely nothing apart from the wildlife and birds,” he said.

“The property has wonderful soil that has benefited from being rested.

“We didn’t want to run animals because we wanted to protect the water source, but a side benefit has been that we have improved the health of the soil.”

Selling agent Duncan McCulloch said the property offered “an unparalleled lifestyle opportunity, with the capacity to bring in a substantial income”.