The Arcturus Downs Portfolio – a highly diversified irrigated cropping, broadacre farming, and beef cattle breeding and backgrounding operation – offers an institutional-scale opportunity for investment in the coveted Golden Triangle region of Central Queensland.

Spanning 34,944ha south of Emerald, the Portfolio of four properties is made up of 15,601ha of contiguous cropping and grazing land (Arcturus Downs, Kronje and Barton Downs, together the Arcturus Downs Aggregation) and the 19,343ha Pindari property located 30 kilometres away and best suited to livestock production.

Cropping land has been extensively developed, producing cotton, sorghum and mungbeans on 1,000ha of irrigation, as well as wheat, barley, chickpeas, sorghum, cotton and oats across 6,852ha of dryland operations.

Pindari features 6,450ha of open grazing land, complemented by 4,600ha of timbered grazing and 8,293ha of rangelands with a carrying capacity of 2,250AE. Currently, Pindari is stocked with 1,500 breeding females.

The Arcturus Downs Aggregation features internal fencing subdividing the aggregation into 18 main cropping paddocks, 20 primary grazing paddocks and numerous holding paddocks, which is supported by extensive internal laneway systems.

LAWD Director, Simon Cudmore, said the Arcturus Downs Portfolio’s strategic location and diverse income mix made it a standout in Queensland’s sought-after Central Highlands region.

“An offering of this scale and diversity, and in a region this tightly held, is quite a rare offering to the market,” Mr Cudmore said.

“The Arcturus Downs Portfolio benefits from the trifecta of fertile soil types, an excellent climate and secure irrigated water, and we are expecting strong interest in this unique opportunity.”

Productive land types supported by water security

The Arcturus Downs Aggregation boasts productive land types comprising mostly brigalow with deep alluvial scrub soils adjacent to the Comet River and Springsure Creek.

Substantial water allocations include 3,363mgL of nominal volume (volumetric capacity of 5,700mgL) Comet River unsupplemented water allocations, underpinned by additional overland flow water harvesting capabilities that arise from high rainfall or river flow events. This is supported by a reliable annual rainfall of 685mm and significant combined on-farm water storage of 14,000mgL, reliable stock and domestic water via 10 groundwater bores, 14 dams and seasonal waterholes.

Pindari is securely watered by eight equipped stock groundwater bores, 54 catchment dams and numerous permanent and seasonal waterholes. An irrigation bore with an annual allocation of 78mgL can be used to water approximately 20ha.

The water system on Pindari has undergone extensive upgrades and expansion over the past seven years to coincide with a change in management to a rotational grazing system.

Investment in operational infrastructure

Much of the operational infrastructure across the Arcturus Downs Portfolio is new or recently upgraded and designed to meet the requirements of its workforce and highly diversified cropping and livestock operations.
The 335sqm Arcturus Downs homestead has five bedrooms and three bathrooms with an enclosed verandah and swimming pool, as well as significant water storage tanks. Four additional dwellings are located on Arcturus Downs, along with well-established living quarters for on-site employees.

Structural improvements at the Arcturus Downs Aggregation include an extensive integrated grain storage complex with a combined capacity of 7,850t, which includes a drive-over receival hopper, grain drier, out loading facilities and a full-length weighbridge; three sets of cattle yards; horse yards and stables; and substantial residential infrastructure including two main homesteads, six cottages and staff quarters.

Considerable infrastructure is also offered with the Aggregation including 146,000L bunded fuel storage, significant machinery and storage shedding, as well as a 1,300m gravel airstrip with cross strip and hangar.

Structural improvements on Pindari include a renovated 100sqm, three-bedroom homestead, a cottage and a mustering hut, four sets of cattle yards, an airstrip, machinery and hay sheds and a workshop.

The Arcturus Downs Portfolio is being offered for sale by Expression of Interest closing at 12pm (AEST) Thursday 10 October 2024. For more information, contact LAWD Directors Simon Cudmore on +61 424 596 858, and Grant Veivers on +61 419 714 039, or LAWD Senior Director, Jaclyn Hope on +61 424 596 858.