00:00:00
Speaker 1: Doctor Susan Plos Minister, good afternoon, Thanks for your time.
00:00:03
Speaker 2: Hi, great to talk to you.
00:00:04
Speaker 1: How do you feel? So I guess that it is what it is. I guess some increase, some decrease in some sadly stay the same.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: That's right, And it is an interesting combination, isn't it. So you ask me how I feel? But emotions, unfortunately, don't have much to do with it, when you're optimistic or not. It's just the cold hard reality of science. And this thing is still with us, and that's very clear. It effects a bit under thirty percent of our coastline, so really good to remember that seventy percent of our coastlines are not affected. So if you're thinking of going on a holiday in a coastal community, don't assume that that's going to be a bloom affected event because there's a lot of places you can go that haven't seen the bloom at all. And also, even if you are going to a place where there's a bloom, it doesn't mean that you can't have a good time down there. So what we're seeing is that this thing is moving around the two Gulfs. It's the circulation. It's a bit like a washing machine circulating the sea. And then for the bloom around and particularly strong in the golf Saint Vincent are Golf here unfortunately much much less so in the Spencer Golf And we're doing the weekly testing, so we're putting it up on the internet each time we do that. We can say, as to just had the premiere say about five of the sites in the metro area, it stays about the same. Seven have gone up a bit, five have gone down a bit. That that is going to happen for a while until this bloom finally breaks up and goes away.
00:01:32
Speaker 1: So does the intensity minister change depending on the climate conditions.
00:01:37
Speaker 2: So the intensity is really, of course the number of cells per liter of water, and so that tells us that the algie is happy and is growing and is getting what it needs. And what this little credit needs is food in the form of nutrients, and of course there's quite a bit of dead fish that's part of breaking down and providing organic compounds. It also needs sunlight because it's a photosynthesizing organism as well as an organism that eats nutrients that does both the sunlight. Unfortunately, you know, we're kind of going, oh, it's lovely to have a twenty degree day in Adelaide in the middle of winter. But actually it's terrible because it's a sign of the fact that we're in drought, and it's also meaning that there's a nice sort of sunshine over our gulfs. So that is problematic that it keeps having the kind of environment that it likes, as that can sustain it. But you know, nature's very powerful, and inside that bloom there are also viruses and other kinds of algae that are trying to attack it, because that's what happens in nature, and at some point that will right itself. It's just it's really persistent for a long time, and it's done a lot of damage on the way through, and it's hard. It's hard for everybody, but it's particularly hard for people who are economically dependent.
00:02:52
Speaker 1: So I guess we just wait, don't we, and just hope that that our will bloom, as you mentioned, is affected internally or whatever's going on in the ocean. What are scientists and the people in the industry saying to you, Because I know that the thought before was the storm and the wind and everything. The cooler temperatures will get rid of this, But I guess we're at the end of August almost. I mean, we're getting into spring and summer. I can't imagine there's going to be too many wet, stormy days left in the year.
00:03:16
Speaker 2: Minister, Yeah, that's right. And so when this first came around mid March, the expectation was it would be like most of the blooms that happen that they last maybe two or three months and then they break up, particularly with winter in front of us at that time, and we expected that that would happen here. And winter's been a bit different, so it's been a much sunnier winter than we like to see. The start of winter was delayed, so that's been problematic. But for whatever reason, all of the complex reasons, it is still with us. As we get closer to spring and summer and everything starts to warm up again, it is likely that it will still be here and the little stay strong. It's possible it will break down, but we have to plan for it to be here because there's no point in being caught short. So we're working right now on what we're called in a summer plan, because as coastal people, we just love to get down to the beach and the coastline as soon as summer hits, and so we really need to work out what are we telling people, How are we explaining how to make choices for your own family if you go down to the beach. How are we supporting businesses. So we're rolling out a campaign soon to remind people that our seafood is completely healthy and safe and it's the best in the world. We're going to be increasingly sending out messages about how you can enjoy the tourism offerings that we have. But also we're getting down and talking to saf wife standing clubs and saying, Okay, what do you need, How can we work together so that you're concerned for beach safety matches, are understanding what's happening with the bloom. So all of that's been happening, and I've got to say that, as usual, the people of Soustralia just amazing. When there's a bit of a crisis happened with the floods happens, as bushfires is happening, with the drought, people rally around and government is there to speer that, to fund it and to add the big dose of science for everyone's making smart decisions.
