Versatile Coleambally aggregation of four farms comprising 390 hectares offers irrigated cropping, olives and livestock production options. The land comprises grey self-mulching clays and sandy soils and is rated 85% arable. In recent years, the farm has been operated as a dorper lamb production enterprise running up to 1600 ewes producing 160% lambing, grown irrigated fodder and established a 14ha Olive orchard encompassing 3732 trees.
Located in the northern Coleambally Irrigation Area the property is approximately 19km south of Darlington Point and 22km north of Coleambally. From the property it is 54km to Griffith, 58km to Narrandera and 150km to the regional city of Wagga Wagga.
Area & titles
The land area of the four farms is approximately 390ha or 966ac in total. Farm 227 comprises 107.7ha or 266ac on one title; Farm 229 comprises 153.4ha or 379 ac on one title; Farm 1036 comprises 55.8ha or 138 ac on one title and Farm 1039 comprises 74ha or 183 acres on two titles.
Rainfall & water
The district average annual rainfall is 411mm. Farm 1039 has a stock & domestic bore down to 80 metres with a water depth of 35m, the water is suitable for stock, the home and garden, in addition there is a licenced stock & domestic bore on farm 1036 which is currently not in use. Stock are secured by bore water pumped to water tanks that gravity feed to troughs throughout the holding.
Irrigation
Located in the northern Coleambally irrigation area the aggregation of four farms has general and high security irrigation licences and multiple CICL delivery entitlements. The water entitlements are transferrable across the farms in order to operate as a single farming unit allowing water distribution over all four farms.
Farm 227 has a 105ml CICL delivery entitlement and 40ml Coleambally general security water and excess via Mcgrath road.
Farm 1036 has a 174ml CICL delivery entitlement, irrigation outlet and excess are via Cattanach Road, 129ml Coleambally general security water.
Farm 1039 has a 135ml CICL delivery entitlement, 103ml Coleambally general security water plus 47ml Coleambally high security water.
Three farms have been laser levelled and watered with slide doors using border check irrigation with zero pumping cost and a pumped tail water return system. Farm 227 has mainly grown irrigated pasture in recent times and farm 229 previously produced irrigated soybeans on raised beds with syphon irrigation, this farm has had a complete grid survey, has a good return system and the advantage of a larger CI outlet above the weir allowing for greater flow of 30ml or more, however, this farm has not been irrigated in recent time, currently no water is allocated to the farm. Both farm 227 and 229 are suited to growing irrigated cotton or corn.
Farm 1039 has the most intensive irrigation, with a centre pivot producing pasture year-round, poly pods for pasture and drip irrigation for the olives. A planned expansion of the olive orchard has new drip equipment installed with a Kubota diesel drip pump and filtering equipment, supplying a 200mm main line with high discharge capacity, this system backs up a 15kW electric irrigation pump with solar backup. Farms 1036 and 1039 are ideally suited to horticultural development, such as almonds, olives, and citrus. Both farms have a deep well drained sandy soil with independent high security irrigation supply.
Soils, pastures & fertiliser
The land consists primarily grey self-mulching clays and grey sandy soils. The farm comprises approximately 370ha of arable land. During the vendors tenure all farms have grown winter cereal crops of wheat, barley, and oats. Currently the farm is set up as dryland and irrigated pasture production for the dorper operation. Pastures included irrigated lucerne, clover and ryegrass and dryland clover and ryegrass. All farms have been fertilised with single super, chicken, and cow manure. Gypsum has been applied when fields have been re lasered. The fencing is in good stock proof condition, there are 15 paddocks with hinge joint and top and bottom barbs. Electric fencing is used along the western boundary of Farm 227 which is along the CICL channel.
Olive orchard
The Olive orchard was established in 2017 with three varieties planted, 1548 Picual trees, 1284 Arbequina trees and 900 Coratilna trees. Trees are planted in the standard layout of 7m row spacing and 5m tree spacing to suit large, mechanised tree shakers. The trees are yielding up to 20kg olives per tree and have only been hand harvested at this stage. The vendors planned to utilise the CNC tree shaker for the first year in 2022. Olive crushing plants are located at Jerilderie and Hillston.
Housing
The home was built by the vendors in 2015, it is a transportable with a steel framed timber verandah on the north and eastern sides. The home is 15.25 squares, has three bedrooms, one bathroom with an attached office. The home has ducted heating and cooling and a solar hot water system. The carport is 8mx10m and can accommodate up to 5 vehicles. In addition to the home is a three-bedroom one-bathroom self-contained demountable cabin with multiple air conditioners.
Infrastructure
- steel sheep yards with covered work area and holding pens
- lockable workshop with cement floor covered front area
15-kW solar system
- water tank and pressure pump.
- steel cement floored machinery/storage shed with large awning
- steel hayshed, older steel and timber machinery shed
This aggregation offers buyers operational flexibility and production options of irrigated and dryland cropping or grazing, irrigated pasture, prime lambs, and olives. A very tidy mixed farming enterprise with excellent improvements.
