South Coast Algal Bloom

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (16:16): Supplementary: can the minister say whether her experts and what the government has been looking at also included looking at impacts of the desalination plant, dumping or dredge and spoil in the gulf over the years, and other pollution in the gulf, that could have contributed to the spread of this bloom? Is that going to be covered in any research?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (16:16): My advice is that in looking at the causes of the bloom, obviously any credible contributor has been of course looked at. I would encourage members to perhaps attend some of the public forums that are being run.

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo: Maybe you should too. How many have you gone to?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: Of course I have been to them. What a ridiculous statement.

The Hon. H.M. Girolamo: Not all of them; you can't say that.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: I would suggest that those who actually are sincerely interested in the issue and what it means for South Australia's community and what it means going forward do attend some of those forums. We have available at those forums the South Australian Research and Development Institute. We have available the Chief Public Health Officer or representative. We have available representatives from the Department for Environment and Water and the list goes on, so that actual information, factual information is provided, and I would very much encourage those opposite to avail themselves of the factual information that is there.