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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-09-18 Daily Xml
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Algal Bloom

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister inform the chamber of the importance of SARDI's work throughout the algal bloom and as part of the response, and the damage that can be caused by spreading misinformation?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:54): I thank the honourable member for his question. The science and research programs are an extremely important part of the $28 million state and federal support package, as the state continues to manage and recover from the harmful algal bloom. I am proud of the work SARDI is undertaking on behalf of the people of South Australia.

I am pleased to provide an update on the work SARDI is undertaking as part of the algal bloom response. The science program is well underway, including progress on an early detection system for future blooms; identification of algae, utilising and developing molecular techniques for early detection and rapid quantification of algal blooms; and assessments of fish stocks and fisheries to gather data on the impacts of the bloom, including modelling of ecological impacts.

The early detection work is progressing, with SARDI working alongside the CSIRO and private businesses to procure the necessary equipment and further ensure its capability for use in this context, with deployment of the early detection equipment planned for over summer, subject of course to procurement processes running smoothly. Studies are being conducted on HAB ecology and the influence of various parameters on the distribution of HABs, and procurement processes are underway to establish an accredited brevetoxin analytical laboratory in South Australia, delivering faster turnaround times for industry.

Importantly, fish stock assessments are underway, with research priorities and scope of the program communicated and discussed with industry. I am advised work has progressed in the southern zone rock lobster fishery, northern zone rock lobster fishery, central zone abalone and for species within the marine scale fishery, including a draft research plan and catch and effort analyses for King George whiting, garfish and calamari, along with several other species. This work is undertaken in consultation with industry bodies across the fisheries sectors.

Stock assessments are thorough processes and take time, but the stock assessments as part of the science package are progressing well and will inform fisheries management decisions across multiple fisheries moving forward, better understanding the direct impact on fish stock in our state.

We are fortunate to have so much baseline information by way of the fact that our fisheries have been driven by data that supports sustainability for decades. I am appreciative of the hard work of many talented people at SARDI, led by Professor Mike Steer. We are very fortunate to have this level of expertise in our state. I would have hoped that those opposite would share that appreciation. Unfortunately, it brings me no pleasure to say, though, that those opposite, particularly the Leader of the Opposition and—we would call him her new colleague, but I imagine to those opposite it must seem a bit like an eternity—the Hon. Frank Pangallo. They think they know better than the SARDI experts.

Just imagine, if you can, a parliamentarian from any party or persuasion who was approaching an opportunity to be provided with information from the experts in their field via a parliamentary committee. Now, imagine, if you can, such a parliamentarian thinking to themselves, 'Wait a minute, I reckon I know better than these people who have spent their lives working in and studying our marine environment.'

Just imagine, if you can, the parliamentarian then conducts 'research' that amounts to a ChatGPT prompt. They think they have found gold. They don't bother to fact check any of it and then they march into the parliamentary committee and confront the experts, proudly boasting of their research and then shutting up shop when being found out, predictably, that the so-called research is not up to scratch.

Just a few weeks ago, if I had raised this as an example, we all would have thought, 'How unlikely. That would never happen. Surely parliamentarians would take their responsibilities far more seriously,' but here we are. This type of sloppy approach appears to now be part of the Liberal strategy and it is the best they can offer the people of Waite. Those opposite with their indignant defence of the Hon. Mr Pangallo must endorse this approach, it would seem.

The Leader of the Opposition may not research on ChatGPT—we certainly hope that is the case—but chooses a different way to undermine SARDI, trying to piece together parts of a puzzle that do not fit, but she seems to think that if she smashes them together hard enough and loud enough—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: —the public will take notice. It's an obvious strategy. It's one that won't work because choosing to ignore information, choosing to ignore investigative conclusions by far more qualified people in that particular sphere, rather than conducting that work yourself, just doesn't make it go away. So, while those opposite focus on conspiracy theories and continually, sadly, undermine the work of our renowned scientists and researchers, instead on this side we will back them and thank them for their important work because on this side of the chamber we accept the science. We don't try to minimise it and we don't pretend that we know better than the scientists when we are talking about science.

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