Foreign-ownership register belies concerns over China

A new report has challenged the perception China owns the majority of Australia's foreign-owned farmland. The report has found almost 14 per cent of Australia's agricultural land is now foreign-owned but Britain and the United States are the biggest investors.

I Riman Source: I Riman

The first national audit of foreign ownership of rural land shows Britain, not China, owns the most rural land in Australia, despite the recent public focus on Chinese ownership.

 

The United States is the second-highest-ranking country on the register, followed by the Netherlands with almost 3 million hectares.

 

Singapore is next at almost 2 million hectares, and China has 1.5 million -- or less than 0.5 per cent of total agricultural land across the country.

 

The Philippines, Switzerland, Jersey, Indonesia and Japan are also among the top 10 foreign buyers.

 

The register shows 13.6 per cent of Australia's farmland is foreign-owned.

 

British-based investors own 27.5 million hectares, or almost 53 per cent of that portion.