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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-08-19 Daily Xml
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South Coast Algal Bloom

The Hon. S.L. GAME (16:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing my question to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development on the topic of the algal bloom.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME: The toxic algal bloom currently spreading across 4,400 square kilometres of the South Australian coastline was first identified in March this year on the beaches of the Fleurieu Peninsula in response to a large group of surfers who reported eye irritations and respiratory symptoms. We are now in August, and the devastating impact on coastal areas, marine life and the fishing and tourism industry continues, with limited information.

While extensive global and local research indicates an association between brine discharge from desalination plants and the occurrence of harmful algal bloom, the government continues to make media statements denying any connection between brine and the proliferation of microalgae. However, an article on 24 May by Global Marine Resource Management expressed concerns about recent activation of the Adelaide Desalination Plant and the coincidental toxic algal bloom, concluding that:

Public statements which exclude or aim to diminish the role of desalination discharge as a cause are inconsistent with desalination plants elsewhere in the world which have been associated with harmful algal blooms.

On 14 May of this year in this place, I directed questions to the Attorney-General regarding the monitoring of brine discharge from the Adelaide Desalination plant, to which the Attorney-General responded by claiming that SA Water regularly monitors and evaluates the environmental performance of these plants as part of the licensing requirements. Given the comments made by Global Marine Resource Management and the significant increase in brine discharge from Adelaide's desalination plant throughout January to March this year, my questions to the Minister for Primary Industries are:

1. Can the minister explain what the government means by its use of the word 'known' in its statement to FIVEaa on 29 July that there is no known connection between brine, salinity levels and the proliferation of microalgae?

2. Can the government identify the independent research it has relied on to support its denial of the connection between discharge from the Lonsdale desalination plant and the spread of harmful algal bloom?

3. According to the Environment Protection Authority's website, the last independent review of the Adelaide Desalination Plant was completed in 2014. Does the government consider this level of independent oversight to be sufficient to objectively monitor the environmental performance of the Adelaide Desalination Plant?

4. What steps will the government take to assure South Australians that desalination discharge is not a causal factor in the spread of the current harmful algal bloom devastating the state's coastline?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (16:24): I thank the honourable member for her question. I would reiterate the invitation to all people in this place, including the honourable member, to attend one of the algal bloom public forums. There we have qualified people who have expertise in this area. I am not a scientist. I could certainly say the comment was in regard to microalgae in general. Was it in regard to the specific species of Karenia mikimotoi? I would not be heading into that, because I am not an expert. That is why I think it's important to rely on the experts and to rely on the scientists. Professor Mike Steer is part of the presentations at the harmful algal bloom public forums.

What will the government do to reassure the public? We will continue to answer the questions. We will continue to put forward people, such as Professor Steer, who are able to answer these questions with expertise and from qualifications. I know one of the things that he has pointed out—certainly at the forum I was at in Port Lincoln on Saturday; I think it was at that forum—was that the algal bloom started about 75-plus kilometres, I think, from the desal plant. That certainly would seem to raise some questions as to how it would be linked: why there wouldn't be an algal bloom starting near the desal plant if that were a cause. However, as I say, I suggest that all of those who sincerely want to understand do avail themselves of the forums and hear from the experts.

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