The Emergency Management Committee of state cabinet met yesterday, Tuesday 22 July, and signed off on a $28 million harmful algal bloom support package.

The comprehensive package covers industry support, science and research, communications, community support and clean up.

The state government will contribute $14 million, matching the Commonwealth’s contribution, announced on Monday, with elements of the package to start rolling out immediately.

Key measures in the next stage of the harmful algal bloom support package include:

Science and Research

• Coastal Monitoring Network - investing in expanded early detection and monitoring of harmful algal bloom species through real time sensors (buoys), satellite imagery and oceanographic modelling, with rapid detection of harmful algal blooms and early warning systems for industry. ($8.5m)
• New national testing laboratory in SA for harmful algal bloom and brevetoxin/biotoxin testing. Currently, samples are sent to New Zealand for analysis, resulting in delays of up to a week. ($2m)
• Rapid assessment of fish stocks and fisheries to quantify impact, including modelling ecological impacts on near shore marine ecosystems and all sanctuary zones utilising remote underwater video surveys and dive surveys. ($3m)
• Citizen Science - rapid meta-analysis of citizen science records and documented ecological impacts to provide a baseline understanding from which to assess recovery.
• Develop a dedicated harmful algal bloom response plan for future bloom events.

Communications

• Harmful Algal Bloom Taskforce to meet every Thursday, with a media conference to follow to keep the public informed on latest developments.
• Public forums for impacted coastal communities and a trusted single point of information and contact for timely, accurate, and clear communication to industry and the public including a single phone hotline, website, consistent physical signage and information.
• Public information campaigns focused on rebuilding confidence and driving visitation to our coastal regions and marine based tourism businesses and promoting the seafood industry and benefits of recreational fishing. ($2m)

Community support and clean up

• Community Fund to support activities and small projects in affected communities. ($3m)
• Beach clean-up funding for local government to assist cleaning up dead fish and marine life. ($1m)

Industry Support

• $10,000 Small Business Support Grants for eligible small businesses.
• Financial counselling, mental health support and workforce advice to assist small businesses impacted by the harmful algal bloom to develop recovery and continuity plans, understand the short and long-term implications, and help manage financial and mental wellbeing.

These measures are in addition to the fee relief previously announced and the $1,500 direct support payments to impacted primary producers.

The state government has also released new underwater footage captured by the patrol vessel Southern Ranger, which visited sites in the Gulf of St Vincent last week.

The vision reveals the impact of the harmful algal bloom across several important marine sanctuaries, with suspected visual signs of the algal bloom and rough seas reducing visibility to less than two metres in places.

The Southern Ranger visited the Zanoni shipwreck in the Upper Gulf St Vincent Marine Park. The footage shows many of the sponges, cold water corals and other filter-feeding organisms have been clearly impacted at the shipwreck site.

Around the Aldinga Reef and the Rapid Head sanctuary zones many invertebrates, such as sponges and ascidians, still appeared to be healthy with colour retained in their structures. However, some of these were starting to show signs of stress with white patches appearing in places.

Premier Peter Malinauskas says the state government has been developing a deliberately calibrated suite of measures for the next stage of its response to the unprecedented harmful algal bloom.

“We have been engaging with key stakeholders, industry and communities to ensure our response is targeted to where it is needed most.

“I want to thank the Commonwealth for their contribution of $14 million towards this effort.

“As a government, this represents the next stage of our response to this developing natural disaster, and we stand ready to deliver additional support if and when it is needed.”