No need to check on GM trials says Government
7 May 2009
The Government has admitted to having no process to ensure that GM-canola farmers have notified neighbours that they will be planting GM-canola, even though this is a contractual requirement for the trials, said Greens MLC for the South West Region, Paul Llewellyn.
“In response to a Parliamentary Question about the monitoring and compliance of GM trials, the Minister for Agriculture revealed how casual and out-of-control these trials are (Question Without Notice – 401, Legislative Council, attached, below)
“Non-GM farmers need to know whether their neighbours might be contaminating them, and the government is shirking responsibility for making sure that these farmers are notified.
“Minister Redman is suggesting that a casual over-the-fence conversation is sufficient to comply with the contractual obligation to notify neighbours, and that he won’t be checking whether or not this notification has happened at all.
“The government is not taking the risk of contamination seriously. This flagrantly disrespects the legal and financial responsibilities of participating GM farmers and the rights of their non-GM neighbours.
“Given this lax attitude to compliance over a very important public interest matter of releasing GM organisms into the environment, I have absolutely no confidence in the compliance, monitoring and scientific rigor of these operations,” Mr Llewellyn said.
“We will be looking very closely at the legal implications of this lax compliance, and checking out any subsequent common law actions in negligence.”
For more information contact Paul Llewellyn on 0428 317 182 or 9848 1555
GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS FREE AREAS EXEMPTION ORDER 2009 . STANDARD CONTRACTS
401. Hon PAUL LLEWELLYN to the minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
My question is about the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Exemption Order 2009, published in the Government Gazette on 17 February 2009 and tabled in the Legislative Council on 18 March under the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003. I note that the standard contract includes a requirement for participating farmers to notify their neighbours of the intention to plant GM canola.
<012> F/4
(1) Does the government have any suggested form of words for that notification to be used by participating farmers?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) If yes to (1), will the minister table those suggested words?
(4) Does the government have or intend to introduce any system to check compliance with farmers. undertakings in this regard?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) If yes to (4), what are the consequences, if any, of a failure to notify some or all of the relevant neighbours?
Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:
I thank the member for some notice of this question. The Minister for Agriculture and Food has responded.
(1) No.
(2) Farmers regularly discuss their farm systems and management operations with neighbours. This can include a range of issues from stocking and cropping plans to water management and weed and pest control. The government does not seek to intervene in these processes.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) Growers are required to confirm that this has happened as part of the initial approval process.
Authorised officers under the act will check with growers on all matters of substance relating to the trials.
(5) Not applicable.
(6) This is a requirement prior to approval to plant genetically modified canola.