Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young writes to PM for algae bloom disaster declaration
On Monday, Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young, from South Australia, said she had written to the Prime Minister for more support to address the unfolding environmental catastrophe, which has killed and polluted marine wildlife and produced discoloured water and foam along vast stretches of the state.
'For months, the coastline in South Australia has been under attack by a toxic algal bloom,' she said.
'So far, most of the response has been led by the local community without any formal government support.
'I have written to the Prime Minister because South Australians cannot be left to deal with this environmental disaster on our own.
'If there were dead fish washing up on Bondi Beach every day, there would be a national outcry and response.
'South Australians deserve the same support from our federal government that east coast states would demand.'
The toxic bloom was likely caused by three interconnected factors, the South Australian Department for Environment and Water said.
First, a marine heatwave, starting in September 2024, has warmed sea temperatures about 2.5C more than normal.
Second, the 2022-23 River Murray floods washed extra nutrients into the sea, and third, a cold water upwelling in the summer of 2023-24 pulled nutrient-rich water to the surface.
The bloom could last for months, the department warned.
It does not produce long-term harm to humans, though it can cause short-term skin or eye irritation, but it is having a devastating economic impact on the state's $500m fisheries industry.
Senator Hanson-Young wants state and federal inquiries into the phenomenon and a federal support package to alleviate losses.
'Our tourism industry is already reporting mass cancellations because of people deciding not to travel and stay on the South Australian coast,' she said.
'Our industries are being crippled by this climate crisis. They need support from the government and they need it now.'
Senator Hanson-Young also took aim at the 'fossil fuel industry' and argued it was responsible for the bloom.
'The climate crisis is here and it is here before our very eyes and it is creating an environmental catastrophe,' she said.
'What we need is to stop making the problem worse and to start investing in mitigation and adaptation strategies.
'Sitting on our hands and hoping it will all just wash away is not realistic.
'That's why we need a federal and state push for an inquiry … and we need to make sure there is support for industry who are going to have to struggle while this bloom sticks around.'
The Coalition has flagged its support for a parliamentary inquiry into the event.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Labor not given Australia ‘best chance' of tariff carve out, opposition says, as Trump sends letters
Australian goods may not be getting slugged with higher US tariffs, but that does not mean the country is getting the best deal possible, the opposition says. Donald Trump has begun sending out letters to countries that failed to lock in new trading terms with the US. The letters informed them their exports to the US would be hit with new tariff rates from August 1. The countries included close allies Japan and South Korea, which both face 25 per cent imposts. For others, the new rate is as high as 40 per cent. Australia was not named among those facing 'reciprocal tariffs' announced in April but was instead subjected to the universal 10 per cent taxes on all foreign imports – a position Anthony Albanese has said he did not expect to change. Opposition finance spokesman James Paterson said on Tuesday any tariffs on Australia were unacceptable but the Prime Minister had not given Australia the 'best chance' of getting a carve out. 'The only fair tariff on Australia would be 0 per cent, and I hope that's what we get,' Senator Paterson told Nine's Today. 'But we haven't given ourselves the best chance of securing that from the Trump administration because the Prime Minister has not even met President Trump now, seven months after he was elected. 'In stark contrast to other world leaders, like the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer who did secure an exemption from steel and aluminium tariffs for the UK because of the personal relationship that he formed with President Trump. 'I really hope the Prime Minister doesn't leave it any longer before he forms that relationship and argues for the best case possible for our country.' The UK and Vietnam are the only countries to secure deals with the Trump administration. Though, neither have escaped the US President's levies altogether, with Vietnam still subject to 20 per cent duties. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said his efforts to build a strong personal relationship with Mr Trump helped secure tariff leniency, particularly on automakers. British cars were facing a 25 per cent rate, but that was dropped to 10 per cent. Similarly, British steel and aluminium have remained at the initial 25 per cent rate, while Australian steel and aluminium have been swept up in the 50 per cent rate. But speaking to Sky News, Assistant Treasurer Dan Mulino insisted the Albanese government was 'clearly continuing to argue for the best possible deal'. 