Professor Steer, a keen surfer, said the bloom has not kept him away from the waves.<\/p>\n
“It’s not going to ruin summer,” he told ABC News Stateline.<\/p>\n
“But it’s going to, I guess, play a background role into how we will understand it and adapt to it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The algal bloom has caused discoloured foam to wash up on metropolitan beaches. (ABC News: Marco Catalano)<\/p>\n
“In our situation, it’s unprecedented, it’s new, it’s unfamiliar; we’ve got a situation now where it’s sort of lingering a lot longer than we expected.<\/p>\n
“But in terms of it impacting summer, I think it’s more about the general community having an understanding of what role it’ll play in our activities.”<\/p>\n
Into the spotlight<\/p>\n
Professor Steer flanked by Premier Peter Malinauskas at a weekly algal bloom press conference. (ABC News: Trent Murphy)<\/p>\n
After two decades as a low-profile public servant, Professor Steer has been thrust into the spotlight this year as the public face of the state government’s algal bloom response \u2014 much like Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier was at the start of the COVID pandemic.<\/p>\n
He only started as SARDI executive director 11 months ago; now, he regularly fronts media interviews, community forums and assists powerful government ministers to provide the latest advice about the ecological disaster.<\/p>\n
The public communications have not been easy, he acknowledged.<\/p>\n
“I think the messaging has been really difficult because it’s a complicated situation,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve not encountered this before so I can understand that there’d be a level of concern, and most definitely we’re trying to engage in all the various media and messaging channels where we can.”<\/p>\n
On the frequently asked question about going to the beach, Professor Steer said the algae and the biotoxins it produces are “not significant health concerns”.<\/p>\n
“The advice is if the water is clear and calm, then there’s no problem at all.<\/p>\n
“However, if it’s discoloured or foamy, then there’s just a heightened level of awareness to say, ‘alright, well if I’m susceptible to itchy eyes or coughing or whatever, then perhaps I should move somewhere else.'”<\/p>\n
‘It can be challenging’<\/p>\n
Professor Steer also said his agency has in recent years felt the effect of limited growth in research and development funding in Australia.<\/p>\n
He said the organisation’s funding \u2014 which is primarily research project based \u2014 had been scaled back prior to the outbreak of the bloom.<\/p>\n
But he added that the issue was not specific to SARDI and affected the applied research sector nationally.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Professor Steer was a relatively low profile public servant before this year. (Landline: Tony Hill 2018)<\/p>\n
“We get a level of funding but we’re creative where we can partner with universities, with industry to leverage more funding and that’s a model that’s been happening for SARDI for decades,” he said.<\/p>\n
“In any environment that relies on funding for science, it can be challenging \u2014 however we consistently step up to that challenge.”<\/p>\n
Asked further whether there had been a scaling back in recent years, he said “there has been”.<\/p>\n
The southern coast is in uncharted waters<\/a><\/p>\n The disastrous algal bloom that has been lapping at South Australia’s shores has turned a coastline into a frontline, leaving many swimmers, surfers and seaside business operators wondering what the upcoming summer will look like.<\/p>\n “And that’s not just a SARDI-specific issue, that’s a national issue,” he said, adding that it was also affecting universities and research bodies.<\/p>\n In a later statement, Professor Steer reiterated that he was referencing “the overall trend of limited growth in Australia’s research and development funding”, noting an ongoing national review into the sector.<\/p>\n He made clear he was not referencing any state government cut.<\/p>\n “There have been no state funding reductions reported that have affected SARDI’s ability to conduct work supporting sustainable and economic development of its primary industries, including the current (harmful algal bloom) response,” he said.<\/p>\n A question of funding The state government will release its algal bloom “summer plan” in October. (ABC News: Isabel Dayman)<\/p>\n Over the past decade, SARDI has received nearly 90 per cent of its funding from sources external to the state government \u2014 including industry, universities and the Commonwealth.<\/p>\n The remainder is covered by the SA government.<\/p>\n Budget papers handed down in June<\/a> showed the government this year allocated $12.3 million in “net cost of sub-program” funding for the agency.<\/p>\n Prior budget papers show SARDI’s “net cost of sub-program” funding contributions have reduced since the early 2010s, when successive budgets allocated more than $30 million.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n