Algal Bloom

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): My questions are to the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of the algal bloom:

1. Has the minister read the paper entitled 'A catastrophic marine mortality event caused by a complex algal bloom including the novel brevetoxin producer, Karenia cristata', and is she alarmed that the paper states, and I quote, that 'inhaling brevetoxins can lead to serious health effects including: shortness of breath, asthma exacerbation, bronchoconstriction,[and] bronchitis pneumonia'?

2. Has she instructed her department to brief SA Health on the information contained within the paper regarding these serious health effects?

3. Is the government aware of whether there has been an increase in the number of cases of bronchitis pneumonia or bronchoconstriction since March of this year?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:31): In answer to the first question: yes. In answer to the subsequent questions, obviously health advice is—

The Hon. N.J. Centofanti: You are alarmed?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: The first question was: have I read the report? The answer to that is yes, I have read the report. In terms of the health advice, as those opposite should be aware, obviously Health is constantly being updated in terms of information that is there. The report is very much valued. Of course, some of the authors are from SARDI and also PIRSA, in conjunction with the University of Technology Sydney, the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, and a number of other renowned organisations and institutions.

What is really important for everyone to be aware of is that SA Health advice is based on brevetoxins, not on the species that is producing those brevetoxins. We have known for some time that brevetoxins have been present as a result of the harmful algal bloom, and the recent study has shown that Karenia cristata is responsible for these brevetoxin levels. The discovery that it is called Karenia cristata doesn't change our advice, it just puts a name to something that we knew was already there. Really, in terms of the health advice, my advice is that it hasn't needed to change and obviously updates will continue.