143 Ashton Road
Gilldora, QLD 4570

Overview

143 Ashton Road, Gilldora

Cooloola Dairy is a generational dairy farming powerhouse located in the heart of the Mary Valley. This picturesque farm has grown to become Queensland's largest Jersey milk supplier, distributing products to over 460 store outlets ranging from Hervey Bay to Brisbane and extending west to Kingaroy. The farm operates a vertically integrated 'paddock-to-bottle' business model, reflecting organic growth and distribution.

The property is offered for sale through Expressions of Interest, focusing on the land component and its fixed assets. The total area encompasses 295 acres (119.51 hectares) divided into two freehold titles separated by the Mary Valley Highway. The eastern title covers 153 acres (62.22 hectares), while the western title comprises 141 acres (57.29 hectares).

Situated in the fertile farmlands of the Mary Valley, the location is approximately 10 minutes south of Gympie, 45 minutes from the Sunshine Coast, 1.5 hours from Brisbane, and just 6 minutes from the Bruce Highway. The region receives an average annual rainfall of 900 to 1000 millimeters.

The property holds a water license of 372 ML from the Mary Valley Water Supply Scheme, including seven water allocations and a 2-hectare Amamoor Creek allocation. The eastern portion features rich, dark loamy soils on river flats, transitioning to darker volcanic soils on ridgelines. The western portion is elevated with dark volcanic soils supporting a mix of native and improved pastures.

The property is bisected by the Mary Valley Highway. The eastern title contains all infrastructure, including the dairy, homestead, and multiple sheds. The river flats are designed with a central laneway system providing access to eight paddocks of roughly equal size. These flats are equipped with solid set and hydrant irrigation infrastructure supplied by the Mary River and Amamoor Creek allocations.

The western title, located on the opposite side of the highway and crossing the Mary Valley Rattler railway, consists of 141 acres of elevated land offering expansive farmland views. This block includes its own bore and trough, a large lined steel tank servicing the dairy, and livestock access via a cement culvert beneath the highway.

Current land use includes approximately 60 acres under solid set irrigation, typically planted with Kikuyu or Rye grass, around 25 acres of irrigated river flat cultivation ideal for hay or silage production, and the balance used for improved pasture grazing.

Property features include nearly 1 kilometer of exclusive frontage to the Mary River and over 2.1 kilometers of exclusive frontage to the Amamoor Creek. There are nine major paddocks with two laneway systems leading to the dairy shed. The pastures have been improved and fertilized over the years to maximize production. Water infrastructure includes one large dam, two water bores (1,800 GPH and 1,200 GPH), a large steel tank, and multiple troughs. The fencing is predominantly timber split post.

Irrigation infrastructure features a multistage electric submersible pump on the Mary River feeding a high-pressure centrifugal pump for solid set irrigation, powered by a 60 horsepower motor generating 90 psi. A travelling irrigator operates on the river flat hydrants supplied by the Mary River. The system includes extensive pipework, fittings, and numerous valves to direct water to specific irrigation areas.

The dairy is an all-steel constructed, undercover Herringbone style facility capable of milking 40 cows per rotation. It includes air-operated suction cups, a 7,500-liter vat storage, a full concrete floor with washout and drainage systems, automatic auger grain feeders, air-operated feed dispensers, and an additional molasses feeding system.

Farm infrastructure includes a lowset, four-bedroom, one-bathroom timber Queenslander style home, along with numerous storage and hay sheds and grain facilities.

This property represents a significant opportunity to acquire one of South East Queensland's largest bottled milk producers, situated on some of the most productive land in the Mary Valley. The varying elevations combined with extensive frontage to the Mary River across multiple titles provide substantial potential for future value addition.

Location