LAWD is expecting keen interest in Sydney developer Rob Moore’s remarkable Yarrenbool Aggregation, a major irrigation and dryland cropping asset in the New England region with nine kilometres of Namoi River frontage and the largest single water entitlement on the river.
The extensively developed 891.9-hectare Aggregation comprises two adjoining properties at Manilla, Yarrenbool (787.4ha) and Namoi Park (104.5ha), supported by 3,640 megalitres of water entitlements from the unregulated Namoi River system.
The Aggregation also boasts a 2,500ML storage dam to complement the river water with approval for an additional 1,000ML extension. There is 422.5ha already under pivot irrigation, with an additional 26.8ha ready for pivot installation and a further 36.4ha planned and approved for future development.
LAWD Senior Director, Col Medway, said Yarrenbool Aggregation offered potential buyers a unique opportunity in today’s tightly controlled water landscape.
“With approvals in place to extend the dam by an additional 1000-megalitres and to also build a second 96ML dam, Yarrenbool Aggregation is positioned for scalable expansion, offering investors a rare regulatory advantage and an opportunity to future-proof their portfolios,” Mr Medway said.
“The astute aggregation of land and water entitlements combined with the development of infrastructure on the Aggregation provides an asset that has capacity for a wide range of agricultural pursuits, which we expect will be highly coveted by the market.”
The water entitlements enable Yarrenbool Aggregation to pump at high and low flows from three operational sites on the Namoi, with an additional two sites licensed for pumps to be installed, and are designed to ensure water access at a range of river flows (heights). This has resulted in the property’s proven track record of high-yielding crops and pasture production, including cotton, corn, beans, cereals and lucerne hay.
Underpinning production are the properties’ free-draining loam soils with an alluvial gravel sub soil that promotes strong root development, along with a meticulously designed irrigation network with 22 electric pivots, modern pumping systems and generators.
Mr Moore and partner, renowned artist Lisa Rochfort, have spent the past 20 years developing the Aggregation into a well-watered asset with capacity for a wide range of agricultural applications, while retaining the natural assets of the property, including the magnificent tree-lined river frontage.
“We’ve always been mindful of protecting the natural environment and there are millions of bees here to pollinate crops, as well as animals such as platypus and echidnas,” Ms Rochfort said.
“A 10-year study found reaches of the Namoi River were some of the most pristine in the Murray Darling Basin.
“In terms of water for crops, Yarrenbool offers the perfect balance between irrigating from the river and accessing the massive dam when needed, and Rob can singlehandedly operate it himself, which is impressive. Not a lot of farms have the capability or infrastructure to require minimal staff.
“It’s extraordinary lucerne country. Prior to the drought we were producing up to 9,000 tonnes per year and trucking it as far as the Northern Territory and South Australia. We’ve grown really high-yielding mung bean and adzuki bean crops, as well as corn.
“The Aggregation will be ready for the new buyer to put a crop straight in, with a dam full of water and any combination of irrigation they need. It’s time for us to create the next chapter.”
Quality infrastructure includes four modern, single-span hay and machinery sheds for operational efficiency, plus three well-appointed residences with river views, including the architecturally renovated, four-bedroom Yarrenbool Homestead, modern Whittagoona House, and recently renovated Namoi Park house.
Yarrenbool Aggregation is in a prime location just 7.5 kilometres northeast of Manilla and 52 kilometres from Tamworth, offering convenient access to regional services and markets.
The Aggregation is being offered for sale by Expression of Interest closing Thursday, 2 October 2025. For more information, contact LAWD Senior Director, Col Medway on +61 428 481 243.
