Press conference, Henley Beach

PETER MALINAUSKAS, PREMIER OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Good morning everybody. Thanks very much for joining us here at the magnificent Henley Beach for another announcement regarding the State and Federal Government's Summer Plan to respond to the harmful algal bloom. I'm very pleased to be here this morning with the Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt. I want to take this chance from the outset just to thank Murray and his team for working so collaboratively with the State Government over recent weeks, in fact a lot longer than that, in our development of the Summer Plan. Everything that we're announcing with the Summer Plan that has a cost associated with it is being funded 50-50 between the State and the Federal Government. And you will certainly see over the coming days that it's not an insignificant investment that we're collectively making between us to respond to the harmful algal bloom over the summer months.

I'm very pleased to be here with Zoe Bettison, the Minister for Tourism, Lucy Hood, the Minister for the Environment. It's great to be here with Aria Bolkus, who's the local Labor candidate for the next state election. I want to thank Shaun de Bruyn from the tourism industry here in the state. Shaun and TIC’s are, of course, been powerful advocates for a range of ideas and responses, and that's informed this morning's announcement and also the one that we're about to make.

But can I also thank Jodi, the owner and operator of Bacchus. Thanks for having us here Jodi. It's a beautiful spot that you've got here on Henley Beach. It's a great place to hang out and have a few drinks or oysters or any of our state's amazing produce any day of the week but particularly on the weekend. I've enjoyed the opportunity to be here a few times myself, not as much recently, which we should try and do something about. You can blame my four children and the job for that.

[laughter]

But we're here today to announce a very important and very substantial initiative when it comes to our Summer Plan. Today, we're announcing a dining cashback unlike any other one that we've seen in the state before. Obviously, this morning we announced a dramatic extension of the Coast is Calling accommodation and travel voucher campaign, taking that from 20,000 vouchers up to 30,000 vouchers and then expanding the eligibility of businesses who are able to get access to that.

But today, we're announcing yet another program on top of that, that goes a whole other step further to make sure that South Australians are encouraged to get out and support businesses in coastal communities. We haven't seen a dining cashback program or voucher system like this ever before in South Australia so it's unique, it's new and it's a big investment, so allow me to step you through it. This is a $15 million program so that 60,000 cashback vouchers are issued each and every month, starting in November through to the end of daylight savings. Those 60,000 vouchers are for up to $50 each. That is to say, a $50 cashback if you spend $100 at a registered establishment providing food or drink in coastal communities affected by the harmful algal bloom. So, if you’re a family and you're going out for a meal in a coastal community and you spend 100 bucks, you're going to get 50 bucks back, provided you register and you win one of the 60,000 spots available each and every month.

Each and every month, we will have 60,000 cashback vouchers for up to $50 for South Australians to be able to enjoy, at an establishment - a bar or a restaurant or a takeaway food joint - in coastal communities. So, it doesn't matter if you're getting fish and chips or if you're going to the pub for a counter meal and a drink, whether you're with your friends or your family, you are able to get access to this program. Every single business, and the registration process is very simple indeed, every single business in a coastal community in the affected areas will be able to register. It doesn't matter if you're selling fish and chips or ice cream or selling a restaurant meal or a counter at a pub, you will be able to register for the program and 60,000 people each and every month will get access to 50 bucks back if they spend $100.

This is a very deliberately crafted program. The team at the SATC have been working really hard to calibrate this in a way that actually drives the behaviour that we want. There are a range of different models that were explored, but we landed on this one for a range of reasons which we're happy to step you through, but principally because this is about driving people to go and enjoy our coastal communities for themselves. We want to do that starting in November, right through to the end of daylight savings at the end of April - when does daylight savings finish? End of March. So, we go right through to the beginning or the end of daylight savings, which of course happens at the end of March. 60,000 vouchers a month, it's a big investment. This is a $15 million that we're basically giving back to South Australians when they choose to spend in restaurants and takeaway outlets along coastal communities. Now, when you do the numbers, that means that there is $30 million set to be expended in coastal communities, where $15 million will be given as a cashback to patrons who take up the opportunity to visit a coastal community.

