Algal Bloom

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (15:06): My question is to the Premier. Will there be an underwater scanning and assessment program for the coastal waters off Fleurieu Peninsula? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

Mr BASHAM: I am still awaiting a response to a letter written on 24 July to the Premier and Minister for Primary Industries requesting the Fleurieu waters be scanned and footage recorded from the MV Southern Ranger for comparative data to that collected by the MV Southern Ranger in Gulf St Vincent in July.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (15:06): I thank the member for Finniss for his question. Obviously, there has been a lot of work happening within PIRSA regarding the algal bloom. I am happy to follow up regarding the correspondence to which the member for Finniss refers.

One of the things, though, I can inform the member for Finniss of is there is a marine impact assessment that is being led by PIRSA in response to the algal bloom. It is one of the science and research elements of the package we announced back in July or early August—in that period—and the marine impact assessment has had challenges associated with it, principally because of weather conditions.

The marine impact assessment's principal objective is to assess the scale of damage to marine life below the surface in our oceans in a way that is not visible from satellite imagery or to the naked eye. The marine impact assessment requires a high degree of visibility to be able to do that work so when seas are rough, their capacity to do that work is obviously diminished. There have been delays as a result of that, particularly given the weather conditions we have seen more recently. I am more than happy to follow up on the correspondence to which the member for Finniss refers and furnish him with a response, if indeed there is one to be made.