Daily London
A Senate inquiry has delivered a scathing assessment of the state and federal governments’ handling of the South Australian algal bloom crisis, describing them as “ill-prepared… and asleep at the wheel”.
The 200-page-plus report, released today, details what it claims was a delayed response to the crisis, complicated by bureaucratic obstacles.
“When this toxic algal bloom was devastating our coastline in the early days, we had the federal government arguing if it was in state or federal waters,” federal Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
The report makes 14 recommendations, including the establishment of a support program akin to JobKeeper for affected businesses and workers, a voluntary buy-back scheme for fishing licences, and a substantial financial commitment to support the recovery of the marine environment.
“Half a billion dollars for environmental restoration to help nature repair itself… that money’s got to come from the federal government,” Hanson-Young said.
The state government has defended its handling of the crisis.
“We’re dealing with an unpredictable ecological event that humans can’t control… if there was a silver bullet solution here, it would have been deployed a long time ago,” Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
State Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia criticised both levels of government following the release of the report.
“What we need is a generational investment in our oceans,” he said.
“But what we saw today is a generational failure from (the) state and Labor federal governments.”
The report also detailed concerns about the timeliness and accessibility of updated health advice, particularly for those with pre-existing health conditions like asthma.
But the state government insists its advice has been accurate and informed by science.
