South Australian government calls for Commonwealth to support fishers as algal bloom continues
The bloom, first detected off SA's Fleurieu Peninsula, has been ravaging marine life across the state over the past four months, threatening coastal ecosystems and disrupting local tourism, fishing and aquaculture industries.
SA's Minister for Primary Industries and Regions, Clare Scriven, wrote to her federal counterpart Julie Collins on Thursday regarding "industry support" for fishers.
The request comes as commercial fishers across South Australia report being left with nothing to catch due to fish kills happening underwater.
"We are really, really hoping the federal government will come to the party and assist in what is a very difficult time for South Australia and particularly for South Australian fishers and our regional communities," Ms Scriven said.
The state government has previously announced commercial fishers can apply to have licence and other fees waived if their catches have been impacted by the bloom.
Ms Scriven said the state government is also advocating that the federal government declare the event a "national disaster".
"So we would certainly appreciate the federal government agreeing with what we have been advocating, which is that this is a national disaster.
"We hope that they will come to see it in that light."
Federal Minister for Environment and Water, Murray Watt, said the Albanese government recognised the bloom was "very serious for South Australians", adding that he would "certainly consider" any assistance request from the state government.
But he also stressed that the bloom was occurring in state, not Commonwealth, waters.
"I think the reality is that state governments do have primary responsibility for state matters including in state waters, and federal governments have responsibility for federal matters including things in Commonwealth waters," he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
SA Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young renewed her calls for a "national disaster" declaration over the "environmental catastrophe" being caused by the toxic bloom.
"South Australians are increasingly alarmed at what's going on every day, a walk down the beach is becoming an exercise in counting dead fish, dead dolphins," she said.
"They're increasingly frustrated they are being abandoned by the federal government."
She said South Australians had been "virtually dismissed" by the Albanese government following Minister Watt's interview on ABC Radio Adelaide.
"Saying that this is just up to [the] state government means [Minister Watt] hasn't really understood the enormity of this issue," Ms Hanson-Young said.
Ms Hanson-Young referenced the infamous "I don't hold a hose, mate" justification made by then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison in 2019 after he took a holiday during the Black Summer bushfires which ravaged parts of the country.
SA opposition leader Vincent Tarzia said he was "gobsmacked and outraged" by Minister Watt's response and called for the state and federal governments to collaborate.
"They should be working together in a collaborative fashion to make sure they can do everything that is available to them, at their disposal, to improve this situation," he said.
Mr Tarzia said he had written to the federal Environment Minister urging him to visit South Australia to "see the decimation" for himself.
"There should be a package on the table right now, whether it's for tourism operators or whether it's for fishermen, or whether it's for better testing regimes," he said.
"For the federal [Environment] Minister to not even be here, not even visit SA, it's just not good enough."
Mr Watt admitted he had not been to the state "personally since the algal bloom has started" but said he was well aware of the situation and the seriousness of it.
He was asked about criticisms levelled by political commentators and SA Greens MPs that the government would have responded to the bloom quicker if it happened in Sydney.
"I certainly am aware that that's the perception in Adelaide," Mr Watt said.
"And I can understand people feeling that way.
"But I guess what I'm saying is for some time now ... we have been engaged with the South Australian government."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
8 minutes ago
- ABC News
Australian Army's new Precision Strike Missile fired at NT's Mount Bundey during Exercise Talisman Sabre
The Australian Army has test fired its newest long-range missile for the first time, launching the weapon from a remote army training base in the Northern Territory. The Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), which can hit distant targets with minimal warning and high accuracy, was fired from the Mount Bundey Training Area, south-east of Darwin, on Friday. It hit its target over 300 kilometres away in four minutes and three seconds, reaching speeds of roughly 4,050 kilometres per hour — more than three times the speed of sound. Fired from US-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), the PrSM can strike targets at distances of up to 500 kilometres with precision — a significant leap from the Australian Army's previous long-range strike range of just 30 kilometres. At a press conference at Mount Bundey on Friday, Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the new weapon marked the day the "Australian Army enters the missile age". "This is all about extending deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, all about signalling to any potential adversary that pain can be inflicted — all about deterring war through strength," he said. Developed for the United States Army, the PrSM was sent to Australia last month as part of a $310 million deal with the US. The deal locks in Australian access to munitions, technological advancements and the option for future domestic manufacturing and maintenance. The missile launch was conducted as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, a joint military exercise involving more than 40,000 military personnel from 19 nations, including the US. This year marks the largest iteration of the exercise since it began in 2005 as a way to practice maritime operations, air combat and live-fire exercises with international partners. On Friday, the Secretary of the United States Army, Dan Driscoll, was more forthright in his assessment of where the message of deterrence was aimed at. "President Trump, [the United States Secretary of Defence] Pete Hegseth and the rest of the Pentagon team have been very clear that our pacing threat is China," he said. While the US Army's chief of staff, General Randy George, did not respond directly to questions about an imminent threat, or whether there were enhanced capabilities in China, he said keeping up with technological advancements was "what keeps us up at night". "What we are trying to do is to transform as rapidly as possible," he said. Alex Miller, the US Army's chief technology officer, said the PrSM's high speed halved the amount of warning time given to a potential enemy. He also said while the missile's explosion would not "level a city", its precision, driven by advanced navigation, was what made it lethal. "When you think about having six to seven minutes rather than 15 to 20 minutes, that's a lot less time for [a target] to pack up and roll out if they learn that they are being shot at," he said. In a statement from Mr Conroy's office, a spokesperson said future upgrades to the PrSM could include an extended strike range of over 1,000 kilometres, improved sensors and novel warheads.
