Western Australia sees major farmland acquisitions by CPC and PenAgri

CPC, owned by British billionaire Guy Hands, has completed the purchase of the Madura Plains sheep station on the Nullarbor, a 711,638‑hectare property, after approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board. The deal follows a seven‑month delay by the Western Australian government. CPC is awaiting clearance to acquire the adjacent Arubiddy station, which together with Madura Plains and Rawlinna would give Hands control of almost 2.5 million hectares of low‑rainfall grazing land capable of supporting about 145,000 sheep. The transaction is reported to have cost less than AU$100 million.

Separately, Perth‑based corporate farm investor PenAgri Group is marketing its 11,288‑hectare Arrowsmith Portfolio in the Mid West of Western Australia. The portfolio, assembled in 2022, comprises three contiguous properties near Geraldton that have delivered high grain yields—averaging 2.7 t/ha of wheat, 1.32 t/ha of canola and 1.44 t/ha of lupins. The sale includes the existing plant list, management team and infrastructure close to the CBH grain hub at Mingenew. No price has been disclosed. Both transactions highlight significant consolidation activity in Western Australia’s agricultural sector.