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The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
SA algae crisis ‘incredibly disturbing' but federal government won't declare natural disaster, Watt says
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says $14m in federal funding is 'nowhere near what will be needed' to support South Australian communities dealing with the state's algal bloom catastrophe. The environment minister, Murray Watt, announced the federal assistance package on Monday while visiting South Australia to see the impacts of a toxic algal bloom that for months has caused mass deaths of marine life across the state's beaches. Watt said the bloom and its impacts were 'incredibly disturbing'. But he stopped short of declaring the event a natural disaster, saying the catastrophe did not meet the relevant definitions under the federal natural disaster framework. Hanson-Young said the criteria used to declare such events should be examined. As parliament returns, the South Australia-based senator also said she would push for an inquiry into the disaster to examine issues including the federal and state government responses to the event. 'South Australians have been crying out for weeks and months for federal action on this, so I'm glad to see the federal environment minister finally get to South Australia,' Hanson-Young told the ABC's Afternoon Briefing on Monday: '$14 million is good but nowhere near what will be needed.' Get Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as an email Asked if the bloom was a national disaster, the Nationals leader, David Littleproud, said, 'obviously it's one of significance'. 'I think we need to broaden those definitions, and as a parliament we should do that,' he told Sky News on Monday. He also urged Labor to pursue other measures that would provide financial support to agricultural workers affected. On Monday night, Anthony Albanese said federal funding had been timed 'appropriately' given the event was unfolding 'primarily in state waters'. 'Events do occur in our environment,' the prime minister told ABC's 7.30. 'What is important is that there be a response. We're responding, giving support to the South Australian government.' The bloom of the microalgae species karenia mikimotoi was identified off South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula in March, and grew to more than 4400 sq km, close to the size of Kangaroo Island. It has been breaking up in recent weeks, spreading north into Spencer Gulf, south into the Coorong wetlands and along Adelaide's beaches in Gulf St Vincent into the Port River, killing tens of thousands of marine animals. The money is likely to be used to pay for the clean-up of dead marine life from SA's beaches, support impacted businesses, bolster community awareness about the bloom and invest in science and research to better understand the incident. 'There's no doubting whatsoever that this is a very serious environmental event facing South Australia,' Watt told reporters on Monday. 'We are in uncharted waters here.' Asked if the bloom and its impact should be declared a natural disaster, Watt said it was not possible under the existing definition despite calls from scientists, the Greens and SA's Labor premier. A natural disaster declaration would trigger special federal assistance measures to support individuals, businesses and communities in their recovery. 'We have managed outside the usual natural disaster framework to marshal the type of resources that South Australia has asked for,' Watt said. 'One of the difficulties has been understanding exactly what its impacts are and what sort of response is required. 'We won't solve this overnight and we are, to some extent, relying on weather conditions to help disperse the algal bloom.' Darcie Carruthers, the South Australia-based nature campaigner for the Australian Conservation Foundation, welcomed Watt's funding announcement but said it was overdue and more needed to be done. 'The federal government needs to focus on the causes of this economic and environmental disaster to prevent it from happening again,' Carruthers said. 'A marine heatwave and the water from the disastrous 2023 Murray Darling floods are both factors that have allowed the algae to take hold and both warming waters and floods are supercharged by burning fossil fuels.' Paul Gamblin, the chief executive of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said the devastating bloom shows 'nowhere is immune from the accelerating impacts of climate change', and called for ' major coordinated response that matches the scale of this emergency'. 'This unnatural, shocking event needs all hands on deck,' Gamblin said. The algal bloom is naturally occurring, but the state's environment department has listed potential contributing factors including a marine heatwave that started in 2024, when sea temperatures were about 2.5C warmer than usual, combined with calm conditions. Another was the 2022/23 River Murray flood that washed extra nutrients into the sea followed by an unprecedented cold-water upwelling in the summer of 2023/24 that brought nutrient-rich water to the surface. Marine ecologist Dominic McAfee said the mortality in most heavily impacted areas was 'extremely confronting'. 'It seems like almost everything has died,' Dr McAfee, from the University of Adelaide's Environment Institute, told AAP. 'The impacts we're seeing now could just be the start of something more prolonged.' Dr McAfee said it had been hoped winter winds and swells would 'disperse and nullify' the algae bloom, but this had not happened. 'And there's a chance that it will continue for many more months.'
ABC News
a day ago
- Politics
- ABC News
What would declaring a toxic algal bloom as 'national disaster' mean for SA
It was an infamous justification which sparked widespread criticism. "I don't hold a hose, mate." The quip by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the 2019 Black Summer bushfires left an indelible mark on his legacy, as communities on the ground confronted devastation. Six years on, the comment has resurfaced — this time in reference to what has been described as an "underwater bushfire" causing mass destruction along South Australia's coastline. The toxic algal bloom, first detected off the 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. "I urge the Prime Minister and [SA Premier] Peter Malinauskas to not allow this to become their 'We don't hold the hoses, mate' moment, South Australian Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said on Friday. Senator Hanson-Young wants Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to declare the algal bloom a "national disaster" — a move supported by the SA government. But what difference could such a declaration make? According to Senator Hanson-Young's office, a "national disaster" declaration is akin to a "national emergency" declaration. Federal laws which passed in 2020 allow the governor-general to declare a national emergency if the prime minister was satisfied an event was "causing harm that is nationally significant in Australia or in an Australian offshore area". The legislation has a broad definition of what constitutes nationally-significant harm, listing "harm to the life or health of animals or plants" and "harm to the environment" among the criteria. State and territory governments can request a national emergency declaration in writing and, if granted, a declaration can last up to three months. University of Adelaide research fellow Dr Phillipa McCormack said the purpose of the legislation was to recognise the Commonwealth's role during emergencies. "State governments can sometimes struggle to respond effectively, quickly enough, and at the scale that's needed to those kinds of extreme events," Dr McCormack said. "This legislation recognises that mismatch between the experience of the event and the resources to deal with it. "But the Act does limit it to those nationally-significant contexts." If an emergency declaration is in force, federal laws can be modified in "specified ways". "Provisions that may be modified include those requiring a person to provide a signature or to report matters to a Commonwealth agency," the Act states. According to the SA government, a "national disaster" declaration can also unlock federal funding through the National Emergency Management Agency's "Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements". These cost-sharing arrangements between the Commonwealth and state governments provide financial assistance to disaster-affected communities. Funding could come in the form of clean-up and recovery grants, personal hardship assistance, community recovery funds, or concessional loans for small businesses and primary producers. Politicians and some coastal community members. At a community meeting at Port Vincent last week, locals called for a disaster declaration, arguing Commonwealth support was needed. On Friday, Senator Hanson-Young said a "COVID-style recovery package" would help affected communities. "Businesses are crippling, communities are hurting, they're alarmed and our environment is under huge attack," Ms Hanson-Young said. The SA government has backed calls for the algal bloom to be declared a "national disaster", with state Primary Industries Minister Clare Scriven noting the event had caused "very significant impacts" to the state's fisheries and environment. "We would certainly appreciate the federal government agreeing with what we have been advocating, which is that this is a national disaster," Ms Scriven said on Friday. "We hope that they will come to see it in that light." While Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was in China last week, his ministers defended the federal government's response to the algal bloom. Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the 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 on Friday. "I think we do need to be careful to not have a system where Canberra just blunders in and tries to take over the situation that is being managed by the South Australian government."
