Latest news with #YorkePeninsula
ABC News
27-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Sara Garcia
Thousands of South Australian households and businesses are without power as the clean-up continues after the gusty winds, high rainfalls and high tides that lashed most of the state yesterday. 4m ago 4 minutes ago Tue 27 May 2025 at 12:30am Liberal defeats in the South Australian key battleground seats of Sturt and Boothby have prompted a scathing assessment from former senator Simon Birmingham, who said his party was in "rock bottom" territory. Sat 3 May Sat 3 May Sat 3 May 2025 at 12:37pm South Australia's ongoing dry conditions are being blamed for a power outage affecting more than 20,000 households and businesses across the Yorke Peninsula and parts of the Mid North. Fri 14 Mar Fri 14 Mar Fri 14 Mar 2025 at 7:45am Cricket Australia has confirmed the Sheffield Shield final will not be played at Adelaide Oval, saying on its website the AFL had blocked use of the iconic venue. Fri 14 Mar Fri 14 Mar Fri 14 Mar 2025 at 1:07am Whyalla's steelworks has gone into administration for the second time in under a decade. Here is a look at how events have unfolded in the city in recent years. Sat 22 Feb Sat 22 Feb Sat 22 Feb 2025 at 8:07pm Steele Hall's parliamentary career stretched more than 33 years, including stints in both the federal and state parliaments. Mon 10 Jun Mon 10 Jun Mon 10 Jun 2024 at 9:25pm The state government says this year's budget will focus on supporting South Australians who need it most as it pledges a $266.2 million cost-of-living package — while also keeping the budget in the black. Here's a look at the winners and losers of this year's budget. Thu 6 Jun Thu 6 Jun Thu 6 Jun 2024 at 6:29am Former Adelaide Crows captain Rory Sloane announces his retirement from the AFL after 255 games over 16 seasons, following a second round of surgery on a detached retina earlier this year. Mon 29 Apr Mon 29 Apr Mon 29 Apr 2024 at 4:51am The South Australian government is offering some live music venues the opportunity to apply for $60,000 grants to help revive the industry that was "decimated" during COVID. But one venue owner says it might not be enough to save the live music scene. Fri 12 Jan Fri 12 Jan Fri 12 Jan 2024 at 3:36am Promoters of a two-day South Australian music festival say they have been forced to postpone the event just weeks before it was scheduled to take place because of "economic pressures". Thu 11 Jan Thu 11 Jan Thu 11 Jan 2024 at 5:09am Jacinta Davila, who had been co-accused of murdering prominent Adelaide doctor Michael Yung during an alleged home invasion, has been granted home-detention bail. Fri 22 Dec Fri 22 Dec Fri 22 Dec 2023 at 1:11pm Two former immigration detainees released into South Australia after a High Court ruling are registered child sex offenders — and a third person is in custody over an alleged indecent assault, police have revealed. Tue 5 Dec Tue 5 Dec Tue 5 Dec 2023 at 3:42am Slain SA Police officer Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig has been remembered as kind, caring and a "much loved" member of his community, in a public funeral at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Mon 4 Dec Mon 4 Dec Mon 4 Dec 2023 at 3:04am On the one hand, is a $3 billion development to accommodate thousands of families. On the other, is a burial site that is of immeasurable cultural significance. The problem? They are both on the same ground. Tue 14 Nov Tue 14 Nov Tue 14 Nov 2023 at 9:29pm This suburban park in Adelaide's north-east used to resemble a small forest, filled with hundreds of well-established pine trees — but it has been left decimated thanks to an exotic pest. Tue 19 Sep Tue 19 Sep Tue 19 Sep 2023 at 1:59am After seeing how quickly her son Khye succumbed to the disease, Nicole Hammat wants young people to be more aware of meningococcal and is pleading for the B strain vaccine to be made accessible to more people. Sun 13 Aug Sun 13 Aug Sun 13 Aug 2023 at 8:25pm An Adelaide barbershop that bans women from entering its premises in order to provide its clients with a "male sanctuary" has applied for an exemption to the Equal Opportunity Act. Mon 7 Aug Mon 7 Aug Mon 7 Aug 2023 at 1:31am The number of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) cases have jumped close to 10 times higher in some states across Australia when compared to last year. Experts say COVID complacency and higher testing rates could be why. Thu 6 Jul Thu 6 Jul Thu 6 Jul 2023 at 5:30am SA Police suspect two elderly people, who died one year apart, may have been murdered by the same person after abnormalities in both of their toxicology reports were found. Thu 29 Jun Thu 29 Jun Thu 29 Jun 2023 at 9:28am The state government will pour billions of dollars into fixing its troubled health system and abolish stamp duty for some first-home buyers — but it comes at a cost. Thu 15 Jun Thu 15 Jun Thu 15 Jun 2023 at 8:02am Australian man Jason Kennison dies while descending Mount Everest, a climb he had undertaken to raise money for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia. Mon 22 May Mon 22 May Mon 22 May 2023 at 1:30am A neighbour who was with Sean Ferris minutes before he stabbed two police officers and was then shot dead says the incident should never has escalated to this — as homemade weapons and a Samurai sword are removed from the property. Thu 4 May Thu 4 May Thu 4 May 2023 at 8:54am Unless you've lived in South Australia you probably have no idea what Stobie poles are, or why they are so iconic to their home state. Here's a look. Fri 31 Mar Fri 31 Mar Fri 31 Mar 2023 at 1:13am South Australia's Premier Peter Malinauskas has conceded he does not expect the state's First Nations Voice to Parliament to lead to sudden improvements but hopes that "over years and decades to come, there is some positive change". Mon 27 Mar Mon 27 Mar Mon 27 Mar 2023 at 7:51pm Thousands of people are without power across Adelaide as wild winds continue to lash the city. Mon 20 Mar Mon 20 Mar Mon 20 Mar 2023 at 4:04am
