Background to the Review
Since 2001 Tasmania has had a moratorium on the use of GMOs in primary industries for marketing purposes.
The Genetically Modified Organisms Control Act 2004 (which provides for the moratorium) expires in November 2014. The Government has provided the public the opportunity to provide their views before the Act, and hence the moratorium, expires.
Review Process
An issues paper together with details of the review process was posted on DPIPWE’s website here:
http://www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/EGIL-53876E?open
The public submissions period closed on 11 October 2013 and the Department is to provide its final report to the Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Bryan Green, by the end of 2013.
Public Submissions
160 public submissions were made to the review and these are posted on DPIPWE’s website here:
http://www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/WebPages/RJOS-9DV54T?open
I have analysed all 160 submissions, with the exception of the 5 confidential ones, and can report the findings as follows:
Submissions supporting extension of moratorium 138 (89.03%)
Submissions against extension of moratorium 10 (6.45%)
Submissions not stating a position 7 (4.52%)
Totals 155 (100.00%)
A separate summary showing the position of each submission is available (Download Below in PDF; I apologise in advance to anyone who feels I may have misrepresented their position)
Practically all the submissions in favour of extending the moratorium expressed strong support for their position and many submitted that the moratorium should be extended indefinitely or replaced by a permanent ban.
The 10 submissions opposing the extension of the moratorium were from the dairy, poppy and biotech industries which all appear to be unconcerned with the irreversible collateral damage the introduction of GMO crops would cause on others.
Forestry Tasmania’s submission (057) is of particular interest and concern. It states that it “has not, and does not, use GMO’s in its field operations or in its genetic improvement programs … as doing so would be in contravention of the current Australian Forestry Standard (Australian Forestry Standard Limited 2013) and Forest Stewardship Council (Forest Stewardship Council 2006) principles, to which FT subscribes”. However, it proceeds to praise the merits of GMOs and makes the extraordinary claim that “there is substantial congruence between the applications of GMO’s and a Clean, Green and Clever philosophy encouraged as part of the Tasmanian brand.”
Of other significance is the submission by the TFGA which claims that the GMO moratorium has had a “real financial impact .. on most Tasmanian farms and farmers” but will “support a continuation of the current moratorium on the use of GMOs in Tasmania for a period preferably not exceeding two years but with a maximum of three years.”
Overall, these results clearly demonstrate that the vast majority of Tasmanian producers and consumers do not wish GMOs to be introduced into the State and the moratorium should therefore be extended for a significant period to provide certainty for producers, consumers and export markets alike.
Download submissions summary:
