2026-03-17
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young says a damning 4 Corners report has revealed the SA State Government has put politics and PR spin ahead of the safety and wellbeing of South Australians and the environment.
“The Government has been trying to downplay the impacts of the toxic tide for months - first the environmental, then the economic and now we see they haven’t been upfront about the health impacts.
“They should admit they got it wrong, rather than playing word games that just further undermine public trust.
“The dismal response from the Premier and his officers is alarming.
“Yesterday the Premier tried to compare the toxic algal bloom to beer. It was a ridiculous and stupid response to the serious questions being asked of his Government’s handling of the state's worst environmental disaster.
“Despite evidence from scientists and experts, the Premier has continued to play word games about whether the algal bloom is indeed toxic.
“The full health advice must be released and an independent review completed to help restore public confidence and trust.
“The whole reason the public was alerted to the algal bloom a year ago today was because surfers were getting sick. The health advice 12 months on is still lacking clarity.
“Over the past year I’ve heard from hundreds of South Australians who have been worried about the bloom’s impact on their health and wellbeing, and today many of them are questioning the ability of this government to keep them safe.
“The community can’t make an informed choice when they don’t have the facts.
“We need better information, better research and less government spin.
“Experts have warned that what South Australia has experienced could very well happen elsewhere in Australia and we need to be better prepared.
“It’s been 4 months since the Senate Inquiry handed down our report that recommended:
a nationally coordinated response to the toxic bloom; the need for timely, clear and scientifically informed public health advice; better funded research and monitoring and; Multi million dollar restoration fund for South Australia.
“The Federal Government is now a month late in responding to the recommendations in the report.
“South Australians are being ignored by Labor in Canberra, and being fed PR spin from Labor in Adelaide. We deserve better from both."