Algal Bloom

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Premier. Does the Premier accept all 14 of the recommendations from the Senate inquiry report and, if so, when will they be implemented?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier, Minister for Defence and Space Industries) (14:11): We will assess the recommendations and consider a response if we believe it's appropriate to do so. What I would say, though, is that what we are really interested in as a government is executing and rolling out our $102.5 million summer plan. One of the things that we were able to learn from the COVID experience, where a lot of businesses were not heard, not responded to, is to support businesses that are being affected. We are seeing it up and down the coastline. We've seen that with a record investment, a record investment that eclipses the support provided for business during COVID being made by the state government, supporting hospitality businesses, supporting tourism operators.

In fact, I was speaking to some tourism operators earlier today, talking about the high levels of occupancy that still are being maintained in the state of South Australia in metropolitan Adelaide and suburban Adelaide and regional communities. We are doing everything we can to respond to the challenge. But what we are really focused on now, increasingly concentrating our focus on as we have seen the Karenia cell counts go back to normal levels in a way that gives very positive signs—and we are not getting carried away with it, but it is positive—is that it does invite a renewed amount of consideration and effort to continue to be made in recovery, which I know that the Minister for the Environment is putting a lot of effort into and following in her predecessor's efforts in this area.

What you see from that $102 million summer plan is that the single biggest proportion of it almost is basically going into the environment and recovery efforts, recovery around seagrass, vulnerable marine species, the investment in fish stock breeding programs, but also, critically, in reef restoration, including native oyster reef investment, which is an expensive exercise but we think is worthwhile. All of these things combined and, of course, all the science and research really make sure that we are well prepared for future events.

We continue to learn about the bloom as it evolves, particularly given the relative immaturity of harmful algal bloom science. There is a lot of global literature, but of course every bloom is different, and us understanding this one and learning about how it operates has been an ongoing exercise. This is where we are investing a lot of effort. We are really quite hopeful that we see the results that we have seen continue. We have another algae task force meeting at the end of the week. We will have more data that comes through there. Fingers crossed that that trajectory continues, but we are just focused on making a difference where we can.

Others will enjoy the benefit of applying hindsight as best as they can, and that is their prerogative. But, again, I just come back to a fundamental point: there has not yet been a recommendation or a policy proposition that, even with the value of hindsight, had it been applied even before the bloom began, would have made a difference to the bloom itself, and that is a really important point. There is no serious suggestion, apart from the ones that Frank Pangallo espouses, about any action that could have been taken by government, or any other human, that would have made the harmful algal bloom operate in a way that is different to what we have had to endure and experience.

Even with all the value of hindsight, despite all the dollars, the tens of millions of dollars invested in research, even with those combined, if we had our time again there is no intervention that could have been made that would have made a difference to the way the harmful algal bloom has performed or operated.

What we are left with is responding to the facts as they stand and dealing with a difficult set of circumstances as best we can, which is exactly what this government is doing.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Before we go to the next question, member for Morialta, you are warned for the second and third time. You will have an early minute soon. The member for Chaffey is warned for the second time. The member for Flinders is warned for the second and third time. Member for Flinders, unfortunately, you have a very distinctive voice and it comes through.

Members interjecting:

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Member for Morialta, I don't need your advice.