A rich spread of top-drawer Liverpool Plains farmland will go under the hammer later this month with the offering by Elders of the “Leandah”/“Wyangan” aggregation at Mullaley.
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Owned by the Swain family, the 1354 hectare (3344ac) aggregation is a highly developed irrigation and dryland farming operation backed by secure water entitlements and first-class improvements.
“Leandah”, the larger of the two adjoining properties, at 946ha, was bought by Max and his wife Marlene Swain 38 years ago.
Their son Stephen and his wife Kelly added the 408ha “Wyangan” in 2009.
The family own two other properties in the district and another at Walgett, and are selling “Leandah”/“Wyangan” in order to concentrate more on their livestock enterprises.
Their exit decision opens the door for an investor to secure a prime winter/summer cropping operation in a tightly-held area renowned for its productivity, agricultural versatility and seasonal reliability.
“Leandah”/“Wyangan” has been listed for sale with Ian McArthur of Elders Gunnedah and will go to auction on March 23, unless sold before.
Situated at Ghoolendaadi, about 24 kilometres north of Mullaley and 42km west of Gunnedah, the property is bounded on the north by Cox’s Creek, which carries seasonal flows to the Namoi River.
Soils range from deep floodplain alluvials to black and chocolate basalts and virtually the whole property is cleared for farming, apart from river gums retained along waterways, and box trees at the homesteads.
Of the total area, 293ha is under centre pivot irrigation (five circles) and 152ha flood irrigation (seven laser-levelled fields).
A further 758ha is dryland farmed, leaving 150ha for grazing and infrastructure.
Average rainfall is 600mm and water for irrigation is sourced variously from Cox’s Creek, overland flows and from groundwater via six bores pumping up to 24 megalitres (total) a day.
Two large storage dams with 1800ML total capacity are designed to capture overland flows and to store recycled tailwater or water pumped from Cox’s Creek.
Included in the sale are an unregulated river (Cox’s Creek) licence for 750 units and Upper Namoi Zone 2 groundwater licences for 535 units.
The groundwater entitlement has always been surplus to the farm’s requirements, enabling unused allocation to be sold locally to ready buyers.
Crops are grown in a winter-summer rotation and include winter cereals and grain legumes, cotton and sorghum.
The spread of crops ensures a year-round cash flow, and marketing is facilitated by the property’s proximity to multiple grain receival facilities, major feedgrain users and cotton gins.
Working improvements are substantial and include several large steel machinery sheds, workshops, storage sheds, a shearing shed, cattle yards and 1780 tonnes of grain storage (sheds and silos).
Each of the two component properties has a modern, four-bedroom homestead in an attractive setting, making it a property well suited to either extended family ownership or a separate owner and manager.
The homestead on “Leandah” (home to Stephen and Kelly Swain) is of Hardiplank construction and has open-plan kitchen and living area, a large north-facing verandah and split cycle air conditioning.
“Wyangan” has a homestead (currently rented) of brick veneer construction, also featuring open-plan layout, with verandahs on three sides and ducted air-conditioning.
