MORE Australian farm land has fallen into the hands of foreign - and in this case, unknown - owners.
The Weekly Times understands Macquarie Group has continued its raid on Australian farmland with the purchase two grain properties worth a combined $40 million in NSW and Western Australia.
Speculation is mounting that the 4000ha Kealandi near Moree in NSW was sold for more than $16 million to Macquarie Group entity Lawson Grains in a private deal last month.
Ausbuy chief executive officer Lynne Wilkinson accused regulators of sitting on their hands while Australian farmland was snapped up by overseas investors.
"It's like with the managed investment schemes or private equity groups; we don't really know who they (Macquarie Group) represent at the end of the day," Wilkinson said.
"A lot of global companies or so-called private equity groups are buying businesses around the world; Mac Bank simply see this as an opportunity to set up sales of our wealth creating assets."
Macquarie is already one of Australia's largest landholders, operating more then 3 million ha across Australia through its existing pastoral fund, Paraway Pastoral.
