Premier Peter Malinauskas reveals Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not been asked for algal bloom funds

The Prime Minister will make his way to SA this week to inspect the algal bloom, leaving critics asking why now and what took you so long.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not been asked officially to pump more money into the fight against the algal bloom devastating the state’s coastline, despite more businesses being eligible for grants after criteria were eased.

Announcing the extension of industry support packages, Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was not expecting Mr Albanese to deliver more funding during a visit on Wednesday to inspect the algal bloom carnage.

State cabinet on Monday broadened criteria for the small business support grant, along with the larger fisheries and aquaculture assistance grant, extending the eligibility period and reducing thresholds for turnover declines.

Asked by The Advertiser what he was expecting and hoping for from the Prime Minister’s visit, Mr Malinauskas said: “We’ve got everything we need just at the moment.

“I’ve made clear to the Prime Minister the state government is developing a summer plan, and I’ve explained to the highest levels of the federal government that in the event that it is needed to be enacted, that we will require more support from them.

“But as it stands today, the $28m package is doing everything we hoped for and operating as expected. So we haven’t currently got a request on the table to the Commonwealth for any additional funds.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas said he has not asked the PM for further funding support. Picture: Emma Brasier

Deputy Opposition Leader Josh Teague said South Australians would be left “scratching their heads” and wondering “where has this Prime Minister been”, adding if he was “showing up only now for a photo opportunity, then you’re better off not coming at all”.

He accused the government of an 11th-hour “Hail Mary pass”, ahead of parliament resuming on Tuesday, in a desperate catch-up plan on the algal bloom “national disaster”.

Mr Malinauskas on July 22 unveiled a $28m action plan, jointly funded with the federal government, including $10,000 small business grants, then days later, grants of up to $100,000 for commercial fishers.

But he has responded to pressure to extend and expand the grants’ availability. The closing date for both will be extended from September 12 to November 30, with the requirement for turnover decline over a consecutive three-month period broadened to include April 1 to October 31.

The fisheries and aquaculture grant turnover threshold has been reduced from $100,000 to $75,000 and the threshold for turnover declines cut from 50 per cent to 30 per cent.

Southern Fleurieu fisherman Nathan Eatts, who operates Cape Calamari, said the “little tweaks” to the funding packages were “enough to get us over the line to get these grants”.

”Some of us really need them. I personally haven’t caught a calamari now in nearly four months. My business has gone from thriving to pretty much zero,” he said.

“So, this is really going to help us get through to the other side of this bloom, when it ends, and hopefully it all gets back to normal.”

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas reveals Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not been asked for algal bloom funds