Keshvale – Expressions of Interest (EOI) closing 23.4.2024             

NOTE: Keshvale adjoins Billabong. These adjoining properties can be purchased individually or as an aggregate.                           

   …. A reliable, well-managed and strategically located hay farm offering lifestyle and diverse business options.

Location:

Situated along Dingo Park Road and approx 18km to the intersection with the Flinders Highway, Calcium Service Station and transport to both the west and north. Townsville is a further 30km north from the intersection.

Area & Title:
Freehold   547.54ha (1352.42 acres)

Property overview:
A mix of black soils and alluvial creek frontage soils, well drained farming land with major irrigation water supplies. Though currently farming Hay the land and water supply could be repurposed to include many other crops.

Predominant use is irrigated farming, though further irrigation land could be established in much of the undeveloped land. The property is bisected east-west by Majors Ck, with the land to the southern side of the creek being flat and fertile. There is a woody weed presence in the non-farmed country and along Majors Ck.

Rainfall:
Majors Ck – 1183.9mm. Lansdown CSIRO – 903.6mm

Property specs:

• 2200meg irrigation license.
• 200ha flood irrigated laser levelled bays currently planted to Rhodes grass.
• 100ha of potential irrigation land adjoins current irrigation.
• There is a PMAV over Keshvale covering existing and potential farming acreage.
• Approximately 40% of the property is located to the north of Majors Creek, (247ha, 610 acres). The area is largely flat but with two small hills (quarry areas), black soil and currently used for grazing purposes.

Country:
The property has previously been cleared of its native vegetation. Keshvale generally comprises coastal forest country which has now been largely cleared of its native vegetation and developed to improved pasture. Keshvale encompasses a range of soil types from granites to heavier dark clays and has two distinct land use areas … FARMING and GRAZING.

Broadly speaking the native vegetation types common for the area include Box, Ironbark, Bloodwood, Poplar Gum and along the creeks Moreton Bay, Blue Gum, Leichhardt, Paperbark, Cocky Apple, Teatree and various shrubs in the understory. The perennial natives like Black Spear, and Blue grasses have be replaced with a regime of introduced species including Rhodes grass, Urochloa, Seca & Verano Stylos, Progardes Desmanthus. These new pasture species have transformed the carrying capacity and animal performance to that of reliable grower or steer fattening capability.

There is a substantial presence of Chinee Apple.

FARMING land …

Water:
The largest dam which has an 450mm bate screw pump in Majors Creek is equipped with a 600mm suction & delivery line and holds a total of 1000 meg. This is serviced by a 2200meg license from Majors Creek which doesn’t attract any water charges.

Prior to settlement, the existing pump will be replaced by two new centrifugal China pumps at the same pumping station and delivering water into the same 600mm delivery line. The pumps can operate individually or collectively, as required by the flow in Majors Creek.

• 500mm centrifugal powered by 6-cylinder 6068 John Deere engine
• 300mmm centrifugal powered by 4-cylinder F4L2011 Deutz engine.
• Deisel supply is via a 5000gal towable trailer tank (owned by Tropic fuel) on the adjacent dam bank.
• Majors Creek rises in the high rainfall Mt Elliot National Park underpin a suitable creek flow for water extraction.
• The second dam on the property holds 500meg, this is filled by a 500mm centrifugal pump out of one of the many ‘recycle’ pits on the property.
• No water charges apply.
• Deliberately the owners use the same brand of pumps at all stations. This ensures spare parts are interchangeable and available at short notice.
• Four ‘recycle’ pits at Keshvale hold a total of 548 meg. These pits not only collect irrigated run off but also collect overland flow water. These ‘recycle’ pits help to mitigate against reef run off as all unused tail water is caught and reused. This efficient reuse process extends the farms irrigation capacity, particularly with mid-season rainfall events.
• Three 300mm irrigation pumps enable 6 bays to be watered simultaneously.
• Two additional pumps empty recycle pits back into the two larger dams.
• The irrigation area is serviced by 4170m of 300mm PLUS 500m or 400mm underground poly pipe.
• The irrigation is divided into 75 smaller bays all serviced by 300mm irrigation outlets with taps and lay flat fluming attached. This system delivers low-pressure, low-cost flood irrigation.
• Domestic supply – there is a 60mm polypipe line water supply running, under pressure from the Burdekin Dam-Townsville line to the Keshvale house. Additionally, there is three 5000gal poly rainwater water tanks plumbed into the house.

Crop production:
Sugar Cane – Previously 50 ha of sugar cane was farmed. The 5-year cane crop yield averaged 80t/ ha with an average CCS of 14.7 units. Currently this land is fallow in readiness for the incoming buyers’ preferred crop.
Rhodes Grass- 151 ha planted; 5t / ha each harvest; Average of 5 cuts per year

Grazing land:
On the northern side of Majors Ck lies approx 247ha (610 acres) of grazing land.

Fenced into two paddocks the area is comprised mostly of alluvial creek frontage, heavy carrying black soil with two small gravel hills. Cattle yards are currently accessed via a laneway.

The current use is for a breeding herd, but it could be just as easily changed to growing/fattening … fertile soils and pasture improvement would enable production improvement. Current pastures include a variety of Seca & Verano stylo, Wynn Cassia and native grasses. Cattle perform extremely well.

The land is heavily impacted by Chinee Apple, so the continuous creek frontage has been fenced for its length to facilitate easier management.

 Infrastructure:
Power supply –There is no Ergon power supply to the property. Though the Egron power is within achievable distance for connection to Keshvale it was deemed that a solar power system was considerably more cost effective.

A stand-alone solar system incorporates 60 panels on the roof, 32.6kw of lithium iron batteries, and a 25KVA backup Lister generator … together this ensures the house power is autonomous including the operation of numerous air conditioners etc.

The machinery shed and hay shed have no power supply, other than portable generators, as required. The house generator is located in a corner of the house garden, approx 40mtr from the machinery shed. It would therefore be quite cost effective to run underground cable from the generator to the machinery shed, if required.

The house is newly renovated highset, 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom air conditioned plus office with large wrap around verandas on three sides. The house has a total of 600 square meters under roof.

Sheds:

• Workshop shed – Recently built 15m x 18m lockable workshop, Colourbond, with cement floor.
• Hay shed – 40m x 24m, 4 x 10m bays, one rear wall / 3 open sides.
• Storage capacity 2400 large square bales (8’ x 4’)

Plant & Equipment:
A list of plant and modern hay making machinery is included in the sale.

Quarry:
Located on one of the small gravel hills, in the grazing land, is an ‘own use’ quarry. The owners have used this gravel product extensively for farm roads and shed pads etc. The quarry has many years of remaining use. No license is required for ‘own use’.

Lifestyle:
The Keshvale location with its close proximity to Townsville has everything at your fingertips … beaches & islands, fishing and boating, business diversity, education opportunity, Airport and comprehensive health services to name a few! With Majors Creek rising in the nearby, high rainfall Mt Elliot National Park there are numerous wonderful swimming, camping and picnic destinations on the property to share with family and friends.

Body Corporate and Reconfiguration of Lot:

Keshvale forms part of the Dingo Park body corporate. There is a proposed Reconfiguration of Lot to address current uses on the ground. Further details are available in the draft Contract of Sale available from the Agent.

Disclaimer: The above report on Keshvale 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. © Slaney & Co