00:05:00
Speaker 1: Are you concerned though about so can we stick on the surf life saving. So I spoke to the president of West Beach the other day on the show. I've had a number of parents tell me, Minister that there's no way they're putting their kids in the water. Is that an education thing you need to be talking about. Is that they're sort of under the impression they'll speak to the EPA and wait for official advice. But there are some parents who are risk adverse now and saying we're just not going to do it.
00:05:24
Speaker 2: Look, I understand that because we're all very protective of our children and people do have to make the smart choice for their family. What we have to do is make sure that the information is completely up to date once they're ready to make those choices, so that they know what they're choosing between. So at the moment, in the vast majority of our waters, there is no problem being on the beach, and there's probably no problem with being in the water. It's only when you see that more concentrated form of the algae where bony discolored, that you might have an allergic reaction. It's not poisonous for humans. It's not going to be something that lasts, but as the health people are telling us, it can get into your eyes and nose and make you do this kneezing and the coughing and so on. You don't want to do that to you children. I completely understand that. So you need to know is that a risk right now or not? And if things change during the season, what's the backup plan? What alternatives do we have? And so that's what we're working with the people who use the beach like SSS Life Savers on what are the plans that we can put in place so that people can have some confidence that they can at least start the season, see how it evolved, be kept up to date. That's our obligation and that's what we're throwing everything we've got at with from the health people through to the the marine scientists.
00:06:37
Speaker 1: Deputy Premier Minister for Climate Environment Water Susan Close. Is my guess them so Premier said today Minister some good news I guess, or a sliver of good news in terms of oysters and muscles.
00:06:49
Speaker 2: Absolutely, so the muscles are fine now, they're back on being able to be sold. So just just a very quick explanation what happens with these five alves as we call them, so that the oysters and the muscles, they filter a huge amount of water and they clean it up. They eat the algae and they love it, and we love that they're eating it. We had more oysters, we'd be able to eat more of them, more of the algae. But if there is a little toxin called a breavy toxin, which is produced by a couple of different species, not the one that's the dominant, but there are a couple of little species in there, they can concentrate that. Because they filter so much water through them, they will eventually pass that out. It will be gone and the flesh will be completely safe. You just have to wait for that process to happen. So mussels they hang in open water and they clear very quickly. People at the other ends, because they are in the sand, they take a long time to clear. And in the middle you have oysters who tend to be really clustered close together, and so the water doesn't wash through quite as fast. What we've seen in the five places that we have had to close for now for oysters is that all of them have seen a decline in the toxin levels. Now they're tested every week once we hit them the safe level. They have to then be tested like that for two weeks in a row, and then they're back on the market. And apparently they are looking fabulous because they love the alba. They're getting really fat, delicious and gorgeous, and I can tell you my premiere is going to be first in lines about buying them.
00:08:16
Speaker 1: Are you do you remember during COVID minister that it was almost like a hands on deck everyone trying to help to come up with a solution for the virus. Are you seeing similar with the algill bloom or is it is everything in the rights of the EPA, for example, or are you listening to from scientists and people that have any kind of experience in this and thoughts on this to try and get a think tank if you like to try and come up with a solution.
00:08:40
Speaker 2: You are absolutely spot on. So we have got all hands on deck approach. We've had international and national scientists hook up with our scientists quite frequently, so they're constantly having discussions. We've got a special working group of scientists working on what we might be able to do to help protect the cuttlefish. And we've got an international scientist who's probably the best in his field in the United States, where they have some quite persistent ALGLA blooms. He is coming over to Australia to help us out to kind of go through everything that they've learned, everything that might be able to be applied to us. And we've got a chief scientist in South Australia. That's something that every state will have a chief scientist. I've asked him to set up a panel which he's done, of the experts so that he can be constantly and that group can constantly review because people do come up with great ideas and one of them might work one day, and that's what we need to know. We don't want to miss that one, and so that we're working on this absolutely constantly.
00:09:41
Speaker 1: Tom on the text message said, is there a map of the bloom that people are able to watch a bit like the weather radar?
