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ABC News
7 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
How will SA's algal bloom funding be spent
The Federal Government has pledged $14 million to assist the SA government deal with devastating effects of the algal bloom along its coastline. The state government has since announced they will match that - promising an additional $14 million to assist affected fishers and for scientific research, monitoring, and communications. But where will the money be spent and when could we see an end in sight to the marine damage as dead fish, sharks, and rays continue to wash up on parts of the South Australia coastline.
ABC News
18-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
South Australian government calls for Commonwealth to support fishers as algal bloom continues
The South Australian government is urging the Commonwealth to "come to the party" and assist local industries affected by the state's toxic algal bloom, amid mounting criticism of the federal government's response to the crisis. The bloom, first detected off SA's Fleurieu Peninsula, has been ravaging marine life across the state over the past four months, threatening coastal ecosystems and disrupting local tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries. SA's Minister for Primary Industries and Regions, Clare Scriven, wrote to her federal counterpart Julie Collins on Thursday regarding "industry support" for fishers. The request comes as commercial fishers across South Australia report being left with nothing to catch due to fish kills happening underwater. "We are really, really hoping the federal government will come to the party and assist in what is a very difficult time for South Australia and particularly for South Australian fishers and our regional communities," Ms Scriven said. The state government has previously announced commercial fishers can apply to have licence and other fees waived if their catches have been impacted by the bloom. Ms Scriven said the state government is also advocating that the federal government declare the event a "national disaster". "So we would certainly appreciate the federal government agreeing with what we have been advocating, which is that this is a national disaster. "We hope that they will come to see it in that light." Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the Albanese government recognised the bloom was "very serious for South Australians", adding that he would "certainly consider" any assistance request from the state government. But he also stressed that the bloom was occurring in state, not Commonwealth, waters. "I think the reality is that state governments do have primary responsibility for state matters including in state waters, and federal governments have responsibility for federal matters including things in Commonwealth waters," he told ABC Radio Adelaide. SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young renewed her calls for a "national disaster" declaration over the "environmental catastrophe" being caused by the toxic bloom. "South Australians are increasingly alarmed at what's going on every day, a walk down the beach is becoming an exercise in counting dead fish, dead dolphins," she said. "They're increasingly frustrated they are being abandoned by the federal government." She said South Australians had been "virtually dismissed" by the Albanese government following Minister Watt's interview on ABC Radio Adelaide. "Saying that this is just up to [the] state government means [Minister Watt] hasn't really understood the enormity of this issue," Ms Hanson-Young said. Ms Hanson-Young referenced the infamous "I don't hold a hose, mate" justification made by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 after he took a holiday during the Black Summer bushfires which ravaged parts of the country. SA opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said he was "gobsmacked and outraged" by Minister Watt's response and called for the state and federal governments to collaborate. "They should be working together in a collaborative fashion to make sure they can do everything that is available to them, at their disposal, to improve this situation," he said. Mr Tarzia said he had written to the federal Environment Minister urging him to visit South Australia to "see the decimation" for himself. "There should be a package on the table right now, whether it's for tourism operators or whether it's for fishermen, or whether it's for better testing regimes," he said. "For the federal [Environment] Minister to not even be here, not even visit SA, it's just not good enough." Mr Watt admitted he had not been to the state "personally since the algal bloom has started" but said he was well aware of the situation and the seriousness of it. He was asked about criticisms levelled by political commentators and SA Greens MPs that the government would have responded to the bloom quicker if it happened in Sydney. "I certainly am aware that that's the perception in Adelaide," Mr Watt said. "And I can understand people feeling that way. "But I guess what I'm saying is for some time now ... we have been engaged with the South Australian government."
ABC News
02-07-2025
- ABC News
SA Water to face penalty over botched reservoir drainage incident
SA Water is facing a criminal penalty for causing "serious environmental harm" when an engineer ignored a water quality test result while draining a Barossa Valley reservoir for maintenance work, a court has heard. The water utility — which is wholly owned by the SA government — appeared in the Environment Resources and Development Court over its actions when draining the Warren Reservoir, about 10 kilometres from Williamstown, in May 2023. The court heard that a test result indicating poor water quality during the draining procedure was "not given much credibility" and "ignored", allowing the escape of grey clay silt and "a significant smothering event for the downstream habitat" of the South Para River. A lawyer for SA Water told the court the maintenance work was scheduled to replace the reservoir's original valves, which had been installed when it was built more than a century ago during World War One. Dr Victoria Gilliland, for SA Water, said the maintenance works were "necessary" to replace the aging and unreliable valves, because only the middle of its three intake valves was "safe to operate". She said the "very thing" the maintenance works were trying to prevent was what happened, when the bottom could not be immediately closed to prevent further damage to the surrounding waterways. She said there was a known difficulty with closing the bottom valve, but there was no immediate attempt to close it when the poor water quality test was reported. "Ultimately there is no dispute that what happened is that that reading was ignored and no action was taken in relation to that reading," Dr Gilliland said. She told the court SA Water admitted "mistakes were made" but had immediately reported the event and spent almost $1 million on remedial works — including ongoing testing. Dr Gilliland said the corporation had immediately pleaded guilty and urged the court to impose a fine "at the lower end of the scale". The court heard SA Water had two prior convictions for environmental breaches, in 2004 and 2009, but that procedures had improved since. Stephanie Wilson, prosecuting, said samples taken after the incident found recently deposited grey clay silt almost 30 centimetres deep in areas closer to the reservoir. She said the slurry was also detected almost 3 kilometres into the South Para River. Ms Wilson told the court SA Water had a lack of contingency planning which may have prevented the environmental harm, and should have acknowledged the initial poor quality water reading. She said the engineer overseeing the project had explained that "she wasn't sure whether the samples were being taken accurately due to it being a shallow site and that she planned to retest … the following day". But, Ms Wilson said by the following day, the reservoir had drained completely. She said SA Water also knew that once opened, the bottom of three valves at the reservoir could not be immediately closed, and that efforts to prevent the harm were delayed, in part due to wet weather and the terrain, with a bung not installed for several days. "While it is obvious there were logistical and technical issues hampering those efforts to take action sooner, better understanding of the risk and preparation that took into account the difficult terrain … might have improved the response," Ms Wilson said. She said SA Water were "wholly unprepared for what occurred". Senior Judge Michael Durrant will impose a sentence on a date to be set.
