KordaMentha

KordaMentha is pleased to confirm the successful sale of Durrandella, a landmark Central Queensland grazing asset, by the Statutory Trustees, achieving a result of $22.5 million following a highly competitive campaign.   Offered to the market for the first time in more than a century, Durrandella comprises a 25,700-hectare leasehold grazing holding in the tightly held Alpha–Tambo district. Its scale, operational efficiency and proven production credentials attracted strong interest from local and national investors.   Market feedback pointed to a competitive campaign, with the result reflecting continued demand for large-scale grazing operations in Central Queensland.   KordaMentha’s Statutory Trustee team (Tony Miskiewicz, Robert Hutson, Ben Teitzel, Eden Segota, Nick Tregenza) were pleased to work alongside Elders Rural (Robert Murolo, Mark Barber, Mark McNamee) in delivering a structured campaign that achieved an exceptional outcome for stakeholders. We thank all participants in the campaign and congratulate the successful buyer. Further details on the property can be found here: https://lnkd.in/grgE8qpa #KordaMentha #RealEstate #Agriculture #Queensland

Financial sustainability is becoming one of the defining leadership challenges across the public sector. Not simply balancing budgets, but making deliberate decisions about where resources are directed, what gets prioritised and how organisations build resilience over the long term.   Great to see such strong interest in today’s KordaMentha Canberra briefing co-hosted with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand ACT, which brought together finance leaders from across government to discuss the shift from reactive cost cutting to more strategic, sustainable financial management.   The conversation covered everything from governance and accountability through to forecasting, data and scenario planning, with a strong focus on how finance teams can support decision-makers navigating immediate fiscal pressures while still planning for long-term sustainability.   Thanks to our Canberra Managing Partner Jess Finlay for opening the session, our panellists Mayuri Kain FCPA, John Edge, Samuel Volker FCA GAICD and Donna Degen, and moderator Emma McCarthy FCA GAICD for sharing their perspectives and practical insights throughout the discussion.   A sold-out room says a lot about where this issue currently sits on the agenda.   #KordaMentha #CharteredAccountants #Canberra #FinancialSustainability #Governance

An important step forward for Whyalla and Australian industry.   Just over a year ago, the future of the Whyalla Steelworks and thousands of jobs was uncertain.   Yesterday, KordaMentha, the people of Whyalla and our incredible OneSteel employees were delighted to host SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, Assistant Minister for Mining Lawrence Ben MP and local member Eddie Hughes on site, with the Premier announcing the sales process (in collaboration with 333 Capital) being narrowed down to two parties.    This matters well beyond Whyalla. The steelworks is central to Australia’s sovereign steelmaking capability, supporting national infrastructure, supply chains and jobs. Getting this right is essential for the long-term strength of Australian industry.   None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary commitment of the South Australia and Federal Governments, whose combined investment kept the steelworks operational and created the conditions for a credible sale process to succeed.   As the Premier said, there is still work ahead, but there’s also real progress and renewed confidence in what Whyalla can become. #KordaMentha

Running a small business has never been more complex. Between rising costs, workforce challenges, cyber risks and ongoing economic uncertainty, many business owners are being asked to make critical decisions quickly and with limited time or resources. Those themes consistently arose throughout the Queensland Small Business Expos over the past week, where KordaMentha Partners Sean Madigan and Jaynesh Narain joined the ‘Resilient by Design’ sessions alongside other industry leaders. Throughout the expos, resilience wasn’t framed as a big strategic concept. It came back to day-to-day decisions that help businesses stay adaptable and sustainable over time: better visibility over cash flow, stronger systems and processes, managing risks more proactively, and finding ways to build capability in a sustainable way. There was also a strong sense that many businesses are looking for practical guidance they can actually apply, rather than more complexity layered onto their already stretched operations. Small businesses play such an important role in local communities and the broader economy, so it was great to see a strong focus on practical support and real-world conversations throughout the week. #KordaMentha #Queensland #Government #SmallBusiness #BusinessResilience

Last night, we brought together senior leaders from across the energy and water sectors to examine a question that is becoming harder to ignore. Is customer vulnerability still being treated as an exception, or is it now a structural feature of the system?   Moderated by KordaMentha Partner, Jon Chadwick, our panellists Ezra Hirawani and Susan Fraser OAM explored what it would take to move from responding to hardship to preventing it. Their discussion surfaced a consistent theme: the current model, while critical, remains largely reactive and compliance-driven, even as customer affordability pressures become more sustained and complex.   A central focus of the conversation was the need for systemic change.   This goes beyond improving existing hardship programs. It requires rethinking how the system identifies, supports and measures vulnerability: • embedding vulnerability as a strategic priority enabled by culture shift, not a compliance function • moving from siloed responses to shared responsibility across energy, water, regulators and social systems • and, over time, redesigning and reframing the eco-system itself to better support customers before they reach crisis point. What stood out on the night was the shared intent in the room. There was a clear willingness from leaders to move past using regulatory boundaries or competition settings as reasons not to collaborate, and instead to find ways to work together where it matters most. These are not easy conversations. They challenge existing models, incentives and comfort zones. Thank you to everyone who leaned in and stayed with the 'intentional discomfort' as that’s where the real shift starts. Jon Chadwick | Guy Chandler | Tania Yudianto | Odell Menon | Anna Cheong (Crowley) | Dean Kourlis | Tanya O'Shea   #KordaMentha #Energy #Water #CustomerHardship #HumanCenteredDesign #SystemicChange

