South Coast Algal Bloom

The Hon. B.R. HOOD (17:35): I move:

That there be laid upon the table of this council by the Leader of the Government within seven sitting days of the passing of this resolution the following documents:

1. All budget proposals or funding requests submitted by the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) to the Treasurer from 1 November 2024 to present;

2. All internal proposals developed by DEW regarding responses to the current harmful algal bloom that were not submitted to the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) from 1 November 2024 to present;

3. All internal memoranda or briefing notes produced by DEW relating to the current harmful algal bloom from 1 November 2024 to present;

4. All documents prepared by, for, or received by the Chief Public Health Officer or their staff that relate to public health advice concerning the current harmful algal bloom, including but not limited to risk assessments, health alerts, interagency communications, or advice to ministers from 1 November 2024 to present.

I rise to speak to this motion, which is essentially calling for accountability. Under the standing orders of the South Australian Legislative Council, this wonderful place that we sit in here, any member may move a motion to compel the production of documents by the government and, if agreed to, the motion carries the authority of the council requiring the Leader of the Government to table the requested materials within a specific timeframe.

This motion seeks to compel the production of key documents relating to the government's response to the current harmful algal bloom affecting the South Australian marine environment. The outbreak of the harmful algal bloom (HAB) was first widely reported after surfers at Waitpinga Beach on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula experienced skin irritation in mid March. In the following months, following the identification of the algal bloom, there has really been a clear lack of information and leadership from this Malinauskas government. The government response has been disorganised, it has been slow and it has been disproportionate to the magnitude of the impact of this harmful algal bloom, and it continues to show a lack of understanding or support for the affected businesses, largely in regional communities, with some already suffering due to prolonged drought.

Once again, this government is too focused on appearance rather than action, and it is hardworking people who are ultimately bearing the brunt. The South Australian public deserves answers. They certainly deserve transparency and they do not deserve being kept in the dark. We obviously have freedom of information laws in this state and, indeed, in this country, but they are often slow, they are often frustrated by government, and they are often redacted. Many, many things are cabinet-in-confidence, many things are commercial-in-confidence, and sometimes, just sometimes, we need to utilise the standing orders here in the Legislative Council to ensure that what the public need to know is open and transparent, and a light is shone upon it. That is what this motion aims to do.

I hope that the crossbench and the government—although I doubt it—will support the passing of this motion, so that we can get to understand what is behind this harmful algal bloom, what are the directions that the government have been receiving by their departments, so that we hopefully can be better prepared in the future should one of these harmful algal blooms come again.

Debate adjourned on motion of Hon. I.K. Hunter.