Avalon has the potential for new owners to expand the cropping footprint. Photo: Ray White

AT JUST over 4900 hectares, mixed cropping and livestock property, Avalon, is a rare large-scale offering in the tightly held Condobolin district.

The central west New South Wales holding has been owned by the Couchman family for more than 40 years, and will head to auction on October 26.

Ray White Condobolin agent Paddy Ward is handling the listing.

He said about 1100ha is currently considered arable, and opportunity exists for further land to be cultivated.

“It has got potential to develop more cropping,” Mr Ward said.

“There is [1100ha] arable, and it has got potential for another [2023ha] to be developed.”

Mr Ward said the property has a history of producing wheat and oats, and is currently running around 350 cows and calves.

Avalon is split into 15 paddocks which feature level to gently undulating red loam to red sandy loam and granite soils.

Alongside receiving reliable average annual rainfall of 437 millimetres, the property has 15 large dams and numerous water courses traverse the holding.

Ray White West Wyalong agent Oscar Freeman said Avalon is an example of the push towards sustainably transforming grazing into cropping country.

“There is a big demand for value-adding grazing blocks and turning them into cropping,” Mr Freeman said.

“It is definitely the croppers who are setting the benchmark with the land prices in that part of the world.”

Mr Freeman said the central and north-west NSW districts are heading into a busy property season.

He said there the spring months are generally a very active time for the rural property market and he expects this year to be no different.

Mr Freeman and Mr Ward have recently listed another Condobolin region property for lease.

The Ascot Aggregation is a 3832ha continuous-cropping operation 34 kilometres south-west of Condobolin and 24km north of Ungarie.

Mr Freeman said the owners are based in Queensland and are offering the property for a five-year lease after the previous lessee opted not to continue at the operation.

The property is an aggregation of three holdings: Ascot North (1505ha), Ascot South (1448ha) and Revenue (877ha).

Ascot North and South are currently sown to canola with Revenue producing wheat.

The lease is available via tender closing on September 27.

Ungarie property, Ripponlea, has been sown to canola this season. Photo: Nutrien Harcourts

Ungarie cropping opportunity

Just south of the Condobolin holdings, is Ungarie-district property, Ripponlea, which Nutrien Harcourts West Wyalong has listed for sale.

The 1056ha cropping operation will head to auction on October 14.

Ripponlea features highly fertile, strong red loam soils and is currently sown to canola.

The property boasts two titles, each with their own water scheme connected and improvements, including machinery, shearing and workshop sheds, 300-tonne grain storage and steel sheep and cattle yards.

Nutrien Harcourts West Wyalong agent Will Dean is handling the Ripponlea listing.