News.com.au
41 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Brown-noser': Crass statue appears outside Richard Marles electoral office in Geelong
A crass piece of political art has accused Richard Marles of being 'Australia's biggest brown-noser' as the defence minister signed a 50-year treaty alongside his UK counterpart. The installation, outside Mr Marles electoral office in Geelong, depicted a large nose with an apparent fecal smear. Affixed to a light post by chain, the work is attributed to The New Radicals and names Mr Marles. The protest art comes as Mr Marles signed a new five-decade treaty with the United Kingdom to cement the AUKUS submarine pact in his home city. Dubbed 'The Geelong Treaty', the defence minister said the agreement would enable co-operation on the SSN-Aukus submarine. 'In doing this, AUKUS will see 20,000 jobs in Australia. It will see, in building submarines in this country, the biggest industrial endeavour in our nation's history, bigger even than the Snowy Hydro scheme,' Mr Marles said. 'In military terms, what it will deliver is the biggest leap in Australia's military capability, really, since the formation of the navy back in 1913.' The new treaty was announced following the annual AUKMIN talks in Sydney on Friday. Alongside his counterpart, UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, the two men celebrated the treaty with a beer at a Geelong brewery. Spotted in Geelong's CBD on Saturday afternoon, the piece has vanished by 5pm.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Hong Kong police issue arrest warrants for foreign nationals including Australian citizen Feng Chongyi
An Australian man has discovered he is wanted by Hong Kong authorities via messaging platform WhatsApp. Feng Chongyi is among 19 foreign nationals who Hong Kong police have imposed bounties on, accusing them of national security crimes. According to Hong Kong police, the activists, who also include UK citizens, worked for what the force called a "subversive organisation" named Hong Kong Parliament, a pro-democracy non-government group. A reward of $HK200,000 ($38,000) each has been offered for 15 of the activists, while the four others were already wanted for $HK1 million ($194,038). The 19 arrest warrants for the activists follow political unrest and ongoing, at times violent, protests in Hong Kong, which have quietened since Beijing imposed sweeping national security laws in 2020. Dr Feng, who in 2017 was detained in China for a week and interrogated by authorities, described the arrest warrant as "ridiculous". But he said he did "not take it as a big deal" because he did not plan to return to mainland China or Hong Kong. "This action shows the world the brutality of the Chinese communist regime. It also reminds the world that Hong Kong has been completely controlled by China," he said. "The autonomy is gone, basic liberties protected by law [are] gone, they've completely destroyed a beautiful city — it's so sad." While Dr Feng is not originally from Hong Kong, he has been heavily involved in pro-democracy efforts, with local authorities citing his participation in a Hong Kong electoral organising committee as the reason for his arrest warrant. In an annex by the Hong Kong Police Force, authorities accused him of "intent to overthrow the system of the People's Republic of China". Dr Feng — a friend of imprisoned Australian writer Yang Hengjun, who is awaiting a death sentence in China — said he had joined the organising committee because he has many friends in Hong Kong who want democracy. He said he was relieved Australia's extradition treaty with Hong Kong was currently suspended. Condemnation of the arrest warrants has poured in from politicians. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice her strong objection to the warrants for pro-democracy Australian activists. "Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to our democracy," Senator Wong said. Opposition spokesperson for foreign affairs, Michaelia Cash, said the Coalition had serious concerns about Hong Kong authorities' issuing of arrest warrants. "We fundamentally believe in free speech. It is an essential element of our democracy," she said in a statement. UK Secretary of State David Lammy, who is currently in Australia, said this sort of interference in UK affairs was "totally, totally unacceptable". "We will stand up to it, as you would expect us to," he told a crowd in Sydney, during an address at the Lowy Institute on Saturday. According to reporting by Agence France-Presse, the bounties announced by Hong Kong police are viewed as largely symbolic, as those affected live overseas in nations unlikely to extradite political activists to Hong Kong or China. According to the Hong Kong Police Force's website, as of Friday, there were 34 people wanted by the agency for national security offences, including secession, subversion, or foreign collusion.
