More than $100m will be used to combat the effects of the state's algal bloom under a Summer Plan jointly funded by the State and Federal governments.
The $102.5m plan is the culmination of significant consultation with experts, industry and the broader community and has three main objectives:
- ensuring South Australians can enjoy their summer
- backing coastal businesses and communities
- advancing research and protecting our environment.
A total of $20.6m will be invested in the natural environment, with projects including the restoration and construction of large-scale native oyster reefs, shellfish reef restoration using recycled oyster shells, research into seagrass restoration and the targeted breeding, conservation and stocking program of species threatened by the bloom.
A further $17.3m has been earmarked for science, research and monitoring, including increased investment in South Australia’s capacity for real-time oceanographic water quality monitoring and forecasting through a collaboration with the CSIRO - including the acquisition of state-of-the-art monitoring buoys - offshore water analysis, and a trial of AI-powered submersibles to better understand phytoplankton.
The money will also be used to investigate and trial various algal bloom mitigation techniques for controlled waterways, such as rivers, estuaries and lakes, including clay and gyroid absorbent sponge technology, and for the establishment of an Office for Algal Bloom Research.
Grants for coastal businesses
The Summer Plan also includes a new round of industry support grants for businesses which have already received funding and can demonstrate a further three months of downturn, including:
- Grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses.
- Grants of up to $100,000 for fisheries and aquaculture licence holders who have been unable to catch or harvest their usual catch.
- An additional up to $25,000 for hardest hit fisheries and aquaculture licence holders to support their workers.
- An Industry Response and Resilience Program with grants of up to $150,000 for commercial fisheries and aquaculture licence holders to invest in projects that build business resilience.
Licencing fee relief for the fishing and aquaculture sectors will be extended through to June 30, 2026 and there will be funding for programs to help grow the recreational fishing industry.
App to include bloom updates
South Australians can now access daily algal bloom reports on their smartphones as part of a new plan to keep beach users informed across the summer months.
The free Beachsafe app, and companion website Beachsafe.org.au (external site) (external site) (external site) will provide South Australians with easy-to-understand information to help them make informed decisions about how best to enjoy the beach.
Members of the State Government’s beach clean-up crews will conduct visual algal bloom inspections at 23 locations across the metropolitan and southern coast each morning, from North Haven all the way down to Goolwa.
Based on these inspections, the Beachsafe app and website will let the public know three clear pieces of information:
- if the beach is clear of abnormal foam
- if the water is discoloured or not
- what time the beach was last cleaned.
Each report will include a fresh picture of the beach, including a view of the water, to provide South Australians with more information on local algal bloom conditions.
Record deployment of surf life saving patrols
The Beachsafe app will be backed by a record deployment of surf life saving beach patrols – also funded by the State and Federal governments – with eight popular beaches having seven-day ‘Between the Flags’ Surf Life Saving patrols all the way through summer.
The Surf Life Saving patrols will conduct daily inspections and ensure the flags are placed in areas where the water is safe.
While any area of the beach which is free of foam or discoloured water is safe to swim amid the algal bloom, the areas between the famous red and yellow flags will provide an additional layer of confidence for South Australians, knowing the area has been inspected and is being patrolled.
The state’s nearly 3000 volunteer patrolling surf lifesavers are currently on weekend duty, but from December 1 the patrols will increase to seven days a week at Semaphore, Henley, Glenelg, Brighton, Port Noarlunga, Moana, Aldinga and Goolwa.
The daily patrols will continue all the way through to the conclusion of Daylight Saving on April 6, 2026.
Surf Life Saving SA CO Damien Marangon said the investment in the Beachsafe app would help people make an informed decision before they even get to the coast.
"By making this information more accessible and easy to understand, we’re helping families plan their day wi
th confidence and keeping more South Australians safe this summer," Mr Marangon said.
The Coast Is Calling round two
The Coast Is Calling travel voucher program is being expanded.
South Australians will be able to apply for one of 30,000 new travel vouchers for their summer holidays, with vouchers of up to $500 for accommodation and $100 for experiences available for coastal destinations.
This round will be expanded to include holiday rentals, such as Airbnbs, which are registered on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse and have an ABN, the Kangaroo Island ferry and additional experiences including guided sporting experiences.
And this round will be extended, covering a longer period of travel between December 5 and April 26.
There will be a public ballot from December 1-3, with the ballot draw on December 4. Voucher recipients will need to book by January 19, and any unclaimed vouchers will be put into a redraw on January 22 to ensure as many vouchers as possible are used.
The first round of Coast is Calling travel vouchers has already injected more than $2.7 million in total booking value alone to coastal regions, with further economic benefits flowing into local businesses such as pubs, cafes and retail shops.
$50 dining cashback
And 300,000 South Australians will receive up to $50 cashback off their meal in a new program designed to support coastal hospitality businesses impacted by the algal bloom this summer.
The $15 million Coast is Calling - Dining Cashback will cover the same coastal areas across South Australia as the travel voucher program.
A public ballot will open on 3 November, to be drawn on 10 November, with 60,000 South Australians winning a dining cashback to be used up to 7 December.
A further four draws of 60,000 cashback opportunities will be held for dining periods spanning December, January, February and March – with a ballot draw at the start of each month for use in that month.
South Australians can sign up for the draw throughout the program, with unsuccessful ballot winners to be automatically entered into subsequent draws unless they opt out.
Ballot winners will receive a unique code. To claim the cashback, diners will be required to upload a copy of their tax invoice from a participating business to a website along with the code to receive 50 per cent of the cost of their meal paid back, up to a maximum of $50.
Participating businesses must be hospitality businesses in eligible coastal postcodes serving food, including restaurants, cafes, pubs, clubs, as well as takeaway venues such as fish and chip shops.
More details on the Coast is Calling campaign can be found online (external site) (external site) (external site).
For updates on the algal bloom, click here (external site) (external site) (external site).