00:09:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, there is, so not probably quite as quickly up to date as the weather radar because we have to do a little bit of analysis. So there's a couple of ways we can tell if the blooms there. One is through the satellite and that tells you that there's chlorophyll a. So that's what happens when you're doing photosynthesis, which this little chap's doing, tells you where that is, and then you just have to analyze that you're not picking up seagrass or something that isn't isn't bloom. And then the other way as you go out and you test for water the water samples to make sure yep, that's the corenea. So if people go on the algal bloom dot SA dot gov dot au, there's all sorts of links there. One of them is where the bloom is. And there's a picture. I'm looking at it right now now. This one's from the fifth of August. We're about to put up the one a week later. But the one from fifth of August you can see really clustered in Saint Vincent's Gulf and a bit on both sides of Spencer Golf, So have a look there. Then you can go down have look at the latest testing results and you get to see the presentations that starts making. There's a dashboard if your real science want or there's dashboard for the water sampling week by week, but all of that information just hop on algal bloom dot essay dot gov dot au. What we want to do is turn that into something that is really easy for people to use as we head towards summer, and that's what we're working on. How do we make sure that the science is accurate, but it's really easy for people to make some decisions for themselves. And that's one of the things that we were talking about extensively in the task force this morning.
00:11:16
Speaker 1: Appreciate your time this afternoon. Hardest question to finish with, and I know it's politics, so you've got to dance around this somewhat personally, Minister. I wasn't happy with Murray Watt's apology. It sounded a bit like the Fonds. It was an apology, but it wasn't an apology from happy days. Are you happy with the federal response?
00:11:33
Speaker 2: Do you think flash back to my child?
00:11:35
Speaker 1: Do you remember? Do you remember that he couldn't say sorry and he couldn't say he was wrong. Murray's got a bit of that about him, to be fair, So well, I'm sorry if you didn't think we did it fast enough, as opposed to just apologizing for not being fast enough. Are you happy with the federal response? Are you having those conversations? Do you think you'll still have those conversations about whether federally they check in more money.
00:11:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, look constantly having those conversations. He was down yesterday and I cleared my dari and spent the day with him because what's most important to me for South Australia is that we have the Commonwealth understanding what's going on and helping us. And they did give us the money we asked for. That no fourteen million dollars has been incredibly useful to add to our fourteen million plus all the other resources of course that we as a state government are putting in. But I've been very clear and the Premier has been very clear if this thing does persist, we will be back asking for some more support. So I want to maintain on behalf of South Australia a good relationship with the Commonwealth, and that means being really honest with them, really clear about how the community is feeling and what the bloom is looking like, and then making some suggestions about how they might like to spend pedual money. The truth is that we are suffering this right now that given the reason that it's happened, has got so much to do with how much hotter and drier it's getting We're not going to be the only place in Australia and they can learn a lot from what we're going through and that will be good for everyone in Australia to understand. So I have no shame in asking for more support for us, and if we need it, we'll be asking.
00:13:02
Speaker 1: So by persistent you mean longer that it hangs around or more place is affected.
00:13:07
Speaker 2: Oh well, I guess either it. I was thinking the lengths. If it suddenly vanishes magically, let's say that we're in that world where next week it's gone, then we've still got a lot of work to do to help rebuild our brand because people think of the bloom in South Australia. We also need to start making the environment stronger because the stronger nature is, the more nature will help protect us from this kind of crisis. So there will still be a lot to do. But if it's persisting in terms of hanging around and causing the ongoing harm, that's when we're particularly going to need some more support for sure.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: Gotcha, I think we have Murray's apology. Have a listen what I really want to say.
00:13:44
Speaker 2: I am very us.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: Silly. Anyway, we'll work on that Minneso. We'll try and get him. At some stage he might apologize.
00:13:54
Speaker 2: I was such a big fan of the FONDS when I was a kid. I thank you for playing that, appreciate your time.
00:13:59
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, all the best, keep up the good work. Deputy Premier Minister for Climber, Environment and Water Susan close thoughts A double two three double o double oh. I think statewide we're doing as much as we can do. We need to be tapping on the door more of the FEDS to get more money. I think so we'll see, I mean, let's hope. As the Premier mentioned today, seventeen sites the ones they had look at. Seven have increased, five have decreased, five remain steady.
Speaker 1: Doctor Susan Plos Minister, good afternoon, Thanks for your time.
