Algal Bloom

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (16:45): A supplementary, if I may. Will the government release that advice that the Premier was alluding to; and what, if anything, is the government's plan for summer, including any beach closures and restrictions on things like surf lifesaving and children's swimming lessons?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (16:45): I will deal with the latter part of the question first. On 27 August, the government is engaging with a substantial and important meeting with senior representatives of the surf lifesaving community around the state in respect of the algal bloom. We have offered to Surf Life Saving to have that meeting as quickly as possible. The date they have suggested is 27 August. That will be an important forum to discuss a range of issues, including VACSWIM, but the advice I have received through channels to me is that those registrations will be proceeding as per normal.

What happens with VACSWIM, which is a great community service that I recommend to any parent—we have certainly used it repeatedly—is that, as is the case with every VACSWIM lesson, there is a comprehensive examination done of the beach and the water by Surf Life Saving before the lesson goes ahead to look for swells, debris or conditions that informs about the safety of the lesson. That approach will continue to be applied here, but as the situation evolves the advice will continue to be examined and changed in the event that that is required.

In regard to the summer plan, we have made it clear that we are working on a summer plan and it will have multiple elements to it. One of the things we want to do is make sure we are providing as much information as we reasonably can to the community around the algal bloom, the location of the algal bloom and the testing analysis that's done around the algal bloom. But one of the challenges that members in this place should be cognisant of is the ever-changing and evolving nature of the algal bloom.

You can test a body of water in the morning and it might be all clear, and then by the afternoon it might not be, and vice versa. It moves, it changes in concentration, tides have an effect, other ocean graphic movements have an effect, sun conditions have an effect—it is very dynamic from one beach to the next. What's the case on one side of the jetty might be different to another. So one has to be very cautious in calibrating the public advice that we make to reflect the circumstances that we confront.

More than that, with respect to beach closures, if that advice that we have changes then of course we seek to let the public know at the same time. Our public forums have been well attended. We have had a number—I have another one tonight in Hallett Cove—and we continue to have those in both regional South Australia, metropolitan Adelaide, up and down the coast. These are forums that are conducted with public officials to be able to provide advice. Anyone can come along and ask questions. They are completely unfiltered. Members of the media are present, they are transparent in nature and we provide advice in accordance with the best advice.

These forums are orientated towards providing accurate information, not fearmongering but answering questions, not recirculating conspiracy theories. On this side of the house, I am very proud of the fact that we have a consistently held view that science should inform public policy.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: On this side of the house we are not flirting with the anti-vaxxers, we are not flirting with net-zero preoccupations, we are not denying the science. We are embracing the science to make sure that accurate information is given. Something has changed amongst those opposite over the course of the last four years, something has changed, and we will see how that plays out for them.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before I call the member for Mount Gambier, clearly the members for Chaffey, Flinders and Frome did not hear me the first time, so you are on your third warning, all three of you. The next time you will not be warned; you will be exiting. Member for Mount Gambier.