This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
SARAH and James Law are bringing to an end a century of family ownership of a prized high-rainfall Victoria Western District livestock aggregation, which is tipped to attract interest from buyers ranging from local businesses to international investors.
The 2,161-hectare historic Winnidad Pastoral Aggregation near Mortlake comprises eight separate holdings with a combined carrying capacity of 35,000 DSE, and is currently running 9,000 joined composite ewes producing prime lambs, as well as 700 Angus cows, heifers and replacements.
The aggregation also returns renewable energy income, generated from 13 active wind turbines.
Ranging in size from 60 hectares to 590 hectares, the properties are offered for sale in one line or as separate assets, with many equipped with accommodation and operational infrastructure that enables them to operate individually.
A price in the high $30 millions is expected.
LAWD’s Col Medway, who is marketing the property with Patrick Kerr, said the Winnidad Aggregation offers a rare opportunity to acquire a commercial-scale asset with diverse income options in the coveted Mortlake district.
“Three of the properties benefit from the secure income provided from the wind turbine rent, and we believe the aggregation will appeal to a broad range of buyers, from local businesses seeking to expand, international investors attracted by a large-scale grazing enterprise, and those with a mandate to combine renewable energy with agriculture,” Medway said.
“The ability to purchase whole or part of the Winnidad Aggregation presents an opportunity for all types of buyers.”
The historic four-bedroom Winnidad homestead is located just eight kilometres from Mortlake, with the property boundary meeting the town, enabling cattle to be walked to sale at the Western Victoria Livestock Exchange. The aggregation is only 48 kilometres from the regional centre of Warrnambool.
A laneway and formed road system ensures ease of livestock and vehicle movements throughout the year, and several of the properties have been previously used as dry blocks for dairy stock.
The aggregation is securely watered by Stony Creek, 28 dams, and a network of bores and supply pumps delivering to an extensive reticulated trough system.
The gently sloping land is highly suited to pasture improvement with potential for dryland cropping. Soils are basalt derivatives supported by consistent fertiliser application which underpins the average annual stocking rate of 17 DSE per hectare.
The Winnidad Aggregation began in the early 1900s with the purchase of several blocks of land by the McDonald family, and is now owned by their descendants, Sarah and James Law.
“My great great grandfather first bought a few paddocks along the railway line in Mortlake and added to them over the years, so our family has a lot of history tied up in Winnidad and it was a difficult decision to offer it for sale,” Sarah Law said.