Transcript – ABC Adelaide Breakfast with Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

ABC Adelaide – Breakfast with Sonya Feldhoff and Jules Schiller

4 August 2025

Subjects: South Australia visit, Algal bloom.

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

SONYA FELDHOFF:

Well, there was a lot of criticism of the Federal Environment Minister who literally spent, I think, 10 minutes on a beach in South Australia after having… he did come with money, that is fair, but a lot of people were pretty cynical about the amount of time he spent here.

Angie Bell is the Federal Shadow Environment Minister. She’s actually been in South Australia since Thursday, we believe, since the end of question time, taking a look at the impact of this algal bloom. Angie Bell, good morning to you.

ANGIE BELL:

Good morning, Sonya and Jules. How are you? Thanks for having me.

SONYA FELDHOFF:

Where are you placing this in terms of what you’re seeing on the level of, you know, the disaster scale?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I’ve been meeting with Senator Andrew McLachlan in Adelaide and speaking with scientists, having a roundtable, listening to their concerns about the algal bloom, having a look at what the impacts are, meeting with businesses and families.

And so, today I’ll be working with Tom Venning, visiting coastal communities who have been impacted by this algal bloom and you’re absolutely right in your introduction talking about the Minister who came to Adelaide and stood on West Beach for 10 minutes, got the photo and went back to Canberra in time for our first parliamentary sitting.

There was a lot of pressure placed on him by not just the opposition but also some of the Adelaide MPs including Mark Butler, who I would consider to be the Minister for Adelaide’s beaches. But I’m here listening to South Australians, understanding what the impacts are of the algal bloom, and I look forward to spending today on Yorke Peninsula with Tom Venning.

JULES SCHILLER:

What would you do differently? Because the federal government committed $14 million, matched our state government contribution. What would you do differently?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, that was also because of pressure, to be fair, that was placed on the government because scientists for 18 months were not heard by the government. Two successive Environment Ministers ignored their pleas for funding, for their research around this algal bloom, so that they could monitor it and understand where it’s up to in its life cycle, understand where it’s moving and what its impacts are. Also, the make-up of the algal bloom in terms of what it’s made up of.

JULES SCHILLER:

Would you give more money, though? Do you think more money is needed?

ANGIE BELL:

What I wouldn’t do is have ignored the scientists who are asking for the money. And, you know, $14 million from the federal government matched by the state, another $14 million, is a starting point. But scientists need to understand how this algal is working, where it’s moving to, what it’s made up of and into the future.

And they simply don’t have, what they were telling me at Flinders University, they don’t have the baseline data to understand what is causing it exactly and how long it’s going to remain in the waters of South Australia.

JULES SCHILLER:

Angie Bell, does this bloom need to be declared a national disaster?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, that’s a matter for the government to look at all of the prerequisites for that and tick those boxes. But what we have done immediately, because the government has been flat-footed on this, on both looking at it and looking at the bloom itself, but also deciding whether they’ll declare a natural disaster. What we have done immediately is piled pressure on the government for this inquiry, and that inquiry is now open. So, I would encourage South Australians to put forward their submissions on the way that they’ve been impacted by this.

SONYA FELDHOFF:

But they say it doesn’t tick the boxes for a natural disaster. Do you support changing the criteria for declaring a natural disaster?

ANGIE BELL:

I certainly support reviewing that process, but this is a matter for the government. And what we’ve done from opposition is push the government to this inquiry so that can be looked at as well as a matter of course for the inquiry.

JULES SCHILLER:

Angie Bell, you’ve said that you’ve been consulting with scientists. Do you accept that this algal bloom is a result of climate change? Because we know some people in your party don’t commit to net zero.

ANGIE BELL:

Well, the scientists that I met with on Friday at Flinders University and also at the Goyder Institute at the Murray Mouth there at Goolwa, have outlined that there are a number of factors.

One of those factors causing the algal bloom is the increase in sea temperature. Some of the other factors may be some runoff nutrients into the water, but certainly the scientists that I was talking to, talked about the increase in ocean temperatures.

JULES SCHILLER:

That are connected to climate change.

ANGIE BELL:

Which is climate change.

JULES SCHILLER:

Okay, right.

SONYA FELDHOFF:

Angie Bell, just quickly, some are questioning why it’s taken you so long to come here. To be fair, this is your first visit.

ANGIE BELL:

Well, I’ve obviously been in Canberra for the sitting weeks. I was here on Thursday night straight after the sitting, as you mentioned in the introduction. But certainly I wanted to take the time to listen to the scientists, take the time to visit the coastal communities and certainly take the time to spend with the local member here, The Member for Grey, Tom Venning and Senator Andrew McLachlan in Adelaide.

JULES SCHILLER:

Angie Bell Federal Shadow Environment Minister, thank you for your time.

ANGIE BELL:

Thank you

ENDS.