Treasurer Jim Chalmers signed off on the decisive sale of Rushy Lagoon, Tasmania’s biggest cattle farm, a landmark property. A British carbon-credit company bought it to introduce pine trees where cows formerly grazed. The property stretches over thousands of hectares and sells beef to nearby towns, feeding local markets. Liberal MPs argue the sale endangers food supply and local jobs, triggering concern. Labor’s critics say turning the land into trees will shrink beef output and lower worker numbers, suggesting longer-term impacts. On 10 July 2026, dozens marched at the entrance, denouncing the deal reckless and demanding the federal government intervene.