So this is a worthwhile investment. We anticipate that it will stimulate a huge amount of demand in coastal communities. The one thing I'm excited to see come from it, more than keeping places like this busy, is the power of word of mouth. I think it is true to say that sometimes the perception of the algal bloom is doing as much harm as the algal bloom itself. So, when people are motivated to get out to our coastal communities and experience a beautiful walk along the Esplanade firsthand, it might not be as bad as what is being perpetuated, particularly on social media.

Our Summer Plan is comprehensive. There are multiple elements to the Summer Plan. Yesterday, we focused on just that practical information, getting out to communities, encouraging people to know how to use the beach. Today, we're focusing very much on economic drivers to sure that businesses like this one are insulated from impacts of the harmful algal bloom. And there are also environmental investments that the Government is making that we look forward to announcing in the not too distant future. But today, we're very much focusing on driving economic behaviour and protecting businesses along our beautiful coastline, but also supporting families in a cost of living and challenged environment to be able to enjoy our beaches and our coastline.

So to that end, I really do want to thank the Federal Government. I make this point, we've already seen a $28 million investment from the Federal Government, plus there was a top-up from that when the Prime Minister was here more recently, and we're now in the process of rolling out a Summer Plan that has a lot more new money being invested into it. This is a $15 million contribution. It's $15 million because it's being shared by the State and the Federal Government, otherwise, it would be half that amount. So, I want to thank the Federal Government and the Prime Minister, who I was in touch with personally on this, as I know Murray was too to make sure that we can get the investment where it's needed most.
On that note, I hand over to Murray and then we'll hear from a few others - Zoe then Shaun, maybe Jodi as well, and happy to answer any questions that you may have.

MURRAY WATT, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER: Well, thanks very much Premier. I am delighted to be back in Adelaide with the Premier and his team, and also who we've met several times, Shaun, about the tourism needs of South Australians’ communities. And again, particularly thank you to Jodi for having us here today. My first time at Bacchus, but I'm sure it won't be the last. I've heard Premier's a big fan of this place, so he wouldn't get that wrong. Throughout the algal bloom, the Albanese Government has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Malinauskas Government. Obviously, now we're in the process of rolling out the third stage of funding to support South Australia and South Australians as we deal with this ongoing event. One other thing that is really clear is that we all know that tourism businesses and hospitality businesses rely very much on the summer season as the bulk of their revenue. It's the peak season, it's what gets them through the quiet times. So it's really important that both Federal and State Governments are working hard to make sure that these businesses get the support that they need through their peak times. We don't want to see the algal bloom get in the way of that. We need to make sure that this support goes on, and today's announcements, following yesterday's, are another big investment by the Federal and State Governments to support South Australia through the algal bloom until it finally goes away.

Really, in the end, what this is about is that we want these businesses in tourism, hospitality to prosper not just this summer but for many years to come, and an investment from the Federal and State Governments in making that happen is a sure-fire way to make sure that these businesses are full over summer, that South Australians can enjoy their summer, come down here and have a drink, maybe try some of Jodi's oysters. She's got a special deal for you, I'm told. You'll have a great time, and knowing in particular that governments will be funding $50 towards that package. It's also good to see an extension of the tourism vouchers, which I know have been very successful, and we'll also be funding an extension of the highly successful tourism marketing campaign as well. So South Australians can rest assured that as long as this event goes, and of course we all hope it will be over sooner rather than later, but as long as this event goes on, the Federal Government will be working very closely with the Malinauskas Government to support South Australians through it.
I'll now hand over to Zoe Bettison, the Tourism Minister.

