Transcript – Sky News Regional Breakfast with Rhiannon Elston

Angie Bell MP

Shadow Minister for the Environment

Shadow Minister for Youth

Federal Member for Moncrieff

TRANSCRIPT

Sky News Regional Breakfast with Rhiannon Elston

18 August 2025

Subjects: South Australian algal bloom labelled one of the worst-recorded outbreaks in the world; PM to finally visit SA.

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

RHIANNON ELSTON:

The Prime Minister is expected to visit South Australia this week in the midst of the state’s growing harmful algal bloom, which has devastated marine life in the region. Pressure is growing on the Federal Environment Minister to declare the event a natural disaster. Well, joining me live is the Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell. Good morning to you. There are fears the algae crisis could extend into summer, and if that does happen, how much could that worsen the impacts of this event?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, good morning, Rhiannon. Great to be with you and your viewers this morning. Yes, it has been in in the press and reported that the Prime Minister will head down to South Australia this week, finally, because the good people of South Australia have been let down by their state government and, of course, their federal government.

The Environment Minister last week apologised for taking so long. And now what we’ve seen, Rhiannon, is the American scientist who’s on his way out here saying that the government’s left it too late and that the window of time has been too wide now to actually do anything about this bloom. We know it’s twice the size of the ACT right now. And so, I believe the Prime Minister should offer South Australians an apology for taking so long. And you’re right, it should be a national disaster. It is a natural disaster and it’s a national disaster and the government needs to do more to help South Australians, particularly those in small and family business, the fishers down there on the Yorke Peninsula. And the Minister for Adelaide’s beaches. Where is he, Mark Butler? What’s he doing?

RHIANNON ELSTON:

You’ve just been to South Australia. What stood out to you on your visit and what did you hear from those who were impacted by this?

ANGIE BELL:

What stood out to me was four generations of fishers on the Yorke Peninsula, grown men, who were close to tears because they’d been financially ruined. They haven’t been able to fish for 100 days. It’s more than that now. There has been, look, some funding put on the table by the state government and the federal government, and that was welcomed, but it’s not enough because it’s not going to help these lovely people in the regions there on the Yorke Peninsula. And in Ardrossan, where we walked the jetty with the leader of the opposition and the local member, Tom Venning there, the Member for Grey. And we had a look at the devastation and we saw the dead fish on the beach. We could smell it. I was there the week before as well and we saw dead sharks on the beach. It’s absolutely heartbreaking for the people of South Australia and it is a disaster. It’s a calamity and the Prime Minister needs to apologise for being so flat-footed and he needs to announce more funding.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Yeah, funding has been put on the table to the tune of $28 million, as you mentioned. That’s for research, business support, for community awareness. Now, if you were in government, what would you do differently? How much would you put on the table and where would you spend it?

ANGIE BELL:

Well, certainly those small businesses, those fishermen that we were talking to, were saying how difficult it is to actually apply for this funding. So firstly, let’s make it as easy as possible for those people in the community who are ruined over this and have years and years ahead before the Gulf of St Vincent actually bounces back. But I can tell you what I wouldn’t do, Rhiannon, if I were the Environment Minister, and that is ignore the scientists in South Australia who asked for funding 18 months ago under Tanya Plibersek and now under Murray Watt. They have been ignored and their calls for funding were denied.

They had the opportunity to say yes and to understand this algal bloom, its impacts, its effects, how long it would last, how big it would grow to, where it would move to, but they did not provide the funding. The government did not provide the funding, did not listen to the science around this, and they should apologise and they should help those communities in South Australia who are hurting so badly.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Well, as we’ve been hearing, the Prime Minister may visit Adelaide this week and it has been reported he may reveal a new funding package. Would you welcome that?

ANGIE BELL:

Of course, we would welcome that for the good people of South Australia who are hurting so badly and being ignored by their governments at both levels.

RHIANNON ELSTON:

Alright, that was Shadow Environment Minister Angie Bell. Thank you.

ANGIE BELL:

Thank you.

ENDS.