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

Algal Bloom

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:21): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Primary Industries on the topic of algal bloom and sustainability.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: South Australia's fishing sector is in crisis as a result of the algal bloom that is devastating our coastline. This bloom has wiped out marine life across thousands of square kilometres, leaving fishers and aquaculture operators reeling and regional communities struggling. While the government has announced temporary relief, the sector is looking for certainty about its long-term future.

Fishers have seen what has happened with snapper, where delays and lack of action led to 10-year closures and beyond, and they fear the same outcome here. They have also been told that the department's rapid stock assessment will take months to complete, leaving them in limbo about what management decisions the government will take and when. My questions to the minister are:

1. How can the government describe the current stock assessment process as rapid when it is expected to take many months to complete, leaving fishers without clarity during this critical time?

2. What assurances can the minister provide to fishers and aquaculture operators that decisions will not be delayed indefinitely while they wait for the results of this assessment?

3. When will the government release a clear and comprehensive plan for the future of the fishing sector, outlining what measures will be put in place to ensure sustainability, while also supporting businesses and jobs?

4. Does the minister concede that, without urgent and transparent decision-making, fishers risk facing the same fate as snapper, with closures imposed for years due to government inaction?

5. Will the government commit to publicly releasing the methodology, benchmarking and timelines of the stock assessment so that industry has confidence in the process and its outcomes?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (14:23): I thank the honourable member for her question. In terms of stock assessments, they are normally done at reasonably large intervals. The rapid stock assessments refers to the fact that, clearly, we need to have as much information as soon as possible in regard to the impact of the algal bloom.

SARDI has been working with industry about the stock assessment process. My understanding is that could potentially involve some commercial fishers being involved in collecting the information or contributing to the collection of the information, which is important for them in terms of being part of what will ultimately be the solution.

What it seems the opposition is implying, when there are already references to supposed delays, is that management decisions about the fisheries should be made without evidence. The opposition seems to be suggesting that management's decisions should be made without evidence. We need the evidence of the stock assessments to be able to make management decisions, remembering that management decisions are made in consultation with industry. We have various advisory committees and advisory councils that are involved in those decisions.

It shouldn't surprise us that they think we should be making decisions without evidence. We have seen previous examples, particularly those that have been highlighted this week, about their desire to not have evidence, to just jump to conclusions.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: What we would say again on this side of the chamber, in government, is these decisions need to be responsibly made. They need to be based on the best evidence that we have, not made-up solutions, not made-up evidence, or in isolation of all the factors. We are a responsible government. We very much value our fisheries and aquaculture sector and we will make the decisions as soon as able, once the evidence is available.

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