The Armidale Independent

It’s situation normal for award winning tourist attraction Banalasta despite recent erroneous media reports tying the company to a dispute with the Australian Taxation Office.

The Armidale Management Development Centre (AMDC) is a family owned company that uses the brand name and trades as Banalasta; it has no current financial connection with Banalasta Oil Plantation Limited, which is currently under external administration and at the centre of an ongoing dispute with the Taxation Office over disallowed deduction.

AMDC is responsible for the operation of Blickling Estate wines, the eucalyptus and lavender plantations and distilleries, and retail products that come under the Banalasta name, as well as the tourist centre based at the Bendemeer site between Armidale and Tamworth.

According to John Wynan, the group’s Sales Manager, AMDC did lease some plots to the Banalasta Oil Plantation group for a management fee. However, those leases are not non-existent and the company does not rely on any monies from the Banalasta Oil Plantation Company.

The confusion apparently stems from the 1997 creation of the investment group called Banalasta Oil Plantation Limited which followed a trend at the time of groups looking to put their money in what they hoped would be tax effective investments.

It is the question of whether or not certain loans made by the investment company were tax deductible, which is now under dispute.

A report detailing the cause of the now dormant company has been given to Forsyths the Tamworth-based administrators of the company. The report names the company’s accountancy firm as Cameron Kirk and Rose of Armidale.

The media reports come at a time when the tourism and product lines developed by AMDC under the Banalasta brand name are experiencing a record month with a new product range due out in the next few weeks.

Mr Wynan noted that the group, who won The Inland Tourism Award’s Best Tourist Attraction category in July this year, needed to be solid financially to win the award.

“There are independent judges that look at us not just as a pretty place, but they also look at our business plans, financial structures, staffing, operations and future viability. That shows we are big, viable and have a future,” he said.

Northern Daily Leader

Banalasta sales manager John Wynan said not only is its visitor centre here to stay but it was on the verge of expansion into new retail markets.

Mr Wynan said yesterday he wanted to reassure the region and customers that the centre was open, enjoying a growing number of visitors and looking forward to a prosperous future.

Mr Wynan refuted reports, published in The Leader on Saturday, of a link with the financially troubled Banalasta Oil Plantation Limited (BOP). BOP has been placed into voluntary administration, owing an estimated $28 million to the tax office and creditors.

He said the centre and Banalasta property was owned and operated by the Armidale Management Development Committee (AMDC).

And although the managing director of BOP, Rolf Blickling, was also a director of the AMDC, Mr Wynan said there were no further links with the former company.

The AMDC once leased land to the BOP for the plantation of 1.2million eucalyptus trees, which it sourced oil from, but Mr Wynan said that link had ended some years ago.

“This property was originally just sheep and wool, but the AMDC has diversified and continued to grow into new market and find new sources of income,” Mr Wynan said.

Vineyards, cattle and in 2001 the growing and processing of lavender oil become part of their operations. In October 2003 the AMDC opened their tourist centre and they now employ 20 staff.

They produce a varied list of beauty and skin care products using their lavender and eucalyptus oil and wines. The wines are sold under the label Blickling Estate.

They have sold off their merino flock and are not concentrating on breeding Angus cattle, citing the worsening state of the wool and sheep industry.

“Right now we’re starting to find new retail markets in pharmacies and various other retail stores, and we are not too far off cracking new overseas markets,” Mr Wynan said.

The centre is also the recent recipient of the CountryLink Inland NSW Tourism Award for best tourist attractions.

“Business and financial plans are taken into account when judging such awards and the CountryLink award is testament to our sound future and the role we play in this region,” Mr Wynan said.

“We are not just promoting our products here, we encourage visitors to call into the Bendemeer Pub and have a lunch, or visit the arts and crafts centre before enjoying a morning tea at our coffee shop.”

The Land – Mail Order Catalogue

Banalasta is a farming venture located in the picturesque New England area and is home to vineyards and a eucalyptus and lavender oil plantation.

The eucalyptus plantation is the world’s largest, growing the narrow leaf peppermint (Eucalyptus radiata) variety for its medicinal qualities and the ’softer, rounder’ aromatherapy oil it produces.

Lavender is the balancing plant of nature and is well known for its healing and relaxing properties.
Banalasta has combined its eucalyptus and lavender oils to produce a distinct and high quality range of beauty and skin care products, with some to pamper yourself and some to sooth body aches, pains and skin conditions.

Banalasta wanted to make its products available to everyone worldwide, so it has set up a website mail offer system where their complete range is offered.
Banalasta is also home to one of the highest altitude vineyards in Australia.

The cool climate and granite soils of the New England produce fuller and fruitier wines, which are also offered through mail order.