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Warning for SA coastline as abnormally high tide lashes beaches and jetties
Damaging winds will ease overnight across South Australia but a warning remains in place for "abnormally high tides" along much of the state's coastline. The Bureau of Meteorology said the "strong cold front" which lashed the state throughout Monday has moved south and over the border to Victoria and conditions would gradually ease in SA. According to a warning issued late on Monday, "abnormally high tides" were likely to lead to sea water flooding at low lying coastal areas in the Spencer Gulf and Gulf St Vincent on Monday. It said the tides were likely to rise "significantly above the normal high tide mark" during the afternoon and evening. The sea level was expected to reach 3.9 metres above the lowest astronomical tide, while at Port Pirie it was expected to rise to 4.6 metres. "Large surf in combination with the elevated sea levels may also lead to coastal erosion and localised damage to coastal infrastructure, including about the Adelaide metropolitan beaches," the warning says. The bureau said the locations expected to be affected include Port Adelaide, Adelaide metropolitan beaches, Port Pirie, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Wallaroo, Victor Harbor and Port Wakefield. Footage has also emerged on social media of waves crashing across jetties along and a structure at Marion Bay on the Yorke Peninsula being swept away in swell. The bureau said winds from the west and south-west could average up to 65 kilometres per hour with possible peak gusts of 90 kph into Tuesday morning. The highest gust on Monday was 126 kph recorded at Neptune Island at 5.22am, while on the mainland a gust of 107 kph was recorded at Minlaton Airport at 1.05pm. Other places which recorded gusts of 90 kph and above include Port Pirie, Cultana, Cummins and Cape Borda. She said the expected sea level peaks were similar heights to an event in May 2016 which caused damage along the coastline. "With these severe winds, we are also expecting large waves of 6m-9m this afternoon about exposed coasts, and these will abate during Tuesday," she said. In May 2016 historic jetties, including the heritage-listed Port Germain jetty on the Spencer Gulf, were damaged during severe weather. Other jetties damaged at the time included Moonta Bay, Henley Beach, Venus Bay, Port Rickaby and Elliston.
SBS Australia
24-05-2025
- Science
- SBS Australia
'Never had a situation like this': Why Australia is unprepared for this deadly ocean threat
Across South Australia's coast, toxic algae have been destroying marine life. Source: Getty, SBS, Supplied Edithburgh Jetty on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula is usually a hot spot for divers. Known for its azure blue waters and vibrant micro-ecosystem, dive enthusiasts come from all over the world to marvel at its marine wonders: leafy sea dragons, pyjama squid, rodless angler fish and vivid corals and sponges that cover the jetty's pylons. But since mid-March, life under the jetty has been decimated by a deadly algae bloom , now spanning four-and-a-half thousand square kilometres of South Australia's gulf and coastal waters. Cinematographer Paul Macdonald has been studying life under the jetty for more than 20 years and says the damage is staggering. "It's been part of my life for so long, and now, to see this devastation, it's just heartbreaking," he says. "Words cannot describe how sad it is." Macdonald also runs a local dive school at the jetty with his wife, Elizabeth Solich. Their monitoring in recent years led to the Edithburgh rodless angler fish being confirmed as a new species in 2021 and given the Indigenous name Narungga Frogfish. "I'd seen it breed three times. It was always in the one spot, and the coral it was living in was the size of a football," Macdonald says. To realise it was gone was a really sad moment. The harmful algae bloom (HAB) was initially identified as karenia mikimotoi, a phytoplankton that produces a reactive oxygen species that damages gills — preventing marine creatures from breathing. It also causes respiratory and flu-like symptoms in humans. Another strain of karenia that produces small amounts of neurotoxin (brevetoxin) has also been identified in the bloom. What's perhaps most alarming is that little can be done to prevent HABs from occurring, but the effects can be mitigated with close monitoring. Most of what is known about the impact of the bloom on marine species has come from data collected by citizen scientists like Macdonald and Solich. Karenia mikimotoi was first identified after surfers reported a mysterious foam at Waitpinga Beach on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula in March. Since then, more than 1,400 citizen reports and photos of dead or sick marine life have exposed the consequences of the HAB. A shared database published on the website shows that more than 200 different species of marine life have been killed. OzFish, one of the non-government organisations leading the project, identified more than 100 species of fish and sharks alone. "This includes rarely encountered deepwater