Nine northern beef companies support AAM Investment Group bid for LPC site

The rationale for the plan to repurpose the college assets and the groups involved were revealed at a public meeting in Longreach on Thursday night.

AAM managing director Garry Edwards said they had secured the support of Australian Country Choice, Cleveland Agriculture, Consolidated Pastoral Co, the Curr family, Georgina Pastoral, Hewitt Cattle Australia, MDH, Mort and Co and NAPCO, but said it wasn't an exclusive club.

It wasn't clear whether a company would be formed to present a final bid to the government on February 23, but Mr Edwards said they were trying to keep the process simple and secure the asset so they weren't restricted by government processes as they went forward in planning for the future.

"We are trying to intervene in the process the government has gone down, of divestment," he said.

"We want to buy the whole site holus bolus but we're very open to interacting with you and your ideas.

"We will put an independent board in place and work out how we will deliver a variety of services.

"Our intention is, if we are selected as the preferred tenderer, we will immediately open up a process to talk to interested parties about their needs."

The 17,511ha site and its onsite campus is being offered in a range of configurations, which Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said last December was because numerous purchaser enquiries showed interest in a variety of different options to suit individual business needs.

Mr Edwards reminded the meeting that it would not necessarily be the group putting in the highest bid that would win the tender; it would also need to demonstrate regional community benefit.

That was immediately pledged by AgForce representatives at the meeting, with Mike Pratt saying it would be contacting all members asking them to write a letter of support.

"You have thrown us a lifeline," he said.

Mr Edwards said all signatures and offers of assistance, financial or otherwise, would form part of the final submission to the government.

The asset management company - it has over $887 million invested in beef cattle, meat and wool sheep, cropping, poultry, and timber supply chains, in four states and territories - hopes that the diversity of its bid - encouraging as much use of the assets and the training facility as possible - will be the main reason for its success, along with community engagement and support.

Stressing that, AAM Diversified Agriculture Fund general manager David Paton said he hoped no-one would leave the meeting thinking that AAM was just setting up a new ag college.

"It's clear the government won't support something that follows the same model as the past," Mr Edwards added.

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The meeting heard that all participants had committed to having part of their staff training take place at the venue, which they hoped would include new forms of short courses and targeted training.

Mr Edwards said those in the consortium, which were in need of education rather than educators themselves, would seek to bring in specialised training institutions.

"We don't intend to be the operators - we want to fund the redevelopment and provide the seed funding," he said.

He was speaking in response to a question about the style of training that would be offered, noting that the government-led model hadn't been popular.

"Skill sets have been offered by the companies involved to get access to training - this will be the most unique targeted learning you could have," Mr Edwards said. "We have individuals wanting to offer scholarships."

As far as the non-campus assets go, Mr Edwards said some land would be needed to sit alongside training requirements, and the water licence and irrigation potential was of interest for fodder purposes.

"There's a huge shortage of fodder out here," he said. "WQLX has to import 80 to 90 per cent of our requirements at the saleyards."

He told the meeting that the college accessed its water needs from the Thomson River, which has lines passing through the land for sale, and so rather than deal with the complexities involved, it was preferable to bid on all that was offered and then deal with individual needs.

Students learning at the college would be given access to the saleyards along with AAM's six properties at Blackall and Isisford.

Mr Edwards even had an answer for the query put forward by Leanne Kohler, who heads up a group assisting locals with disabilities obtain meaningful employment and independent living.

"One of our assets is a timber mill in South Australia, which won an award this year for disadvantaged employees," he said.

Longreach Regional Council Mayor Tony Rayner told the meeting at the Longreach Civic Centre that while they would back all applications made, the one presented on the night ticked all boxes for them.

"I thank you for engaging with the community," he said.

As far as timing, if the bid was successful, Mr Edwards said that was up to the state government.

"It would be nice to think possession would be handed over by the middle of the year," he said. "We'd like to push for (an opening at) the start of 2024."

Commenting that there had been a very high level of interest in the tender, Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said the the assessment process would take up to 60 days after the tender closes.

"The assessment process is complex as the properties related to the former QATC campus were offered in a range of configurations," he said. "It is not appropriate to comment on potential tender outcomes while the tender is still open."