Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-10-14 Daily Xml

Contents

Algal Bloom

The Hon. R.A. SIMMS (14:59): Supplementary: did these same scientists advise the minister that the algal bloom was likely to dissipate in winter?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:00): Throughout the period of the algal bloom, we have had advice from the scientific experts. They, of course, have drawn on existing information around algal blooms. We know that we had an algal bloom here before in Coffin Bay in 2014, if I remember correctly, as well as potentially other areas, and there have been algal blooms around the world; however, it has been unprecedented here in South Australia in terms of its duration.

What we have been able to learn is that algal blooms do react in different ways, in different environments and in different parts of the world. At any given time, we can act only on the advice that we have at that time, which in turn is based on the information available.