sharks and iconic leafy sea dragons, and popular recreational fishing species like flathead, squid, and blue swimmer crabs, and rock lobsters," says OzFish's South Australian project manager Brad Martin. There have been calls for increased monitoring and testing during HABs and questions raised over Australia's preparedness for future events. Faith Coleman, an estuarine ecologist, who has spent hours volunteering to educate the local community about the bloom, suggests the lack of data is "a wasted opportunity". Coleman runs an environmental consultancy agency with her mother, scientist Peri Coleman, and says the main response to the bloom has come from citizen action. The Colemans have been undertaking plankton counts under a light microscope from samples collected by the citizen scientists. "That's really the only data we have in the public sphere," Coleman says. So that means there is very limited stuff we can do, to work out how to stop it in the future. She says regular monitoring of swimming beaches and samples taken at sea and at depth are needed to study the bloom. In the US, federal legislation governs the research and monitoring of HABs. Director of the Southern California Conservation Observing System, Clarissa Anderson, says this has led to "state-of-the-art monitoring systems" in areas with a history of HABs. "We've been lucky to have a big academic and now government investment monitoring program that goes back to the early 2000s," she says. "So we do have some pretty long-term records with which to put any one of these individual events into context." In Australia, the only labs testing for HABs at the species level are those paid for by the aquaculture industry. Marine biologist Shauna Murray — who identified the first sample of karenia mikimotoi at Sydney's University of Technology — says there are only a handful of experts equipped to do this work in Australia. "I think largely there hasn't been that many samples collected, and that's largely because we don't have the infrastructure for it," Murray says. "We've never had a situation like this in the past where we've had to collect a lot of samples rapidly from a harmful algal bloom that's not just affecting the aquaculture industry, but is affecting the wider population." What's causing harmful algae blooms? There are hundreds of phytoplankton species that are not toxic and regularly bloom in South Australia, due to an upwelling of nutrient-rich water from the depths. "All the way from Ningaloo [Reef, off Western Australia] to New Zealand, we have this long string of blooms that often occur every year, and it's why the southern right whales come to feed, and it's why they have their children here, [because] there is this food source," Coleman says. South Australia is also in the midst of one of the most severe and long-lasting marine heatwaves on record; the state's environmental protection authority says it has created conditions that have allowed karenia mikimotoi to bloom. In other parts of the world karenia mikimotoi blooms at cooler temperatures. But, according to Coleman, the destruction of oyster reefs, seagrasses and other life on the floor of the Spencer and St. Vincent gulfs either side of the Yorke Peninsula has contributed to the imbalance. "The hope is that if we can restore the benthic life [deep-sea dwelling marine life] in the gulfs," she says. "We will have more fish, we'll have more life; we'll also have water that is clearer and cooler — and it will reduce our vulnerability." SBS News contacted the South Australian government for comment but did not receive a response. Share this with family and friends
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Development stops on 1,000 homes as SA Water hits cost roadblock
Development has stalled on at least 1,000 homes on the Yorke Peninsula because of unfinished water infrastructure upgrades. Construction has yet to begin on two lifestyle villages in the Copper Coast and Port Wakefield regions while developers and SA Water negotiate cost-splitting for millions of dollars in upgrades. Developer Metacap unveiled plans for the 680-home Riverbend lifestyle village in October 2023 and advised Copper Coast Council the first sod would be turned last July. However, council chief executive Dylan Strong said the project at Port Hughes hit a roadblock which SA Water and the developer blamed on insufficient water capacity. "The lack of capacity within the SA Water network is not unique to the Copper Coast," Mr Strong said. "But it is compounded in the regions of SA that are experiencing the growth that most regions want, but not all of them have. "What's happened over time is the area has continued to grow and the insufficient capacity has gotten worse. Mr Strong said SA Water had carried out ongoing expansion work for "the past few decades" but "not all of those works occurred when scheduled" because population growth exceeded forecasts. With retirees and young workers flocking to the region, he said the council's population of 16,000 was expected to double by 2055 if housing could be built. Mr Strong added that SA Water had indicated there was no capital expenditure left in its 2024–28 business plan, which limited its options. Wakefield Regional Council Mayor Rodney Reid said similar disagreements about costs had beset the Hamley Bridge development, where up to 400 homes have been earmarked by developer Robert Moore. Neither SA Water nor Mr Moore have signalled delivery time frames yet, according to Mr Reid. "Increased revenue through rates on developed properties has not occurred and this means less funding to spend on