The Australian agricultural sector has witnessed extraordinary change in recent years with a constantly changing regulatory environment, competition law reforms, globalisation of markets and significant developments in technology innovation.
Keeping up with these changes and capitalizing on the opportunities they provide can be difficult when you have a business to run and it is important that farming families have trusted advisers with hands on experience and up to date knowledge of the legal issues and opportunities facing the Australian agricultural sector.
Connolly Suthers Lawyers has its roots in working with primary industry. The firm has evolved from a traditional North Queensland rural services practice, which, in the past, has comprised branch offices in Tully, Ingham, Hughenden and Airlie Beach. Connolly Suthers now has offices in Townsville and Ayr and offers a 120 year track record and a specialised regional knowledge and presence in North Queensland.
Connolly Suthers has proven expertise in:-
- Rural property acquisitions and sales including providing pre-contract advice, negotiating and documenting terms of sale and undertaking due diligence investigations
- State Leasehold land tenure issues including renewals and freeholding
- Agistment, share-farming, crop leasing and sub-leasing agreements
- Water allocation licensing and the transfer of water entitlements
- Sugar industry issues
- Access and compensation agreements with mining companies
- Land resumptions and compensation
- Succession planning for family owned businesses
- Vegetation clearing and environmental offences
- Native title issues.
Our recent experience
Connolly Suthers have recently:-
- Provided advice to a foreign owned company on the purchase of two rural properties for the purpose of carbon farming
- Assisted a pastoral family in the distribution of its assets between family members for succession purposes including the transfer of multiple properties and shares and restructuring of discretionary trusts and advising on the stamp duty arising from the transaction
- Acted for a client in the purchase of a significant banana plantation comprised of multiple properties with differing land tenures and ownership
- Provided advice to a client on the purchase of a significant aquaculture holding including advice on town planning, native title and state leasehold land tenure issues
- Acted for the holders of a grazing lease in a compensation claim relating to the partial resumption of leasehold land by a Local Government
- Acted for one of the firm's long-standing pastoral clients in the sale of a significant pastoral holding in the Northern Territory
Our firm's lawyers visit rural areas on a regular basis and by appointment. If you require further information on our rural services, please contact us.