00:00:03
Speaker 2: Hi, great to talk to you.
00:00:04
Speaker 1: How do you feel? So I guess that it is what it is. I guess some increase, some decrease in some sadly stay the same.
00:00:12
Speaker 2: That's right, And it is an interesting combination, isn't it. So you ask me how I feel? But emotions, unfortunately, don't have much to do with it, when you're optimistic or not. It's just the cold hard reality of science. And this thing is still with us, and that's very clear. It effects a bit under thirty percent of our coastline, so really good to remember that seventy percent of our coastlines are not affected. So if you're thinking of going on a holiday in a coastal community, don't assume that that's going to be a bloom affected event because there's a lot of places you can go that haven't seen the bloom at all. And also, even if you are going to a place where there's a bloom, it doesn't mean that you can't have a good time down there. So what we're seeing is that this thing is moving around the two Gulfs. It's the circulation. It's a bit like a washing machine circulating the sea. And then for the bloom around and particularly strong in the golf Saint Vincent are Golf here unfortunately much much less so in the Spencer Golf And we're doing the weekly testing, so we're putting it up on the internet each time we do that. We can say, as to just had the premiere say about five of the sites in the metro area, it stays about the same. Seven have gone up a bit, five have gone down a bit. That that is going to happen for a while until this bloom finally breaks up and goes away.
00:01:32
Speaker 1: So does the intensity minister change depending on the climate conditions.
00:01:37
Speaker 2: So the intensity is really, of course the number of cells per liter of water, and so that tells us that the algie is happy and is growing and is getting what it needs. And what this little credit needs is food in the form of nutrients, and of course there's quite a bit of dead fish that's part of breaking down and providing organic compounds. It also needs sunlight because it's a photosynthesizing organism as well as an organism that eats nutrients that does both the sunlight. Unfortunately, you know, we're kind of going, oh, it's lovely to have a twenty degree day in Adelaide in the middle of winter. But actually it's terrible because it's a sign of the fact that we're in drought, and it's also meaning that there's a nice sort of sunshine over our gulfs. So that is problematic that it keeps having the kind of environment that it likes, as that can sustain it. But you know, nature's very powerful, and inside that bloom there are also viruses and other kinds of algae that are trying to attack it, because that's what happens in nature, and at some point that will right itself. It's just it's really persistent for a long time, and it's done a lot of damage on the way through, and it's hard. It's hard for everybody, but it's particularly hard for people who are economically dependent.
00:02:52
Speaker 1: So I guess we just wait, don't we, and just hope that that our will bloom, as you mentioned, is affected internally or whatever's going on in the ocean. What are scientists and the people in the industry saying to you, Because I know that the thought before was the storm and the wind and everything. The cooler temperatures will get rid of this, But I guess we're at the end of August almost. I mean, we're getting into spring and summer. I can't imagine there's going to be too many wet, stormy days left in the year.
00:03:16
Speaker 2: Minister, Yeah, that's right. And so when this first came around mid March, the expectation was it would be like most of the blooms that happen that they last maybe two or three months and then they break up, particularly with winter in front of us at that time, and we expected that that would happen here. And winter's been a bit different, so it's been a much sunnier winter than we like to see. The start of winter was delayed, so that's been problematic. But for whatever reason, all of the complex reasons, it is still with us. As we get closer to spring and summer and everything starts to warm up again, it is likely that it will still be here and the little stay strong. It's possible it will break down, but we have to plan for it to be here because there's no point in being caught short. So we're working right now on what we're called in a summer plan, because as coastal people, we just love to get down to the beach and the coastline as soon as summer hits, and so we really need to work out what are we telling people, How are we explaining how to make choices for your own family if you go down to the beach. How are we supporting businesses. So we're rolling out a campaign soon to remind people that our seafood is completely healthy and safe and it's the best in the world. We're going to be increasingly sending out messages about how you can enjoy the tourism offerings that we have. But also we're getting down and talking to saf wife standing clubs and saying, Okay, what do you need, How can we work together so that you're concerned for beach safety matches, are understanding what's happening with the bloom. So all of that's been happening, and I've got to say that, as usual, the people of Soustralia just amazing. When there's a bit of a crisis happened with the floods happens, as bushfires is happening, with the drought, people rally around and government is there to speer that, to fund it and to add the big dose of science for everyone's making smart decisions.