existing and new projects" he said. "It also means that we continue to have a shortage of housing both owned and rented across the council district." An SA Water spokesperson said "developers are expected to make financial contributions to any network upgrades or expansions". "This protects affordability for our existing customers by ensuring SA Water — and our broader customer base — is not subsidising any realised profits from private development," the spokesperson said. The developer, Robert Moore, declined to comment. In November, the state government pledged $1.5 billion in new water and sewerage pipes as part of its Housing Roadmap, but no additional funding was set aside for the aforementioned developments. With the aim of servicing 40,000 new homes, planning authorities have prioritised developments immediately north and south of Adelaide. SA Water's spokesperson said planning was occurring this year for the water networks servicing Yorke Peninsula, which would "incorporate the latest growth forecasts" for 2028–32. "As part of the state government's Housing Roadmap we are investing $1.5 billion during the current four-year regulatory period to grow and expand our water and wastewater networks in South Australia, where it's needed the most," they said. "This investment will deliver large-scale infrastructure, such as new trunk water and wastewater mains, to unlock capacity for new homes to be built and connect to our networks, specifically across Adelaide's northern growth front. "We currently do not have funding capacity as part of the Housing Roadmap to invest in upgrading our water and wastewater networks outside of priority areas. "In Kadina, some development has been enabled through minor network augmentations, and since 2016 we have invested in water main upgrades, installed larger water mains and valves in Moonta, and upgraded water storages in Lower and Upper Paskeville. "We understand the important economic benefits that developments across the state will deliver and have prioritised engaging with councils and developers in areas like this to understand the specific upgrades required to our infrastructure." The Housing Roadmap blamed South Australia's water woes on under-investment, calling it "a major failure of previous governments at all levels". Local Government Association SA chief executive Clinton Jury said councils were actively rezoning land and offering incentives to developers. "Councils raised this issue at last year's LGA Annual General Meeting because they want to be part of the solution," Mr Jury said. "The government's recent investment in water infrastructure in metropolitan Adelaide is a welcome step, and we now need to see that same level of strategic focus extended to regional areas. "This is a complex issue that's been building over many years, it won't be fixed overnight. We need continued investment and collaboration to support more housing and growth in regional areas." Last June the state government introduced an extra charge to water bills in order to finance new capital works, costing households on average an additional $80 per year. Metacap and Housing Minister Nick Champion were contacted for comment.
Free Malaysia Today
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Toxic algae killing marine life off Australian coast
Karenia mikimotoi damages the gills of fish and prevents them from breathing. (OzFish/AFP pic) SYDNEY : A vast bloom of toxic algae is killing more than 200 species of marine life off the southern coast of Australia, scientists and conservation groups say. The algae – Karenia mikimotoi – appeared in waters around South Australia state in March, causing mass deaths in species including sharks, rays, crabs and octopuses. 'There are carcasses littering beaches,' said Brad Martin, a manager of the non-profit fish conservation group Ozfish. 'It is common for our volunteers to say: 'We walked for 1km along the beach and saw 100 dead rays and other marine life',' he told AFP. Beaches on wildlife-rich tourist draws such as Kangaroo Island, Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula have been affected. The bloom stretches across 4,400sq km, Martin said – an area larger than Japan or Germany. Karenia mikimotoi has been detected around the world since the 1930s, including off Japan, Norway, the US and China where it has disrupted local tourism and fishery industries, causing millions of dollars' worth of damage. But Martin said South Australia had not previously experienced a toxic algae bloom of this scale or duration. The South Australian government said the event is thought to have been driven by a marine heatwave, as well as relatively calm marine conditions. Marine biologist Shauna Murray, who identified the algae species for the authorities, said it damages the gills of fish and prevents them from breathing. 'It is not pleasant,' said Murray, from the University of Technology Sydney. 'It will probably take some time for the ecosystem to recuperate.' While conditions usually ease towards the end of April, there had been no relief yet, South Australian environment minister Susan Close said this month. 'We need a big change in weather to break this thing up – there is nothing we can do to precipitate this,' she told national broadcaster ABC. In the meantime, South Australian authorities have urged beachgoers to avoid swimming in water that is discoloured or foamy, warning that it can irritate the skin and affect breathing. Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and duration of marine heatwaves across Australia, which significantly affects marine ecosystems.
