An "unprecedented" agal bloom crisis that could cripple Australia's sea life has drawn a rare showing of political unity.
Labor, the coalition and the Greens have backed a Senate inquiry into the crisis that has killed tens of thousands of marine animals since it was identified off the Fleurieu Peninsula in March.
It has since spread along the coastline, prompting a jointly funded, $28 million investment package from the SA and federal governments for clean-up, recovery, research and industry support.
After the Senate inquiry was green-lit on Wednesday night, Nationals senator Ross Cadell said the broad support showed the issue went beyond politics.
"Whether it be flood, drought, bushfire, or algal bloom, our communities need support, not politics," Cadell said.
"This inquiry will give us the chance to truly grasp the real-world impacts of this environmental disaster and assess whether the current disaster relief funding model is fit for purpose."
Earlier, SA MP Louise Miller-Frost told the House of Representatives the bloom was "decimating" Australia's marine environment.
"Fish, dolphins, rays and sharks washing up on the beach dead, murky groundwater and a thick foam on what are usually beautiful beaches," she said.
"We don't know when or how it will end."
The algal bloom was "unprecedented, and we just don't know how long it will last and what further impacts will be but it underscores the urgency of climate action," she said.
Premier Peter Malinauskas on Tuesday announced the SA government would match the $14 million commitment made by federal Environment Minister Murray Watt when he visited the state on Monday.
The package includes $8.5 million for a coastal science and research network that will expand early detection and monitoring of harmful algal bloom species.
A $3 million rapid assessment of fish stocks and fisheries will quantify the impact of the bloom and a new $2 million national testing laboratory in SA will avoid the need to send samples to New Zealand for testing.
Public forums and information campaigns would also deliver timely and accurate communication to industry.
Mr Watt said the bloom could not be declared a natural disaster under the existing definition despite calls from scientists, the Greens and Mr Malinauskas.
A natural disaster declaration would trigger special federal assistance measures to support individuals, businesses and communities in their recovery.
The algal bloom is naturally occurring and is attributed to 2022-23 Murray floodwaters pushing nutrients into the ocean, an upwelling of nutrient-rich water from deep off the continental shelf caused by changing ocean currents, and a 2.5C marine heatwave that started in 2024.
