Sarah Herrmann, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Small businesses have expressed concerns about long-term financial assistance after eligibility criteria for the $10,000 algal bloom grants were revealed last week.

Pubs are one of the businesses not eligible, but Dalrymple Hotel, Stansbury, publican Rob Rankine said, even if they were, there were other hurdles businesses had to jump to get compensation.

For example, kiosks and cafes must be “beachfront”, and listed on the Australian Tourism Data Warehouse, to qualify.

“It’s not just hotels that I’m advocating for, it’s all businesses,” Mr Rankine said.

“Like, is the Location Cafe (in Edithburgh) a beachside cafe? It’s about 800 metres from the sea.

“What about the Blue Lime Cafe in Stansbury? Where does it leave the supermarket?”

Mr Rankine said he was also concerned about the timeframe of the grants.

Businesses must demonstrate, as a direct result of the bloom, a decline in turnover of at least 30 per cent in any consecutive threemonth period from April 1 to July 31, compared to the corresponding three-month period in the year prior, with applications closing on September 12.

“I feel like the 30 per cent loss of business is a massive loss of business, and I don’t know that there are any businesses that can cope with being 30 per cent down and stay open,” he said.

“My other worry is that the qualification period ends on July 31, so I don’t know whether there will be another round of these grants for the next few months.

“We’re worried about the future, and although the government has put some words around looking at things as they arise, that’s a little bit wishy washy for us.

“I’ve spoken to other publicans — most of them are not too worried about the past three months but they are all worried about the next six months.”

Ardrossan Caravan Park manager Sonya Fowles also said the April 1 to July 31 eligibility period was “not going to really cut it”.

“We’ve had a lot of enquiries and pending cancellations for the summer period,” Ms Fowles said.

“The worst time for us is going to be September to April.

“The money that you make in that period makes up for your low time, so I think the concern we all had is that what’s going to be the long-term financial assistance if any.”

Ms Fowles said the community park had reduced prices earlier this year to increase visitation to Ardrossan, but she was worried that decision might now backfire.

“We’ve had the community in mind but that could also jeopardise where we stand with any sort of grant,” she said.

“We’ve tried to discount and get people into the town and spend money at the shops but we may well have made a rod for our own back.”

While Reef Encounters Fishing Charters and Marion Ocean Safari closes every winter for vessel maintenance and because of weather, owner-operator Nadine Valente said the uncertainty around whether they would be able to reopen in October was scary.

“The grants close in September and only apply to this period so we’re all quite concerned about what might or might not be available going forward,” she said.

“My husband Ryan has gone out and sourced an alternate job — he’s lucky enough to be qualified as an electrician — because the business is at a bit of a standstill.

“Even if it’s lawful or advised by authorities that we’re able to operate charters, we still have that moral obligation to the ocean to consider whether or not operating our charters in the current situation is actually ethical and sustainable.”

A government spokesperson said both the state and federal governments had “made clear they remain open to further supports” beyond the current $28 million support package “should they be required if the bloom persists”.

“The grants available are significantly more generous than Covid grants provided under the previous government,” the spokesperson said.

“The requirement for an ATDW listing indicates an operator is engaged in the tourism industry; a similar requirement was included in grant support programs for the River Murray floods.

“Similarly, the requirement for businesses to demonstrate a decline of revenue over a relevant threemonth period was used in previous events, including the 2019-20 summer bushfires, and the River Murray floods.”

Narungga MP Fraser Ellis has said he would advocate for pubs and other hospitality businesses to be included in the grant eligibility criteria.

For more information, visit algalbloom.sa.gov.au. 

Survey says…

Average financial losses for businesses affected by the algal bloom sit at $52,000, with an average downturn of 40 per cent, according to a survey by the Tourism Industry Council of South Australia.

Losses of more than $100,000 were reported by 14 per cent of the 97 business that responded.

All businesses reported cancellations or anticipated continuing a downturn in business for the next three months.

More than half of respondents were experiencing booking cancellations for the upcoming summer, with 45 per cent of businesses reporting cancellations into 2026, including Easter.

Regions represented in the survey included Yorke Peninsula (40 per cent), Fleurieu Peninsula (21 per cent), Eyre Peninsula (13 per cent), Kangaroo Island and Adelaide. 

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 5 August 2025.
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