Spittle family selling Mingay farm, near Barunah Park

A 751ha mixed farm at Barunah Plains, with a major renewable energy agreement included, is for sale.

A significant income boost is on the way for this one-time soldier-settlement farm in Victoria’s Western District, with its participation in a fledgling renewable energy project destined to create Australia’s largest wind farm to date.

Mingay is located at Barunah Park, 15km from Rokewood, and carries two titles with multiple paddocks offering a proven track record in livestock and cropping production.

Gordon Spittle purchased Mingay in 1985 after selling another rural property on the Wimmera River outside Ararat.

Despite a move to Ocean Grove, he retained his lifelong interest in farming and felt he needed to stay involved with sheep and country life.

Ably assisted by Greg Butler, Gordon undertook a lot of improvement work on the property, particularly in the earlier years, focused on fencing, stone removal and general upkeep.

Gordon Spittle purchased Mingay in 1985, Greg Butler helping to run the property.

BARUNAH PARK, MINGAY

Property: mixed farming, wind turbine rental income
Size: 751ha
Sale: expressions of interest close November 24
Price: about $17 million (including long-term revenue entitlements from wind farm turbine infrastructure)
Agent: HF Richardson Property
Contact: Ken McDonald, 0418 524 150

Greg persisted with their joint efforts right up to Gordon’s death in 2017 and now continues to manage the property on behalf of the family with a sharefarming arrangement in place for a wheat crop.

This cropping arrangement is locked in, but only until the current crop is harvested.

Hay is cut on the property and summer crops grown for fodder, depending on the season.

Mingay sits on clay loam soils with stone outcrops and is 70-75 per cent arable, though further land clearing could lift that figure.

The property is currently run as a prime lamb breeding and cropping enterprise with a capacity of 5500 dry sheep equivalents and enjoys a reliable annual rainfall of 580mm.

Water supply is secure with eight dams and four bores, plus the semipermanent Mia Mia Creek, which cuts across one corner of the property.

There are 24 paddocks, all of which have access to water supply either through dams or troughs.

A major feature of Mingay is the expected long-term income stream to be generated from 10 wind turbines, part of the proposed $3 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm project.

Standing infrastructure includes an unoccupied farmhouse, well-maintained fencing, three-stand woolshed, sheep and cattle yards, machinery sheds, workshop and two hay sheds.

The notable Barunah Park listing comes after two other premier Western Victoria farms worth a combined $36 million hit the market in October.