Omrah vineyard is a significant commercial vineyard first planted in 1987. A summary of the planted area is as follows:

Variety Hectares
Chardonnay 37.2
Sauvignon blanc 23.6
Shiraz 2.9
Cabernet sauvignon 9.0
Total 72.7

The vineyard is gently undulating and supplied with treated waste water from the Mt Barker town effluent treatment works.

Water is stored in two dams with approximate capacity of 130 ML and 30ML respectively.

The vineyard contains extensive building improvements including a manager’s residence, colorbond implement shed, fuel shed, concrete wash down bay, vineyard office and staff accommodation.

A three year grape sale and purchase agreement may be available subject to negotiation.

The Omrah vineyard is located on Omrah Road, off Mt Barker Road and approximately 2km south-east of the town of Mount Barker. The property is contained on four lots within two certificates of title with a total area of approximately 135ha.

The property is well serviced by a range of buildings comprising:

Manager’s Residence. A 1920′s rendered brick and iron roof character home. A concrete block extension to the side of the home appears to have been undertaken in the 1970′s and includes an attic area, rear verandah and pergola. A weatherboard rear addition appears to have been undertaken in the 1990′s and this includes a small iron framed patio area. Associated with the residence is a 1990′s colorbond clad garage/store which is detached from the home. It has a gable roof, sliding door and concrete floor.

Office. A 1990′s transportable with colorbond clad walls and roof. It is sealed and lined with a particle board floor, vinyl floor coverings and wall mounted air conditioner.

Staff facilities. A 1990′s transportable with colorbond clad walls and roof. It is also sealed and lined with a particle board floor, vinyl floor coverings and three wall-mounted air conditioners. It comprises two bedrooms, living area, kitchen/meals, bathroom and laundry. Associated with the building is a 9,000 litre poly tank and concrete rainwater tank. A 1990′s timber decking with steel framed patio cover is attached to both the office and staff facilities.

Carport. A 1990′s steel framed structure adjoining the office and staff facilities with a colorbond cover and bitumen floor.

Vineyard shed. The vineyard shed was constructed in 1997; it has a steel frame and is colorbond clad with concrete floor. The plate height is 5m and it is divided into three areas with sliding door access and high bay lighting. The chemical filling bay is lower than the rest of the shed, it is open ended and has concrete bunding. There is a raised concrete section adjacent to this to facilitate chemical filling. The chemical store is an enclosed area with colorbond walls.

Fuel shed. Colorbond clad with concrete floor and bunding.

Wash down bay. A concrete bay constructed in 2006 with central drain leading to 2 septic tanks and including a submersible pump.

Water Supply & Permits. In 1999 an agreement was reached between CWAU (at the time BRL Hardy Limited) and Water Corporation for the supply of treated waste water to the vineyard produced from the Mt Barker treatment plant for an annual supply of up to 80 million litres. The agreement’s original expiration date was 28 February 2007 but has since been extended until 28 February 2012 with an option of renewal for a further five years.

The property owners have reached further agreement with the Shire of Plantagenet for the supply of 25% of the waste water delivered to the property. CWAU and the Shire of Plantagenet have agreed to share the costs of pumping from the treatment plant to the vineyard and then on to the Shire on a pro-rata basis. Copies of these agreements are available upon request.

The property holds EPA Licence 8016 in order to receive the treated waste water, which expires in August 2010.

In essence, the Omrah Vineyard is in a highly enviable position with a substantial supply of reliable irrigation water.

Irrigation System. The property has two irrigation dams, the main dam is approximately 120 ML and the south dam is approximately 32 ML. Both are linked so water can be transferred either way and are serviced with Southern Cross variable speed pumps and Arkal Spin Klin filter systems. The automatic irrigation controller is a Netafim NMC-PRO, installed in 2008. It is radio linked from the office to both dams and can be programmed and started from the office.

The irrigation system was designed by Netafim after a soil survey was completed. The system consists of 31 irrigation valves for the 17 vineyard patches and the complete system is approximately 10 years old, whilst the 150mm main line through the property was installed in 2006.

Kim Crofts 0428 936 913. F17C.