00:05:00
Speaker 1: Are you concerned though about so can we stick on the surf life saving. So I spoke to the president of West Beach the other day on the show. I've had a number of parents tell me, Minister that there's no way they're putting their kids in the water. Is that an education thing you need to be talking about. Is that they're sort of under the impression they'll speak to the EPA and wait for official advice. But there are some parents who are risk adverse now and saying we're just not going to do it.
00:05:24
Speaker 2: Look, I understand that because we're all very protective of our children and people do have to make the smart choice for their family. What we have to do is make sure that the information is completely up to date once they're ready to make those choices, so that they know what they're choosing between. So at the moment, in the vast majority of our waters, there is no problem being on the beach, and there's probably no problem with being in the water. It's only when you see that more concentrated form of the algae where bony discolored, that you might have an allergic reaction. It's not poisonous for humans. It's not going to be something that lasts, but as the health people are telling us, it can get into your eyes and nose and make you do this kneezing and the coughing and so on. You don't want to do that to you children. I completely understand that. So you need to know is that a risk right now or not? And if things change during the season, what's the backup plan? What alternatives do we have? And so that's what we're working with the people who use the beach like SSS Life Savers on what are the plans that we can put in place so that people can have some confidence that they can at least start the season, see how it evolved, be kept up to date. That's our obligation and that's what we're throwing everything we've got at with from the health people through to the the marine scientists.
00:06:37
Speaker 1: Deputy Premier Minister for Climate Environment Water Susan Close. Is my guess them so Premier said today Minister some good news I guess, or a sliver of good news in terms of oysters and muscles.
00:06:49
Speaker 2: Absolutely, so the muscles are fine now, they're back on being able to be sold. So just just a very quick explanation what happens with these five alves as we call them, so that the oysters and the muscles, they filter a huge amount of water and they clean it up. They eat the algae and they love it, and we love that they're eating it. We had more oysters, we'd be able to eat more of them, more of the algae. But if there is a little toxin called a breavy toxin, which is produced by a couple of different species, not the one that's the dominant, but there are a couple of little species in there, they can concentrate that. Because they filter so much water through them, they will eventually pass that out. It will be gone and the flesh will be completely safe. You just have to wait for that process to happen. So mussels they hang in open water and they clear very quickly. People at the other ends, because they are in the sand, they take a long time to clear. And in the middle you have oysters who tend to be really clustered close together, and so the water doesn't wash through quite as fast. What we've seen in the five places that we have had to close for now for oysters is that all of them have seen a decline in the toxin levels. Now they're tested every week once we hit them the safe level. They have to then be tested like that for two weeks in a row, and then they're back on the market. And apparently they are looking fabulous because they love the alba. They're getting really fat, delicious and gorgeous, and I can tell you my premiere is going to be first in lines about buying them.
00:08:16
Speaker 1: Are you do you remember during COVID minister that it was almost like a hands on deck everyone trying to help to come up with a solution for the virus. Are you seeing similar with the algill bloom or is it is everything in the rights of the EPA, for example, or are you listening to from scientists and people that have any kind of experience in this and thoughts on this to try and get a think tank if you like to try and come up with a solution.
00:08:40
Speaker 2: You are absolutely spot on. So we have got all hands on deck approach. We've had international and national scientists hook up with our scientists quite frequently, so they're constantly having discussions. We've got a special working group of scientists working on what we might be able to do to help protect the cuttlefish. And we've got an international scientist who's probably the best in his field in the United States, where they have some quite persistent ALGLA blooms. He is coming over to Australia to help us out to kind of go through everything that they've learned, everything that might be able to be applied to us. And we've got a chief scientist in South Australia. That's something that every state will have a chief scientist. I've asked him to set up a panel which he's done, of the experts so that he can be constantly and that group can constantly review because people do come up with great ideas and one of them might work one day, and that's what we need to know. We don't want to miss that one, and so that we're working on this absolutely constantly.
00:09:41
Speaker 1: Tom on the text message said, is there a map of the bloom that people are able to watch a bit like the weather radar?