ZOE BETTISON, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR TOURISM: Thank you very much, Murray. Well, summer is critical for both tourism and hospitality industries, and we know that the travel vouchers have been very popular, which is why we're doing round two. But to support that and with our Coast is Calling, we now introduce dining cashback. This is a way that all South Australians could hear that call to action, to support those communities along the coast and get that money back by doing so. We see people like Jodi, who've been in this industry for many, many years, and it's had ups and downs, but what we want to do is give certainty and confidence. Come down to the coast, enjoy summer like we always do, but here's an extra incentive to do that as well. The coastal postcodes are the same. We know that whether both metro and along the regional areas, we want to attract people. We want to say to South Australians, if you get a tourism voucher with accommodation, make sure you book that holiday. Even if you don't get a voucher, we know we love summer on the beach and on the coast. We like to celebrate the simple pleasures of connecting with family. But this dining cashback is new. It's something that we've seen in other states used really effectively. So South Australians, this is for you and this is for our community. We want to get back out there, enjoy what we love about summer and just help you on your way.

Can I pass on to Shaun to say a few words?

SHAUN DE BRUYN, CEO TOURISM INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA:  Thanks very much, Minister. Shaun de Bruyn, Tourism Industry Council Chief Executive Officer. Firstly, I'd just like to thank Minister Watt, also Premier Malinauskas, and Minister Bettison for their strong support of the tourism industry. We're very grateful for this announcement today. We're even more grateful that the government has been standing with industry through this really challenging period.

The other point that I would like to make is that the psychology of what's going on here is that for tourism businesses, this is an incredibly tough period if you're in a coastal environment. Up until recently, prior to the vouchers being announced, the first round of vouchers being announced, many businesses were having to manage customer expectations, quite often deal with cancellations. Once the first round of vouchers came out, that dynamic shifted significantly for them. All of a sudden, they started having positive interactions with their customers. They started taking new bookings, not just voucher bookings. And this will further play into that psyche, that the challenge that tourism business owners face is how to deal with the mental challenge, not just the financial challenge. We’re very grateful for a very significant package that is being announced today, not just for overnight visitors but day-trip visitors, and we really know that this will financially rescue tourism businesses, and it will play into the mental health and the psychology of the challenge that these business owners are facing. Thank you.

JODI DIMOND, BUSINESS OWNER: Well, I'd just like to say thank you to both of you because it is sometimes a little bit of a struggle here, but we try to focus on the positives and try and attract business here. So I'm very confident. People are always asking for discounts or a freebie, so I really think the voucher is going to bring a lot of business to us. So I think it's a great idea. Yeah, and please come to Bacchus anytime. We do hens, birthdays, everything. We have some DJs at night. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: Jodi, do you think that this will attract people from out of the area? Because surely you have a lot of regulars, though, wouldn’t you?

JODI DIMOND: Yes. So we do have a lot of regulars. It's easy for them. They can walk. It’s so close. I definitely think it'll bring people from the other side of town, because a lot of them will often come to us and say, oh, we're all the way from wherever it is, King William Road or Tea Tree Gully, whatever. We've made an effort to come down here. With the weather dependent as well, you probably don't get them as much, but definitely, I think with this, people will, yeah.

JOURNALIST: Are you finding people here are steering away from seafood, or not necessarily?

JODI DIMOND: No. I did ask the chef when I knew that we were going to be here, and he said everything's been the same. Nothing has been really affected for us at the moment, so it's been pretty good, yeah.

JOURNALIST: What's it been like, Jodi, on those algae-heavy days when the foam has been washing up at Henley? What's it been like on those days?

JODI DIMOND: Well, we actually have a dog. So our dog sitter will give us some information about that, and when he sees the foam, he'll go to the back park -

JOURNALIST: Have you felt like less people are coming in? Are they steering clear when we are seeing quite weather-heavy days when the foam is washing up?

JODI DIMOND: I don't think so really. I think maybe they're not at the beach as much. Definitely, there's not as many people at the beach. But we still get a good crowd here, yeah. I mean, there's probably a little bit less than last year, but we still do get a good crowd.