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Greens demand Prime Minister act as South Australian algae bloom nears ‘disaster', fisheries shut down
Anthony Albanese is being pressed to declare a toxic algae bloom, which has crippled South Australia's coastline and plunged seafood industries into peril, a 'national disaster'. The naturally-occurring but harmful algal bloom has plagued the state's beaches for months, killing marine life and plunging the seafood industry into crisis. Reports have emerged of dead fish, rays and sharks washing up along the metropolitan coastline – including North Haven between the river mouth and marina breakwater, Tennyson Beach, north of Grange jetty, and south of Christies Beach Surf Life Saving Club. Several mussel farming sites around the Port Lincoln area have also been shut after shellfish toxins were detected in the area. Greens senator Sarah Hanson Young has says the bloom is a 'national disaster' and therefore required a 'national response'. While algal blooms are not covered under natural or national disaster declarations, which are activated to better co-ordinate assistance between state and Commonwealth governments, work is ongoing to discern whether the event qualifies under other federal arrangements. She called on the Prime Minister and federal Environment Minister Murray Watt to visit Adelaide and 'take some action'. 'If this was happening in Bondi, or on the North Shore in Sydney, the Prime Minister would have already been on the beach, talking to concerned locals and the affected industries,' Senator Hanson-Young said on Wednesday. 'But today, we've had virtually nothing from the federal government.' Following a meeting between Senator Watt and the state government, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Head of International Environment, Reef and Oceans has been sent to the state. Senator Watt said the government was 'deeply concerned by the widespread marine species mortalities caused by this extreme event,' and said he had been kept up to date by the Malinauskas government. 'While the science has made clear that there is no quick fix for the bloom, by having senior federal representatives on the ground we are supporting the SA government's efforts with manpower, and ramping up our ongoing monitoring efforts,' he said. 'We will give careful consideration to any request for assistance we receive from the state government.' South Australia's flagship fisheries patrol vessel Southern Ranger has been deployed to inspect the bloom and help authorities understand its impact. Senator Hanson-Young, the Greens' environment and water spokeswoman, said this should have been happening 'weeks and weeks ago' – pointing out SA's fishing and tourism industries were being 'smashed'. 'Our environment is dying, and our community is alarmed,' she said. 'This is the climate crisis unfolding before our very eyes, and South Australia can't handle it on our own.' Senator Hanson-Young said she would be moving for a federal inquiry into the crisis when parliament resumes. In their latest update on Wednesday, the SA Department of Environment and Water said the algae – known as Karenia mikimotoi – had been detected in the Port River. Elevated levels were found by authorities along the metropolitan coastline, while 'very high' levels were at the Garden Island and Outer Harbor boat ramps. It was first detected on the Fleurieu Peninsula in March. 'State government agencies are taking weekly water samples at 17 sites across West Lakes, the Port River, the Patawalonga River and the end of four jetties at Largs Bay, Grange, Glenelg and Port Noarlunga,' the department said in their update. The South Australian opposition has already called for a royal commission to explore the origin and consequences of the algae and what could have been done to manage the situation, the ABC reports. Authorities believe a marine heatwave in September last year could have contributed to the bloom. Flooding in the Murray River over 2022 and 2023 washing extra nutrients into the sea, or an unprecedented cold-water upwelling over the summer of 2023-24, may also have contributed. The last large event of this type of algae recorded in SA was at Coffin Bay in 2014. Karenia mikimotoi is not known to cause long-term harmful effects in humans but exposure to discoloured or foamy water can cause short-term skin or eye irritation and respiratory symptoms.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Disaster': Senator's desperate plea to PM
The Greens are demanding a national response to the rolling waves of toxic algae bloom washing up along South Australia's coastline, calling on Anthony Albanese to declare the event a national disaster. 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. A federal government spokeswoman told NewsWire on Monday afternoon the government was 'closely monitoring' the event. 'We are deeply concerned by the widespread marine species mortalities caused by this extreme event,' the spokeswoman said. 'Federal agencies continue to work closely with relevant state agencies, who are leading the response in managing and monitoring coastal waters, to remain informed and engaged on these critical issues. 'Our Government will continue to find ways to support those efforts.' The spokeswoman said the government was investing in tools to improve the country's ability to 'predict climatic events, monitor ocean conditions and guide decision-making'. 'These include the Bureau of Meteorology's Ocean Temperature Outlooks, the Integrated Marine Observing System and the Environment Information Australia Portal,' the spokeswoman said.
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young writes to PM for algae bloom disaster declaration
The Greens are demanding a national response to the rolling waves of toxic algae bloom washing up along South Australia's coastline, calling on Anthony Albanese to declare the event a national disaster. 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.