00:09:47
Speaker 2: Yeah, there is, so not probably quite as quickly up to date as the weather radar because we have to do a little bit of analysis. So there's a couple of ways we can tell if the blooms there. One is through the satellite and that tells you that there's chlorophyll a. So that's what happens when you're doing photosynthesis, which this little chap's doing, tells you where that is, and then you just have to analyze that you're not picking up seagrass or something that isn't isn't bloom. And then the other way as you go out and you test for water the water samples to make sure yep, that's the corenea. So if people go on the algal bloom dot SA dot gov dot au, there's all sorts of links there. One of them is where the bloom is. And there's a picture. I'm looking at it right now now. This one's from the fifth of August. We're about to put up the one a week later. But the one from fifth of August you can see really clustered in Saint Vincent's Gulf and a bit on both sides of Spencer Golf, So have a look there. Then you can go down have look at the latest testing results and you get to see the presentations that starts making. There's a dashboard if your real science want or there's dashboard for the water sampling week by week, but all of that information just hop on algal bloom dot essay dot gov dot au. What we want to do is turn that into something that is really easy for people to use as we head towards summer, and that's what we're working on. How do we make sure that the science is accurate, but it's really easy for people to make some decisions for themselves. And that's one of the things that we were talking about extensively in the task force this morning.
00:11:16
Speaker 1: Appreciate your time this afternoon. Hardest question to finish with, and I know it's politics, so you've got to dance around this somewhat personally, Minister. I wasn't happy with Murray Watt's apology. It sounded a bit like the Fonds. It was an apology, but it wasn't an apology from happy days. Are you happy with the federal response?
00:11:33
Speaker 2: Do you think flash back to my child?
00:11:35
Speaker 1: Do you remember? Do you remember that he couldn't say sorry and he couldn't say he was wrong. Murray's got a bit of that about him, to be fair, So well, I'm sorry if you didn't think we did it fast enough, as opposed to just apologizing for not being fast enough. Are you happy with the federal response? Are you having those conversations? Do you think you'll still have those conversations about whether federally they check in more money.
00:11:54
Speaker 2: Yeah, look constantly having those conversations. He was down yesterday and I cleared my dari and spent the day with him because what's most important to me for South Australia is that we have the Commonwealth understanding what's going on and helping us. And they did give us the money we asked for. That no fourteen million dollars has been incredibly useful to add to our fourteen million plus all the other resources of course that we as a state government are putting in. But I've been very clear and the Premier has been very clear if this thing does persist, we will be back asking for some more support. So I want to maintain on behalf of South Australia a good relationship with the Commonwealth, and that means being really honest with them, really clear about how the community is feeling and what the bloom is looking like, and then making some suggestions about how they might like to spend pedual money. The truth is that we are suffering this right now that given the reason that it's happened, has got so much to do with how much hotter and drier it's getting We're not going to be the only place in Australia and they can learn a lot from what we're going through and that will be good for everyone in Australia to understand. So I have no shame in asking for more support for us, and if we need it, we'll be asking.
00:13:02
Speaker 1: So by persistent you mean longer that it hangs around or more place is affected.
00:13:07
Speaker 2: Oh well, I guess either it. I was thinking the lengths. If it suddenly vanishes magically, let's say that we're in that world where next week it's gone, then we've still got a lot of work to do to help rebuild our brand because people think of the bloom in South Australia. We also need to start making the environment stronger because the stronger nature is, the more nature will help protect us from this kind of crisis. So there will still be a lot to do. But if it's persisting in terms of hanging around and causing the ongoing harm, that's when we're particularly going to need some more support for sure.
00:13:39
Speaker 1: Gotcha, I think we have Murray's apology. Have a listen what I really want to say.
00:13:44
Speaker 2: I am very us.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: Silly. Anyway, we'll work on that Minneso. We'll try and get him. At some stage he might apologize.
00:13:54
Speaker 2: I was such a big fan of the FONDS when I was a kid. I thank you for playing that, appreciate your time.
00:13:59
Speaker 1: Thanks so much, all the best, keep up the good work. Deputy Premier Minister for Climber, Environment and Water Susan close thoughts A double two three double o double oh. I think statewide we're doing as much as we can do. We need to be tapping on the door more of the FEDS to get more money. I think so we'll see, I mean, let's hope. As the Premier mentioned today, seventeen sites the ones they had look at. Seven have increased, five have decreased, five remain steady.