JOURNALIST: So do you think the vouchers for your average customer, that will make a difference? Will you see a difference? Because every time I'm down here, it looks it's pretty packed.

JODI DIMOND: Yeah. Oh, but don't worry, those people, they ask for discounts. Everyone - so what we've done is our chef was clever and he said, let's just do $2 oysters, so we started a little while ago. And with that people are still eating the oysters. We do two orders actually, so it hasn't really, but I am hearing from people, people are asking and they are a little concerned about what's happening with the oysters, but it hasn't really affected us too much yet.

JOURNALIST: Sometimes on those algae-heavy days, the smell is quite overpowering, does that upset diners here?

JODI DIMOND: No, I don’t think so. I think they're just interested in having food and wine and taking a break and looking at the view. Some people do comment on it, that they might, a few, something with their throat, or some people can smell it, like some of our staff if they're a little bit younger they can smell it a little bit, but they still come to work, they're still happy. Yeah, seems to be okay at the moment. Nothing really dramatic that I'm hearing, yeah.

JOURNALIST: There is a cap of $50 on this cashback. How far do you think that's going to go based on the average spend of your diners?

JODI DIMOND: Yeah, I would say the average diner will spend around $50, but you'll always have two people. So I would say that, well, no, probably now our customers are probably more about $80. If they have a platter, then they'll buy a bottle of wine. So I think $50 is a really fair assessment. We actually have a competition in our toilets that if you take a photo, you get a $50 voucher. And so many people are taking photos, so the money does talk, yeah.

JOURNALIST: So do you think you'll continue the little incentives for your own customers with this program?

JODI DIMOND: You mean the $2 oysters or the bathroom thing?

JOURNALIST: The bathroom thing.

JODI DIMOND: Yeah. It basically -

JOURNALIST: Are customers going to be able to play and maybe double dip on those discounts?

JODI DIMOND: Yeah, they can do that. Yeah. I mean, basically, $50 is two cocktails. So, yeah. Very popular with the girls. And it's helping to bring business, so we're trying to get business as well. So definitely this will help with that because they're taking pictures in there and now they've got this. People want things that if they can get it for free because we're talking about cost of living. Yeah, from what I'm hearing from some of the locals, yeah. But they're still trying to support us as well. So this will really help.

JOURNALIST: So would you say you've actually felt quite supported over the last couple of months, regardless of the bloom?

JODI DIMOND: From the locals? I think I have. In fact, yesterday one of the locals came and I said, let's have a wine. And she said, let me get the next round. I said - she goes, I want to support your business. So a lot of people are talking about trying to support. But I do know that this isn't for everyone. They've got other things to pay for, so bills and the cost of living, so I do think this will be that. Just that little bit to have some fun and get out, entertainment budget.

[laughter]

JOURNALIST: Thanks Jodi. Premier, can I just - this is no reflection of Jodi, and I don’t want it to be seen as such, but does this open the door, perhaps, for restaurateurs to jack up their prices or price creep? Because they'll say, well, there are $50 vouchers around and in the end it won't be a savings?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: I don't think that's likely to occur simply because there are so many options available along coastal communities. If it was a relatively confined marketplace, that would always be a risk. But because what we're doing here is we’re effectively stimulating a lot of demand, and if you were doing that into a discreet area, that would have an inflationary risk. But because this is such a large market and we're talking about coastal communities which have countless hospitality options, I don't see that being a challenge.

JOURNALIST: Premier, we've spoken to tourism operators who told us that the previous vouchers hasn't really worked for them, so why not have - instead of having something like a voucher scheme, have direct financial aid for people who can show they're being impacted by the bloom?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Okay, a couple of things. In terms of business support, the type of business support that the State Government is investing in here for this industry exceeds what we saw during the course of COVID. There was no dining cash back program from the State Government during COVID. The voucher program is basically the same that was applied during COVID, except what we're doing is actually, in fact, is expanding the criteria that's available. Including this second round, we've now gone from 20,000 to 30,000 vouchers, and we're expanding the businesses that are eligible to be able to get access to the program as well, like KI Ferries, for instance, but also AirBnBs, because we're determined to achieve the stated objective.

The feedback that we've had from the industry has been positive. If you hunt around, you’ll always find someone who might not have had the experience that they're looking for, but the feedback from the industry, as you heard from Shaun, has been overwhelmingly positive. The dining cashback program, this is new. It's really important. We think it's the right thing to do. I don't think anyone can question the amount of money or the effort that we're putting into stimulating people going to coastal communities. If there's a challenge here, from our perspective, it's about where you draw the lines of eligibility. And we did have a genuine discussion about that within government. The truth is places like the Southern Fleurieu for instance, in Victor Harbor, Middleton, Goolwa, Port Elliot, Waitpinga, there's no algae. KI there's no algae. In the west coast of Yorke Peninsula, there's virtually no algae. The southern part of Yorke Peninsula, there's no algae. The west coast of the state, there's no algae. Most of the Eyre Peninsula has no algae. But for lots of these places we're still going to keep them in the eligibility criteria because they've suffered the effects of the algae, and then in turn the perception of it. And this comes back to the point that the perception is doing as much damage as the harmful algal bloom itself. And what we hope happens is that through stimulating programs like this, people will see the experience with their own eyes. You can come to Bacchus at Henley Beach and have an absolutely marvellous time.

JOURNALIST: But if you're, say, running a fishing charter or an eco-tour in an affected area, even with the voucher program, people might still not want to participate in those tours because the fish aren't there or the things that you would normally see aren't there.

PETER MALINAUSKAS: And there lies in the necessity for other industry support. So that's where we've got these two tranches of support there. There's the small business downturn grants. So if you've got a downturn in your business of 30 percent, you're eligible for that grant. And that's just cash going straight to your business. Similarly for people in, particularly in the fishing industry - the fishing sector, commercial fishing sector, they're eligible for even larger grants, again, up to $100,000. And naturally, an extension of those programs is something that we've considered throughout the Summer Plan as well.

JOURNALIST: Premier, we haven't seen this idea before, as you've said. Why the change? Why did we suddenly include the vouchers for hospitality industry?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Because we're really determined to leave no stone unturned here. Like, we've been working on this for weeks. All ideas we put on the table, we engaged with industry as well, and we just want to leave nothing to chance. We're throwing everything at this. We are genuinely- there is not an idea that we haven't contemplated. If there is, I'm keen to hear it. We've got a very significant pool of resources that underpins the Summer Plan and you'll get a sense of that, like I said, in the next couple of days. This is a lot of money that we're investing because we really want to have the impact over the course of the summer to, like I said, insulate businesses and communities and the environment from the worst impacts of the harmful algal bloom.

JOURNALIST: Premier, do you still describe this as a national disaster?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Yes- I mean, not a national disaster, a natural disaster. It's not national because it's pretty localised - natural, natural.

JOURNALIST: There's been some confusion - we've had a natural disaster described and- but to go to be elevated onto a national platform-

PETER MALINAUSKAS: -yeah, you're talking about the natural disaster declaration. That is something that we've advocated for. But I would say this, and our position has been consistent and so has the Federal Government's, but I would say this, and I explained this, I think it was maybe in Parliament or another community forum, that under, and Murray will be able to speak to this with greater clarity than I, but under the natural disaster declaration regime, even this was eligible and was declared, at best it would be Category D, at best. And then that wouldn't enliven the type of support that we've received to date or the type of support that we're going to roll out through the summer plan. The natural disaster declaration category D or C, or even potentially B or A, that wouldn't enable the Federal Government to invest in a dining cashback program or a travel voucher program or the type of business downturn support programs that we've announced thus far. So the support that we're getting from the Federal Government here is almost unprecedented in its flexibility.
Because people aren't losing lives, because no-one's house is being lost through this, through a fire or a flood, because there are no roads being torn up, you know, it hasn't enlivened that type of investment. What we're seeing here is investment directly into businesses in a way that wouldn't otherwise occur in a natural disaster and that flexibility for the Commonwealth is worthy of recognition, and in my case I'm very grateful for it.

