Transcript – Sky News Regional Breakfast

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

Sky News Regional Breakfast

22 July 2025

Subjects: Labor’s too little, too late response to SA’s algal bloom crisis.

E&OE…………………………………………………………………………………………………

RHIANNON ELSTON:

For more on this, Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell joins me live. Minister, good morning to you, or Shadow Minister, I should say. As we have heard, the federal government has pledged $14 million to help South Australians affected by the algae crisis. What’s your response to this?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, Rhiannon, the government has been caught out, flat-footed on this. They have been too slow to respond to the people of South Australia and the algal bloom that’s affecting our Great Southern Reef.

It is so close to our marine parks down there in South Australia, and the eminent scientists down in South Australia have been the government for 18 months for funding to monitor the algal bloom and they have been denied across two Albanese governments. It’s just not good enough.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

What do you think should happen here?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I think the government should have been down in South Australia listening. As early as last Friday, the Minister was patting himself on the back, saying that he had sent down a government official, a departmental official, to speak to the scientists and to see the carnage on South Australia’s coastlines.

Look, my thoughts are with South Australians at this time because this is a difficult time for them. Their environment has all kinds of sea creatures washed up on the shore and the government has not responded. It’s not enough. $14 million is not enough to sort out this mess and the government needs to be listening to South Australians and really taking more action.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

If $14 million is not enough, how much should be put on the table?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, look, the government has said $14 million, but they haven’t said what it’s going to be used for. They do have the mechanisms to help South Australians in a time of need like this with the environment and $14 million simply won’t go far enough.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Do you think the algal bloom should be declared a natural disaster?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, that’s a matter for the government, but what I’m talking about here today is the fact that it’s taken the government so long, under pressure for the last number of months, and now is only acting when Parliament is resuming because of pressure from South Australian MPs. So, the government needs to be listening to South Australians and should have acted much earlier than it has.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Some scientists are saying what really needs to be done is an organised national monitoring system. Is that something you’d support?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, that’s what they’ve been asking for the last 18 months from South Australia. The ask was only $40 million over a ten year period, and Minister Plibersek and Minister Watt have both denied their cries for help.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Have you been to the region yourself to see those communities affected?

ANGIE BELL:

I have it in my diary to visit those communities in the coming week or so. I look forward to meeting with eminent scientists in South Australia and all those concerns. And, of course, my local Coalition MPs down in South Australia as well, and Senators, and we’ll be having a look first-hand at what’s been happening on the South Australian coastline.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Okay. Angie Bell, Shadow Environment Minister, thank you very much for your time.

ANGIE BELL:

Thanks, Rhiannon.

ENDS.