Modern disputes require more than technical accounting expertise, as matters become increasingly data-driven, technology-enabled and subject to intense scrutiny.    Over the past week, KordaMentha’s Forensic Disputes team came together for a week-long technical training program focused on the issues shaping disputes and investigations, from Generative AI in litigation to crypto tracing, claims management and economic loss analysis.   The program concluded with hands-on analytics workshops applying Power Query, Power BI, M and DAX to large and complex datasets, reflecting the growing role of data interrogation in dispute resolution and forensic investigations.   As the landscape continues to evolve, so too does the need for multidisciplinary teams with deep technical capability, practical and commercial judgment and analysis that can withstand scrutiny. Bruce O'Shea | Brian Wood | Ben Mahler | Andrew Howard | Poppy Potter | Graham Davies   #KordaMentha #ForensicAccounting #DataAccountants #ExpertDevelopment #PowerQuery #PowerBI

We’re looking forward to being part of Queensland Small Business Month expos, where KordaMentha Partners Sean Madigan and Jaynesh Narain will join the ‘Resilient by design’ panels in Cairns, the Gold Coast and Brisbane. The practical sessions will focus on what resilience actually looks like for small businesses right now, from strengthening cash flow decision-making, to protecting against scams and cyber risk, and building workforce capability without adding cost. Great to see the Queensland Government prioritising practical support for small businesses. If you’re attending, we look forward to seeing you there. Read more about Queensland Small Business Month expos here: https://lnkd.in/gVURmCJD #KordaMentha #QueenslandGovernment #SmallBusiness

Rising costs, tighter funding conditions and working capital pressure are continuing to weigh on the mining services sector. In their latest market update, KordaMentha Partners Richard Tucker, Tony Miskiewicz and Robert Hutson outline some of the key pressures emerging across the sector, from margin compression and liquidity challenges, through to changing lender behaviour and operational impacts. Read their update at our website here: https://lnkd.in/gZYPm8TW #KordaMentha #MiningServices #Mining 

Great to bring together the next generation of Victorian healthcare leaders at KordaMentha’s Health Accelerate session: Emerging Future Leaders in Healthcare.   With a room full of mid-career professionals, the conversation focused on what it really takes to be a future-ready health leader, grounded in practical, real-world perspectives. A few themes stood out: • Leadership is intentional and building the right skills and mindset can start at any stage of your career. • There’s no single pathway into leadership - different backgrounds and experiences all have a role to play. • Courage comes from saying yes to new challenges and being willing to take risks. • Trust and connection are critical to building strong teams and lasting impact.   Importantly, the discussion didn’t stay theoretical. There was a strong emphasis on translating insight into action and taking time to ask: what’s my next leadership shift?   It was fantastic to see the room come alive through discussion, collaboration and networking across the health ecosystem.   Thanks to our panellists and everyone who joined us for such an engaging evening. Accelerate events are formed by KordaMentha’s young professionals. The Accelerate Committee creates opportunities throughout the year for early to mid-career professionals to foster meaningful connection and collaboration across the firm and the broader professional community. Panellists: Michael Carpenter | Kerryn Moore | Ren Cazar KordaMentha Accelerate Committee: Sara Goldsmith | Rachel Wolman | Jamii Vuong | Jackson McGeary KordaMentha Partner sponsors: Richard Ainley | Damien Angus | Peter Konidaris

Australia’s reliance on imported diesel is a material operational risk, with fuel price volatility and supply concerns directly shaping decisions across mining and heavy industry. In their latest article, KordaMentha Restructuring Partners Richard Tucker and Paul Pracilio, alongside Executive Director Aaron Swaffield, discuss what fuel insecurity could look like including mounting pressure on production, logistics, cash flow and contractual obligations as costs rise and supply becomes less predictable. They also set out the questions boards and management teams should be asking as they stress test operational resilience against a rapidly changing global backdrop. Read their article at our website here: https://lnkd.in/gQjzJ4K4 #KordaMentha #Diesel #Mining #SupplyChain #EnergySecurity