JOURNALIST: Premier, on the radio this morning you discouraged the host from describing this as a toxic algal bloom. Why not?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Because the science says that it's not. I mean, I've got no interest, and no one from the State Government or any government official has any interest in underplaying this or exaggerating it. Our remarks are just consistent with what we're being told by public health officials and our marine scientists.

JOURNALIST: Aren't there brevetoxins present though?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Yeah, understanding where the brevetoxin comes from and the term ‘toxic’. I mean, these are different things and we're in the nuance and the weeds here, but that is the distinguishing factor. And the public health advice that we've received is that a characterisation of the harmful algal bloom as the ‘toxic algal bloom’ isn't strictly accurate, according to them. I'm not the scientist, I'm taking the advice that we're given and it's a point worth noting. Because like I said, the perception of the harmful algal bloom I think in some people's minds, not all people's minds, is exaggerated. Now, I don't say that- I'm being very clear here, and I said this on radio, no-one's seeking to downplay it, but there are people who legitimately think that if you walk along the Esplanade here at Henley Beach today, you're at the risk of severe respiratory complications. And that's just not true. Unless you are in a high-risk category of asthmatic, even on a day like today, you're in a pretty safe place.

When I was down at the beach- I've been to countless beaches over the course of recent weeks and months, all across the state, effectively algae hunting. Going around looking for it, and speaking to people about their lived experience. I was down at the beach yesterday, kids on the beach, nippers in the water on the weekend, where people are playing beach volleyball at Glenelg, despite the fact that there was presence of the foam, and on all accounts there wasn't any reported incidents. And I just think we've got to be a little bit careful about how we approach this because we want people follow the public health advice, we want people to be aware of any risks where they exist, but let's not scare 1.7 million South Australians from visiting the beach this summer when there's no need to do that.

JOURNALIST: But isn't it- I mean, it's been a massive mortality event for sea life

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Yes, indeed.

JOURNALIST: Is this potentially- essentially playing semantics that could give the impression that you're downplaying the severity of the problem?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Well, only if you choose to take my remarks- if you splice my remarks and don't listen to the context where I specifically say, and happy to reiterate, that no-one's seeking to downplay it, right? This is a genuine environmental tragedy. We have had tonnes of dead marine sea life wash up on our beaches, and personally, I think it's heartbreaking. But what's happening to marine life is very different to what's happening to human beings, because we don't have gills. So it's just about making sure we get the balance right.

JOURNALIST: Premier, DPC spoke last week about the bloom likely being around in the medium term, meaning two to three years. Has that initiated conversations-

PETER MALINAUSKAS: -no, no, no…

JOURNALIST: … or planning for that?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: No, no. What was said and what we've said is that we do not know this is going to perform. And there is a real possibility we could wake up one day and we could see the bloom collapse biologically. But it's also true that it could be with us for some time and it's just impossible to know.

JOURNALIST: What was said was that was the most likely outcome they were judging off at the moment. So is that initiated conversations with the Federal Government that this support might need to last that long?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Well, we've certainly been speaking to the Federal Government about the prospect of the bloom lasting longer rather than it sort of disappearing overnight. That's a genuine possibility. We have to plan for that. And I'm very grateful that- you know, the conversations I've been having with Minister Watt but also with the Prime Minister is that for as long as there is support needed, they'll be working with us collaboratively, and we can't ask for anything more than that.

