great southern reef Harmful Algae Bloom delegation
This page provides access to footage, images and key materials from the South Australian delegation of Mayors, industry leaders and marine experts who travelled to Canberra to meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, federal ministers, senators and senior officials.
Please credit video as: Stefan Andrews courtesy Great Southern Reef Foundation.
footage
In this two-minute clip, Mayor Amanda Wilson outlines why she initiated the Canberra delegation and why it was important for the visit to be science-led. She compares harmful algal blooms to natural disasters such as droughts and bushfires, stressing their rapid and devastating impact on southern economies, culture and coastal communities. She highlights the call for $6 million to begin baseline monitoring of the Great Southern Reef, leading to a $40 million, ten-year program—investment she argues is essential given the Reef’s scale and significance compared with the Great Barrier Reef.
In this clip, Professor Charlie Huveneers from Flinders University stresses that while funding for forecasting and detection of harmful algal blooms is welcome, investment in long-term ecosystem monitoring is missing. He highlights that current rapid response surveys provide only one-off snapshots and that less than 3% of potential monitoring sites along the Great Southern Reef are tracked consistently. He calls for a coordinated, permanent national program to measure the true impact of algal blooms and other climate-driven events, track recovery, and test the effectiveness of mitigation measures. Dr Huveneers notes the Reef supports most of Australia’s seafood and contributes $11.5 billion annually to the economy, yet monitoring remains limited compared with the Great Barrier Reef.
In this two-minute clip, Shaun de Bruyn CEO of Tourism Industry Council South Australia reflects on the visit, emphasising the Commonwealth is ready to help and that the ask is clear. He backs immediate federal funding of $6 million for baseline monitoring of the Great Southern Reef, followed by $40 million over ten years, so Australia knows what is normal and what is not. He notes the Reef spans five states, is four times the size of the Great Barrier Reef, underpins significant seafood and tourism value, yet has major baseline gaps. He also highlights bipartisan support shown in Canberra and the need to support small tourism businesses already feeling the impacts.
In this three-minute clip, Dr Georgina Wood from Flinders University reflects on the success of the Canberra delegation, which brought together mayors, tourism and surf lifesaving representatives, and scientists united by concern for the harmful algal bloom. She stresses that ministers from across parliament expressed openness to continued dialogue, particularly on establishing permanent monitoring of the Great Southern Reef. Dr Wood explains that although more than 250 sites have been surveyed in South Australia over two decades, less than 3% have been monitored regularly - making it difficult to assess impacts without a clear baseline. She outlines the delegation’s call for an initial $6 million, two-year program to coordinate national monitoring, leading into a $40 million, decade-long framework for the Reef’s first systematic health check.
In this clip, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley describes the harmful algal bloom in South Australia as both a natural disaster and a national disaster. She recalls visiting affected communities and businesses, saying she felt “sick, upset and incredibly angry” at the devastation and promising to hold the government to account to deliver support.
Mayor Amanda Wilson, City of Holdfast Bay, follows by stressing that the delegation represents more than 800,000 South Australians, including local government, surf lifesaving, tourism and science. She emphasises the need for a new national framework to deal with climate-driven marine emergencies, underpinned by baseline monitoring of the Great Southern Reef. Wilson highlights that the bloom is unprecedented in scale and impact, and that without coordinated monitoring and research, governments cannot respond quickly enough to protect ecosystems, industries and community wellbeing.
press release
Scientists, mayors and industry leaders have called on the Prime Minister and federal ministers to back an urgent $6 million pilot program to deliver the Great Southern Reef’s first health record. The two-year investment would coordinate existing efforts, provide baseline biodiversity data and build the framework for a $40 million, decade-long national monitoring program.
high res images
For imagery and footage relating to the Harmful Algal Bloom click the link below
For footage of healthy kelp forests and marine life of the Great Southern Reef access the GSR Media Hub.