The State and Federal governments have announced a $102.5M plan to protect South Australia’s coast and support communities affected by the ongoing algal bloom crisis.
The Algal Bloom Summer Plan includes funding for science, environmental restoration, tourism and business support, and public safety measures.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the plan, developed with expert and community input, represented a major investment in both environmental recovery and summer recreation.
“Restoring seagrasses and native oyster reefs, along with other efforts in this plan, puts us on the quickest path to recovery,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“This is also about ensuring our coastline remains vibrant this summer and for years to come.”
The package includes $37 million for science and environmental measures such as seagrass and blue carbon restoration, oyster reef construction, and monitoring technology to detect algal growth. A further $48 million will go to coastal tourism and business support, including dining cashback offers, travel vouchers, small business and aquaculture grants, and a new industry resilience program.
More than $16 million will also fund beach patrols, clean-ups, mental health programs and public information campaigns to help South Australians safely enjoy the coast this summer.
Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt said the package backed both local communities and scientific innovation.
“We’re delivering funding for the science and environmental measures to help marine life recover and ensure South Australia is at the forefront of algal bloom research,” he said.
However, the state opposition says the government has taken too long to deliver the support and has failed to outline a long-term plan.
Leader of the Opposition Vincent Tarzia said Labor’s response had been “belated and piecemeal”, coming months after coastal communities first called for help.
“Labor is finally throwing cash at the problem in a desperate attempt to distract from how badly it has bungled the response so far,” he said.
Shadow Environment Minister and Member for Finniss David Basham said while the funding was welcome, it did not go far enough for local operators on the South Coast.
“There are still too many businesses that don’t qualify for support and are struggling to survive,” Mr Basham said.
“For a number of small operators in my community, the 30 per cent drop in revenue is far too much to weather.”
The opposition is calling for relaxed eligibility criteria, more immediate water testing, expanded coastal infrastructure, and a Royal Commission into the cause and handling of the algal bloom crisis.
The Greens have welcomed the State Government’s plan but say more needs to be done to tackle the root causes of the crisis.
Greens MLC Robert Simms, who chairs Parliament’s Joint Inquiry into the Harmful Algal Bloom, said it was good to see more resources being allocated to research and remediation but added that the government must “have a serious conversation about the role of the fossil fuel industry in creating the conditions for this crisis.”
“It’s pretty galling that the State Government continues to provide millions of dollars of subsidies to the fossil fuel industry,” he said, calling for Labor to scrap those subsidies and place a moratorium on oil and gas exploration.
