Labor’s response to South Australia’s escalating toxic algal bloom crisis has been slow, secretive and severely lacking in accountability – and the Opposition is now demanding immediate, transparent and independent action, including a Royal Commission to get to the truth.
Leader of the Opposition, Vincent Tarzia and Shadow Environment Minister, David Basham joined Liberal Candidate for Gibson, Jane Fleming, at a Street Corner Meeting on the coast today to hear directly from locals.
“People living along the coast are rightly alarmed by the sight of dead dolphins, stingrays and other marine life washing up during their daily walks,” Mr Tarzia said.
“Waters are contaminated with toxic foam, marine life is dying, fisheries are on their knees, tourism is suffering, people and their pets are getting sick – meanwhile, the Premier is nowhere to be seen.
“He’s treating this like a minor water quality hiccup, when in reality we’re facing a full-blown environmental crisis on our shores.
“We need to be doing more than just monitoring. All investigations should be done with full transparency to give all South Australians confidence that every avenue has been explored to find the cause of this bloom and protect our industries from future impacts.
“This is the third environmental disaster in the past year under Minister Close and Minister Scriven. First it was the tomato virus, then the drought, and now this, and South Australians who put food on our tables are being left to suffer with zero support or leadership.
“If Peter Malinauskas won’t take responsibility for his Ministers repeated failures, then he is complicit in this disaster. The time for spin is over - South Australians deserve answers, accountability, and above all, action.”
Despite the algal bloom first emerging in March, it has taken until this week for the Government to begin monitoring its impact on marine life, raising serious concerns about both their preparedness and their transparency.
Mr Basham said the situation highlights the urgent need for a Royal Commission to properly investigate the environmental, social and economic impacts of the bloom and what has caused it.
“This crisis has been worsening for months, and instead of leadership, all we’ve had is confusion and excuses from State and Federal Governments that clearly don’t want to take accountability.
“There are more questions than answers right now, and this Government has shown time and again that it has no interest in transparency.
“A Royal Commission would ensure this issue is investigated with complete independence from Government – something South Australians deserve.”
The Liberal Opposition is calling for:
- A Royal Commission into the causes and consequences of the toxic algal bloom.
- Immediate release of all health and ecological impact reports.
- Public disclosure of the Government’s reference group composition, terms of reference and timelines.
- Real-time health alerts and visible beach signage across affected areas.
- Urgent support for affected industries, including fisheries and tourism.
- Funding allocated to support independent investigation and future prevention.
