Australia has blocked a Chinese bid to acquire the S Kidman & Co cattle ranch, saying a sale to a foreign investor would be contrary to the national interest.
The decision was made largely because of the closeness of the cattle station to a weapons testing site. Treasurer Scott Morrison blocked the sale as currently proposed, a move that leaves open the possibility of alternative proposals being put forward.
The cattle station is valued at A$350m and comprises 101,411 sq km of land and 185,000 cattle. Half of Anna Creek, which makes up around a quarter of the cattle station’s land bank, is within the weapons testing site.