'My understanding is that we are still at the position of having a 10 per cent tariff imposed, but the good news is that that is the lowest rate that any country has been able to secure,' he said. 'So we'll continue to argue for the best possible deal, and we'll continue to argue for it to be lower than that.' Mr Mulino went on to cite Productivity Commission analysis that suggested Australia could have an advantage over other countries because 'if we're lower than other countries, that might present opportunities for us to increase our trade with the US'. 'In some situations, the tariffs the US imposing might also offer opportunities for us to secure goods from other countries that might be redirecting their trade to other parts of the world,' he said.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Planet America moves to Monday nights on ABC TV
Planet America is moving to Monday nights at 9:35pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. Starting Monday 4 August Planet America joins 7.30 , A ustralian Story , Four Corners and Media Watch in an unmissable Monday night line-up. Hosted by Chas Licciardello and John Barron, Planet America offers a unique and insightful perspective on US politics, providing the latest news and expert political analysis through a sharp satirical lens. Chas Licciardello: "We're very excited for Planet America to be moving to Monday nights, which is a more traditional timeslot for news programming on the ABC main channel. On Wednesday nights it's been almost impossible to convince people that US politics wasn't some kind of elaborate dark comedy performance piece." John Barron: 'When Planet America started in 2012 the most outrageous thing Mitt Romney did when he was running against Obama was misspell 'Amercia'. Safe to say things have changed. 'Over the years we've been able to talk to Members of Congress, top advisors and dozens of the candidates – they really seem to enjoy speaking to people who can't vote! We'll still be pointing out the absurd and ridiculous as well as the deadly serious and concerning.' Encores of Planet America will be available on ABC TV and the ABC News Channel. About John Barron John has been covering American politics for the ABC for more than 20 years. He's the ABC's US politics analyst, author of a book about the history of Presidential primaries and co-host of Planet America since 2012. He was previously a presenter of The Drum, The Context and documentaries including 'Fly Me to the Moon' and 'The Party of Reagan'. About Chas Licciardello Chas has had the ideal preparation for covering American politics. The Chaser's election specials taught him about cheap political stunts. The Chaser's War on Everything taught him about grabbing the public's attention through frequent acts of stupidity, and The Checkout taught him how fraudsters and swindlers con the public. Now, on Planet America he's combining all that knowledge into one ALL CAPS TWEET. What a ride! Media contact Nikki Tugwell, ABC Communications
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
Anthony Albanese's China visit: Prime Minister set to travel to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu from Saturday
Anthony Albanese has confirmed his visit to China from Saturday, when he is heading to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. The Prime Minister is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang for the annual bilateral leaders' dialogue during the trip that will span nearly a week. Trade is expected to be high on the agenda, with these meetings the first since China lifted its final barriers on Australian exports. The ban on Australian lobsters was lifted in December. 'China's an important trading partner for Australia – 25 per cent of our exports go to China. What that means is jobs, and one of the things that my government prioritises is jobs,' Mr Albanese said on Tuesday. 'What we have done is to get rid of the more than $20 billion of impediments on goods that were stopped from going to China. 'It's made an enormous difference … products like wine and barley have not just bounced back, they've bounced back higher than they were before.' This will be the fourth time Mr Albanese has met Mr Xi. The talks come as uncertainty continues around US President Donald Trump's tariffs. The US President has publicly issued letters he has sent to several countries, including Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa and Serbia, informing them he will lift the rate of tariffs imposed on them from 10 per cent to a 'reciprocal' level from August 1. Australia, which has a trade surplus with the US, does not expect to be hit with anything higher than the 10 per cent base rate. China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, this week called for Australia to expand its trade deal with his country to include greater cooperation on artificial intelligence. Mr Albanese brushed off questions about his approach to this, saying Australia would determine its own policy. Australia is working with the US and UK to cooperate on developing AI and advanced military capabilities as part of AUKUS Pillar II.
