South Australian Premier Terms Algae Crisis a ‘Natural Disaster,’ Challenges Federal Labor’s Position.

The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has insisted that the state’s devastating algal bloom, which has led to the deaths of numerous marine species, should be classified as a natural disaster. This stance contrasts with the stance of the Albanese government, which had previously refrained from making such a declaration. Malinauskas spoke to the ABC’s News Breakfast program, cautioning that politicians should not get bogged down in semantics. The federal environment minister, Murray Watt, had announced a $14m assistance package but stopped short of declaring the event a natural disaster, citing it did not fit the relevant federal definitions. Malinauskas argued for the use of the term “natural disaster” to describe the crisis, emphasizing its unprecedented nature and the widespread impact it has had on marine life, with over 400 different species affected. The Greens’ environment spokesperson and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young welcomed the funding but stressed it was insufficient to address the full extent of the disaster’s effects on affected communities.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/22/south-australia-algal-bloom-declared-natural-disaster-peter-malinauskas