Clermont farms cotton onto renewed interest

A cotton and cattle farming operation spanning two properties in Queensland’s Clermont region is being offered to the market for a second time.

The “Willesley” and “Laurel Hills” properties comprise a combined 32,500ha of farmland near Belyando and Mistake Creek, about 100km north of Clermont, with significant row cropping land and capacity for cattle.

First listed for sale in early 2014, they will again be presented to the market in January next year.

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The properties are owned by the Hall family, who first drew Laurel Hills in the 1960s, and feature 30,000ha of grazing land, 1400ha of irrigation for row cropping and a 5000-head standard cattle unit feedlot.

Both the irrigated land and the feedlot are being touted as having the potential to more than double in size.

Willesley and Laurel Hills are high quality properties that accommodate a range of agricultural operations

CBRE’s Geoff Warriner and Chris Holgar are selling the properties in conjunction with Queensland Rural’s Peter MacPherson, with Warriner saying properties near Clermont are seldom put on the market.

“Opportunities to acquire such an extensive aggregation as this in the renowned agricultural region of Clermont are few and far between, and as a result we expect there to be significant buyer interest from a range of parties,” he says.

Willesley and Laurel Hills feature an extensive crop-growing operation.

Holgar says the aggregation is well-located near markets and has a variety of potential uses.

“Willesley and Laurel Hills are high quality properties that accommodate a range of agricultural operations, including irrigated and dry land farming, grazing and feed lotting,” Holgar says.

“The properties are also supported by extensive water infrastructure, bisecting sealed highway – Gregory Development Rd – and a variety of land soil types that lend themselves to a range of agricultural pursuits.”