A new round of funding has been announced to help South Australian councils tackle the ongoing impacts of a harmful algal bloom outbreak, which is devastating coastal environments, industries and communities.
Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas, announced the new round of funding on 20 August.
The immediate measures include:
- $4 million in direct funding to local government for grants to assist local communities who are dealing with challenges related to the algal bloom
- $2.25 million in targeted scientific research support
- $2 million to enhance the monitoring and data collection of marine heatwaves, through the CSIRO’s water quality system, AquaWatch
- $250,000 for algal bloom related research informed by the South Australian Algal Science Panel through the National Environmental Science Program
The Local Government Association of South Australia (LGASA) has said that it is seeking further details on how councils can access the $4 million in funding.
A new stream of funding was also announced for significant ecological events with a program for longer-term support for slow on-set events, such as algal bloom.
A partnership with Agilex Biolabs will also develop methodology to allow the testing for brevetoxins in oysters and other shellfish in South Australia.
This announcement is in addition to the $28 million algal bloom support package jointly funded by the State and Federal Governments, which includes the previously announced $1 million for councils for beach clean-up funding.
For a full list of grants and support available, visit Algal bloom – Government of South Australia.
