Seaweed Harvesting

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL (16:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation on the subject of seaweed harvesting.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.C. PARNELL: Seaweed harvesting for the production of liquid kelp fertilisers and dry seaweed products for livestock supplements has been undertaken along the Limestone Coast beaches in the South-East of South Australia since about 1995. As I understand it, there was only one licence in South Australia, issued to Australian Kelp Products, and that this company has recently been taken over by Chinese owners operating under the name Gather Great Ocean Group.

Over recent years, the South Australian public has invested substantial sums into this enterprise, including: $38,000 in 2013 to upgrade facilities near Millicent; and a further $300,000—again, I think, in 2013—under the South Australian Premier's Research and Industry Fund, as an international research grant, which was to develop value-added products and to explore further opportunities for seaweed harvesting in South Australia.

I recently received correspondence from constituents in the South-East concerned about the environmental impact of seaweed harvesting. Included in their concerns was the potential adverse impact on wading birds that rely on the intertidal zone for food or on the sand dunes and upper beaches for nesting. Other constituents have pointed out the importance of seaweed in preventing beach erosion, and in trapping sand and reducing the impact of wave and tide energy, particularly at Rivoli Bay, which is prone to erosion. Mr President, I have a series of questions for the minister:

1. How many commercial licences have been granted for the harvesting of seaweed along the South Australian coast, or is the licence I have referred to still the only one?

2. Is it correct that the primary licence required is under the Fisheries Act and not under the Development Act, Environment Protection Act or Coast Protection Act?

3. What environmental impact assessment has been undertaken in relation to commercial harvesting of seaweed from public land in South Australia?

4. Given that seaweed is included in the definition of 'native vegetation', have all approvals under the Native Vegetation Act been obtained for these operations?

5. Does the minister believe that once-per-year monitoring, as proposed by PIRSA, is sufficient to ensure that the environment is protected?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation, Minister for Water and the River Murray, Minister for Climate Change) (16:24): I thank the honourable member for that very detailed question indeed. The commercial harvest of beach-cast sea grass and marine algae has been licensed, I am advised, in South Australia since 1990. I am advised also there are currently two miscellaneous fishery licences which allow for this activity.

One licence is held by the Kingston Council to clear sea grass off the beach in their council area. The other licence is held by the Australian Kelp Products Pty Ltd.; this licence is currently permitted to operate on the shoreline from 100 metres north of the northern breakwater at Cape Jaffa marina to eight kilometres south of the Lake George outlet.

Both licences have conditions that restrict activity on beaches adjacent to DEWNR-controlled land, such as conservation parks, habitat or sanctuary zones. This includes limits on the amount they can harvest, restrictions on harvests close to dunes, and avoiding removal of sand. The existing activity is currently being assessed, I am advised, by the commonwealth Department of the Environment under the Environment Protection and Conservation Biodiversity Act 1999 to enable reassessment for export approval.

As part of the application for export approval, Primary Industries and Regions SA have proposed changes to the arrangements for the Australian Kelp Products licence to exclude harvests from 50 per cent of the coastline, including the DEWNR areas such as conservation parks, habitat or sanctuary zones and other important areas for threatened, endangered or protected bird species.

PIRSA is currently assessing an application from Gather AusTreasure Asset Pty Ltd. to harvest beach-cast sea grass and marine algae in shoreline areas not included in the existing licence held by Australian Kelp Products. Directors of this company are also directors of the Australian Kelp Products Pty Ltd., I am advised. As I am also advised, there has been no public consultation as yet on these applications, but it is expected to occur by mid 2015. In terms of his more detailed questions that I have not answered about approvals under the Native Vegetation Act and the once-per-year monitoring process, I will undertake to take those questions on notice and bring back a response for the honourable member.