South Coast Algal Bloom

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (16:12): My questions are to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development:

1. Given that warnings were raised months ago, does the minister accept that, had her government acted sooner, mitigation measures may have reduced the severity and spread of the bloom and the impact it has had and is having on the economy of coastal communities?

2. Will the minister take responsibility for the fact that, under her government's watch, South Australia has moved from a manageable environmental problem to what experts are now describing as an untreatable ecological disaster?

3. What steps is she and her government taking to ensure that future environmental and fish stock management crises are not met with the same delays in decision and lack of urgency?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (16:13): I thank the honourable Liberal member for his question, despite the fact that his question at its core is incorrect. Notwithstanding that, perhaps he is getting used to asking a question instead of giving a three-minute explanation first. We will give him a little bit of leeway here, I think, today or this week.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: It is indeed the shortest, which I think may explain the problems with the question. But this is a serious matter. It is unclear what mitigation measures the honourable member is referring to.

As I say, I am not a scientist, which is why I and our government rely on the expertise and the knowledge of the experts. There has been no mitigation measure put forward that we are aware of that could have prevented this algal bloom or could have reduced its size in any significant way. So to suggest that there were mitigation measures available that simply weren't used is simply incorrect.

In response to an earlier question, I outlined the work that the government has been doing since early April in regard to the algal bloom, remembering that the first reports received were around 15 March. So I think the honourable member may wish to either provide some more detail about what sort of measures he is proposing and perhaps also his scientific credentials because I wasn't aware that he had any. But the question is: what is it that those opposite think could have been done that was not done?

We have worked with the experts, we have worked with all of those who have experience in terms of algal blooms, who have drawn on the expertise of people in SARDI, in national organisations, in educational institutes. I am very sorry, I don't have the 80 scientists who have been involved early on in front of me. But the question remains: what is it that those opposite think could have been done to mitigate this that hasn't been done, and where is their scientific evidence for it?