Qld cattle station sold after $21 million donation

A family-owned 350,000ha cattle station in western Queensland will become national park after it was sold to the state government.

Vergemont Station has been sold by the Bode family to the Queensland government following a $21 million donation to The Nature Conservancy. Picture: Ian Wilkinson

A $21 million philanthropic donation has unlocked a deal for the Queensland Government to purchase a 350,000ha cattle station for conservation purposes in the state’s western region.

The Miles government, in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, who brokered the $21 million donation, has acquired the 352,589ha Vergemont Station, located south of Winton in western Queensland.

The Bode family has sold the property after searching for a buyer of the Vergemont Station since its listing in 2016.

The Queensland government’s acquisition follows on from its purchase of the neighbouring 138,200ha Tonkoro Station and 73,048ha Melrose Station earlier this year.

The stations will combine with the Mount Windsor Nature Refuge, Pullen Pullen Special Wildlife Reserve and Goneaway and Diamantina National Parks, creating a protected corridor of 1.5 million hectares of the Channel Country, considered key habitat for the endangered night parrot, vulnerable yellow-footed rock-wallaby and highly restricted Opalton grasswren.

It is understood about 300,000ha of the station will become a national park, while about 52,000ha of the former cattle station will support existing opal mining operations.

“This acquisition will see the total area of land currently protected or acquired for future dedication as protected areas push over 15 million hectares for the first time,” Queensland Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Leanne Linard said in a statement.

“I recognise that there are important Queensland boulder opal mining interests on and around Vergemont Station.

About 300,000ha of the Vergemont Station, located 110km west of Longreach, will become national park. Picture: Ian Wilkinson

“In recent months I have spoken to local mayors and met with the Remote Area Planning and Development Board to discuss concerns that dedicating Vergemont Station as a protected area would have a detrimental effect on their community.

“We will work to ensure an ecologically sustainable coexistence between the existing opal mining operations and conservation of the important natural and cultural values on the property.

“We will allow small-scale opal mining interests to continue their operations on suitable areas within the property.”

Vergemont Station is located at the headwaters of the Lake Eyre Basin, with 98 per cent of the station covered in remnant vegetation, containing 34 different regional ecosystems.

Eight of these regional ecosystems are not represented as comprehensively on any other property in Queensland.

Partners in the deal, The Nature Conservancy, listed the renowned Riverina properties, the 34,114ha Boyong and Juanbung stations for sale last year with $60 million-plus price hopes.

However, the property has since been withdrawn from the market, with The Nature Conservancy retaining its share of the ownership.