Funds Have Taken a Controlling Interest in The 46, 000 Hectare Auspine Estate

Funds managed by New Forests have taken a controlling interest in the 46, 000 hectare Auspine estate. New Forests' Australia New Zealand Forest Fund is the lead investor in the transaction, which includes the land and trees of the 64-property estate, formerly owned and managed by Gunns Limited. The plantation estate will be managed by Sydney-based New Forests, an investment manager specializing in sustainable forestry and associated environmental markets. Auspine is the second largest softwood plantation asset in the Green Triangle, one of Australia’s premier timber producing regions, spanning the border of Victoria and South Australia. The estate consists of radiata pine plantation in a region with an established track record of producing high-quality softwood timber. “This investment will deliver stable long-term ownership of the estate and reflects the potential for institutional capital to support Australia’s forest sector, ” noted David Brand, Managing Director. “Institutional investors are increasingly seeking real assets such as timberland -- particularly opportunities like the Auspine assets that offer a steady cash yield from sustainable timber harvest -- as part of their investment programs. ” Under New Forests’ management, the estate will continue to supply local processing mills for domestic structural timbers through long-term agreements, as well as support local businesses providing property management, harvest, and transport activities. “The Auspine estate is a great addition to New Forests’ growing Australian timberlands portfolio and will enable us to seek improved efficiencies and added value from managing a comprehensive portfolio of properties across the productive Green Triangle region, ” commented Mr. Brand. New Forests manages approximately 375, 000 hectares of plantation land and timber plantations across Australia, and the company has over $1.25 billion in assets under management in Australasia, tropical Asia Pacific, and the United States. Source: marketwatch.com