Overview:

The property is brought about by the aggregation of three adjoining, separate holdings. These holdings originally accommodated cattle grazing and sugarcane farming enterprises which had considerable productivity and production constraints … due mainly to scale and flooding impacts. The aggregation, along with a considerable infrastructure upgrade, has transformed the property into a productive, low cost, grass fattening enterprise best suited to finishing cattle for live export and slaughter markets.

The property offers opportunity for profitable and reliable cattle fattening … with little cost.

Riverlands Grazing recipe for profit … high stocking rates, no fertiliser requirement, natural water, limited animal health inputs, year-round pasture productivity and high weight gains. The judicial use of molasses (M4U) has proven the only nutritional additive required.

Rainfall:

Average 2160mm pa.                        

Location:

Riverlands Grazing access is via Pomona Road, which in-turn intersects the Bruce Highway approximately 10km south from town of Ingham, and 95km north of Townsville. The property accesses all the services of the Ingham township, population approx 4500 people is supported by schooling, medical, shopping and business enterprise.

Ingham is made famous by the Slim Dusty song ‘Pub with no Beer’, written about the Lees Hotel, the annual Italian Festival, and more recently the Qld Premier David Crisafulli’s hometown, the town has a diverse and proud history. The district supports a very well-established sugar industry, two Sugar Mills, Lucinda Sugar Terminal and 5km long loading wharf … and to lesser degree, beef cattle. Nearby are the beachside hamlets of Forrest Beach, and Lucinda offering the boatie close access to the Great Barrier Reef, Hinchinbrook Island and a multitude of fishing and sailing opportunities.

Townsville city is the largest city in North Queensland. Townsville’s fast-developing industries, the Port of Townsville, JBS Meatworks, Live Export facilities, renewable energy hub, and various new developments support a growing population of 200000+ people. 

The Aggregation – Area & Tenure

TOTAL 377.26 ha (approx 932ac) adjoining blocks. 

Barnes’s paddock

Freehold 180.97ha (approx 446.99acres)

Fairley paddock

Freehold 134.68ha (approx 332.7acres)

Blanco paddock

Freehold 61.61ha (approx 152.18ac)

Following aggregation, all fencing has been replaced or renewed and now includes laneways and mustering squares for ease of stock handling. A substantial cattle yard has been constructed at the NE corner of the property with B-double roadtrain access off the Bruce Highway.

Stock water:

Livestock water requirements come entirely from the cattle creek frontage or lagoons within the property. The Ingham area is in a 2000mm annual rainfall belt. 

Livestock, markets & carrying capacity:

The Vendor has operated a breeding herd plus an assortment of dry cattle so actual dry cattle carrying capacity has not been tested. Based on similar, relevant flood plain operations the property is best suited to ‘terminal’ dry cattle production. Carrying capacity should be viewed in turnoff cycles … early cycle, post wet season you might stock 500+ adult cattle (liveweight 300kg +), followed by a further 300+ adult cattle in August. Overlap of the early lead sale cattle and entry of new cattle is best management practice.

A treatment with an internal/external parasite control agent (eg. Dectomax) is recommended on entry. Grass growth is exceptionally quick and is measured in days to weeks for 30-60cm growth! Paddock rotation is also good practice for both parasite control and grass replenishment.

It is important to adhere to cattle entry weight of 300kg + as mature cattle are required for this wetter country. Additionally, the cattle will hit marketable weights to best fit slaughter and live export grids if entry weight is high. Store conditioned cull cows are ideal for the flood plains.

Though not absolutely necessary, the vendor has found value for money in some feeding assistance as it optimises animal performance. Nutrition supplementation comes in the form of low cost molasses … specifically M4U (Molasses + 4% Urea). The grazier may commit to an annual molasses supply agreement sourced from the nearby Victoria Mill, and collect the product as required. Depending on animal specs the supplementation level is approximately 200-500 grams/day of M4U. Weight gains will be comfortably 1.0kg/day.

Mustering is straight forward due to open country, roadways, laneways and short distances. Bikes, buggies, drone or helicopter … your choice.

Flood plain grazing is a two-edged sword … on one hand the annual, slow-moving, fertile flood   waters replenish waterholes and rejuvenate pasture thus ensuring productive livestock performance. On the other, the grazing window is only possible from after flood water recedes, usually in March-April, until about late November or early December when storm rain revisits the area. Seasonal variation may extend or shorten these timelines.

Where possible fencing has been located on elevated roadways and kept away from flood prone areas. The slow-moving water can get deep on the flood plain, so fencing is kept to a minimum, though there is room for a little more fencing to subdivide a paddock or two, if desired. 

