PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS – Environment

Ms BELL (Moncrieff) (10:59): I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Government’s environment credentials are all washed up;

(b) after refusing to even meet with scientists regarding the spread of toxic algal bloom in South Australia for over 18 months, the Minister for the Environment and Water has made a last minute dash in a desperate attempt to avoid scrutiny over the Government’s lack of leadership on the matter; and

(c) from recycling to Indigenous cultural heritage and environment protection and biodiversity conservation, the Government has failed to deliver on any of its major promises; and

(2) calls on the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water to attend the chamber to explain the Government’s failures on the environment.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Mascarenhas): Is there a seconder?

Mr Venning: I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Ms BELL: This government’s record on the environment is similar to that of the West Coast Eagles this season—it’s pretty damn poor. Just last week, the South Australian algal bloom was labelled one of the worst recorded harmful algal blooms in the world. Dr Donald Anderson, an international scientist and Director of the US National Office for Harmful Algal Blooms, expressed concern that this bloom has become so large that it may no longer be logistically possible to neutralise it. It’s now one of the most harmful algal blooms in the world, covering 4,500 square kilometres of South Australian coastline. It’s twice the size of the ACT, it can now be seen from space, and it’s devastating. But it could have been avoided if the state and federal Labor governments had taken some action, just some action, when they were first warned—earlier than the 150 days it took their prime minister to go to South Australians when they needed him the most. It’s both the Malinauskas and the Albanese governments’ inaction and delay that has allowed this environmental disaster to spiral out of control, with all its impacts to the ecosystems of the Gulf St Vincent and Adelaide’s beaches.

Australian scientists warned the government over 18 months ago of the impending disaster but were ignored, and funding to monitor this disaster was denied. Five months ago Australian scientists again raised their concerns with this government. Crickets. Tin ears. Since then, marine creatures started washing up dead on South Australia’s beaches. To date that death toll has reached 14,000 and is climbing. Local fishing and tourism businesses have gone broke, hitting rock bottom. Only on the eve of parliament returning last month did the minister finally take some notice, scuttling down to South Australia at the last minute to see this catastrophic disaster. The Prime Minister and the environment minister have a lot to answer for—answers that were not given to the good people of South Australia on the scuttle down to the state last week. The Prime Minister secretly jetted over to Kangaroo Island before posting about his visit on X. No media were forewarned—nothing—and when he did finally address the media hours later he delivered absolutely nothing of substance. But that’s classic Labor. They are all spin, no substance.

I have visited affected areas on three separate occasions, one of which was with the Leader of the Opposition a week prior to the Prime Minister showing his face in South Australia. Now let’s be frank about this harmful algal bloom. It’s a natural disaster and it’s an absolute disgrace to see the lack of funding and the inaction by this government. The Albanese government can find $600 million for a Rugby League team in Papua New Guinea but it could barely scrape together, at the Prime Minister’s press conference, an adequate funding package to immediately support South Australians. That is a slap in the face—to those opposite who are having a giggle—for communities living through an environmental crisis that is devastating ecosystems. If the Prime Minister genuinely cared about this issue, he wouldn’t have taken so long to act: remember, 150 days. He would have made himself available to those severely impacted areas of Goolwa and those on the Yorke Peninsula. Labor continues to fail in delivering anything of substance when it comes to the environment. There’s simply no accountability and it’s simply not good enough. It is too little too late for those coastal communities, families, businesses and fishers, and thousands of dead marine creatures affected by this harmful algal bloom.

Don’t forget, the scientists were asking 18 months ago. Those opposite will come in here and try and spruik their environmental credentials, but they have failed. They didn’t turn up and when they did it was too little, it was too late, and their credentials are absolutely all washed up. Shame on you, Prime Minister. Shame on you, Murray Watt, the environment minister—Senator Watt—for not being there for South Australians when they absolutely needed you to turn up and show leadership on this disaster for their ecosystems, this disaster for their families and small businesses, this disaster for the tourism businesses on the Yorke Peninsula. And let’s not forget that the Gulf of Spencer is just around the corner, Prime Minister, so look out for South Australians.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER (Ms Mascarenhas): Is the motion seconded?

Mr Venning: I second the motion and reserve my right to speak later.