JOURNALIST: Premier, why not announce your whole Summer Plan at once? Why are you sort of feeding it out now?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: As I sort of- and obviously you heard our radio interview this morning, look, this is almost like a Budget. I mean, there's so many different elements to it. There's the community engagement element, which we touched on yesterday. There's the economic element, which we touched on today. There's the environmental element that will need to be addressed as well. So because there is so much to it, we're rolling it out in the same way we would for a State Budget, for instance. But you won't have to wait long, don't worry, it'll be out in full detail in the next 24-48 hours.

JOURNALIST: What about the economic element? Obviously, Jodi said she’s faring pretty well. What are the examples of hardship that you’ve [indistinct]?

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Yeah. Look, I mean, naturally, different businesses will have different experiences. What we're really seeking to do here more than anything else is prepare for the worst while we hope for the best. So with the dining voucher program, I probably didn't explain this in much detail, what we require is- there will be a window for businesses to register throughout October and November and then South Australians will be able to register from the beginning of November. There'll be a ballot in mid-November to accommodate for that month, but then on 1 December, any South Australian adult with a bank account will be able to register because you get your cash back into your bank account. You register once, and then you’re eligible for each ballot draw, whether it be November, December, January, February or March. You can register anytime, but we encourage people to register sooner rather than later because you get more chances to win that way. But there'll be a ballot for 60,000 vouchers on 1 December and another 60,000 on 1 January and February and then March. One of the reasons why we're structuring that way is because if hypothetically the bloom disappears, it provides a degree of flexibility to government, but we're not working under that assumption. We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best, and what we're concerned about is that if people are scared off unnecessarily from going to the coastal communities during the summer, that businesses like this one and others are adversely affected. So what we're seeing to do is get ahead of that and stimulate that demand to, like I said, insulate people from the potential worst-case scenario.

JOURNALIST: I just have a couple of questions for Minister Watt.

PETER MALINAUSKAS: Of course.

JOURNALIST: It’s actually on another topic unless someone’s got algal bloom? Minister, how will planned go and no-go zones interact with landowner rights under reformed EPBC laws?

MURRAY WATT: So what you're referring to is one of the key aspects of the reforms to our national environmental laws that we will be introducing to the Parliament before Christmas. And that reform is to improve what's known as regional planning. What that would allow for is for us to have discussions with state governments, local governments to define particular regions within a state where we want to better outline the areas within that region that development can occur and development cannot occur. So it's really about trying to provide that sort of upfront information to proponents of developments, to local communities, to governments about within a region where development can occur and where it can't occur. Of course, an important part of preparing those plans will be community consultation and we recognise as a government that it's important to have public support, whether it be for the rollout of renewables, for housing, for critical minerals, all sorts of other industries as well. So clearly, processes around community consultation will need to be part of those regional plans.

JOURNALIST: So how does that differ from the current scenario?

MURRAY WATT: The problem we've got with the current scenario, so regional planning is permitted under the federal environmental laws at the moment. But as is the case across those laws, the processes that apply are incredibly cumbersome, incredibly time consuming, involve a lot of duplication between state and federal processes that is frankly getting in the way of us delivering the homes that we need and delivering the renewable energy that we need as a country. So it's really about trying to refine those processes, streamline them, make them more workable, while also of course making sure that we protect important environmental matters as well.

JOURNALIST: Would a referral to a Senate inquiry mean that they likely won't be passed until, say, the middle of next year?

MURRAY WATT: That'll be a matter for the Senate to determine the timelines. What we've said is that we will be introducing these reforms before Christmas and that is in recognition that they are urgent. Every day we delay in passing reforms to our national environmental laws is a day that the environment suffers and it is a day that we don’t get the housing, renewable and other important developments that we need as a country. So we’re keen to pass these reforms as quickly as we can, and we certainly hope that we do not see a repeat of last term, where we saw the Coalition and the Greens team up to block these reforms and delay them even further.

OK? Thanks all!