Barnes’s paddock

Located on the corner of the Bruce Highway and Pomona Road.

Formerly a sugar cane enterprise bordered by substantial areas of Paragrass and Hymenachne wetlands, the property was frequently flooded. As cane crops proved to be unsuitable to the property the current owners have subsequently removed the crop and established improved pasture grasses in its place, thus creating productive cattle fattening paddocks.

The cattle yards can be accessed via an all-weather pad suitable for B-double cattle trucks.

Area: 180.97ha (approx 446.99acres) 

Infrastructure:

Cattle yards – a set of professionally built steel cattle rail yards has been constructed on an elevated pad at the NE corner of the property.  The yards contain covered race and crush, with scales, loading ramp, water troughs and are serviced by a holding paddock and laneway. 

Shed – there is a large, elevated pad with a shed, donga and 3 shipping containers.

Stock water – water in the paddocks is provided naturally from several lagoons throughout or manmade excavations which are filled from the frequent rainfall events.

Water to the yards is provided via the metered town water supply located at the boundary gate and is reticulated into a tank and two troughs in the yards. This pipeline could be extended further, as required.

Roads – elevated roads have been constructed thus enabling vehicle transit across the property, dry passage for cattle and optimum fence line locations. 

Fencing – new, steel end assemblies, gates, 3-4 barb, two paddocks, laneway and square. 

Country:

The lower section is a natural, flat, flood plain covered by Hymenachne and Paragrass. Setaria and Pangola grasses have been established in the less wet sections, since the Sugarcane was removed in late 2023. The resulting outcome is 100% coverage of highly productive, palatable, improved pastures.

The previous owners excavated soil for paddock drainage and road construction. Those same excavations and roads now provide year-round waterholes for stock water and elevated roadways for vehicle and livestock passage in wetter times.

Fairley paddock 

Area: 134.68ha (approx 332.7acres

Fencing – the property is one large paddock with 3-barb fencing and deep water used for part of the southern boundary against Wharps Station.

The Bruce Highway frontage along Cattle Creek has a fence construction which allows the entire fence to be ‘lifted’ above normal flood levels.

Country:

This is a natural flood plain of Cattle Creek and is 100% covered by Hymenachne and Paragrass. Note that 100% of the property floods. There are large, shaded areas lightly timbered with large Tea Trees and the area is punctuated by the odd lagoon which provides for the livestock water requirements.

The dividing fence between Barnes and Fairleys’ is located on an excavated levy bank to create both an elevated passage for vehicles, boundary fencing out of flood reach, and dry land for a cattle camp.

Vehicles can easily traverse the paddock in the dry season. 

Blanco paddock 

Area:  61.61ha (approx 152.18acres)

Country:

The paddock has similar attributes to both Barnes & Fairley paddocks though generally it is much less flood prone so stock can be introduced earlier and dispatched later.

Located off McAusland Road the property has improved pastures primarily being a heavy stand of Hymenachne, Paragrass, Setaria and Pangola grasses.

Cattle yards – a small set of portable yards, equipped with loading ramp, are located adjacent the road entrance and provide body truck access for loading or unloading. As the Blanco paddocks are the first to dry after the wet season the yard is primarily used for earlier introduction of cattle but has also proven useful for loading cattle out at certain times.

Fencing – the property is fenced into 4 paddocks, with a central laneway leading to the cattle yards.

Water – there is a shallow bore located approx 200m from the cattle yards and delivers water, via a ‘firefighter’ pump, to a poly tank and trough at the yards. The bore is generally only used when cattle are yarded for a period. Alternatively, a large excavation waterhole provides year-round cattle supply in the paddocks.

Comment:
The features of the aggregation include simplicity, consistent cattle performance and very low costs.

Riverlands Grazing would be ideal when valued-added to a cattle breeding enterprise …

Droughts do not visit. As a cattle trading or fattening property used in the post wet season period between April and early December there are frequent and varied marketing options. Weight gain is exceptional so turnoff speed can be very quick.

Heavier cattle do best. Meatworks and Live Export market price premiums can be obtained due to all weather access and short delivery logistics e.g. The last weeks of seasonal kill at JBS Townsville or short supply to live export yards. The options are many.

Disclaimer: The above report has been prepared by Slaney & Co based on information supplied by the property owner and other credible sources. Every endeavour has been made to verify its accuracy. Whilst we trust the information to be correct, we make no warranties or guarantees, and prospective purchasers must rely on their own enquiries & research. © Copyright Slaney & Co