The Government says the bill aims to enable the safe use of gene technology and regulated organisms to bring “enormous benefits” to New Zealand – including access to better cancer treatments.
However, there are concerns it could potentially weaken controls on the use of genetically engineered material across almost 14,000 square kilometres in a unique Auckland/Northland zone.
Land across Auckland and Northland from the Bombay Hills to Cape Rēinga is the country’s only multi-council protected GMO-free food-producing zone.
The bill proposes centralising decision-making on allowing genetically altered plants, animals and other organisms in the zone.
Northland Regional councillor and GE Free Tai Tokerau spokesman Marty Robinson believed removing local government’s authority would destroy the much-needed protection in place for regional biosecurity and the wider environment.
“This is the biggest threat facing our groundbreaking local controls around the use of genetically engineered material since this work started more than 20 years ago.”
NRC councillor and GE Free Tai Tokerau spokesman Marty Robinson warns of major risks for Northland from the Gene Technology Bill. Photo / Susan Botting
The bill is going through the parliamentary process towards potentially becoming new rules around the use of genetically engineered (GE) and genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The Northland Regional Council (NRC) submission to Parliament strongly opposed the bill in its current form because of its impact on local decision-making and not honouring the Crown’s Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
The Auckland-Northland zone is built on the efforts of the Far North District Council, Kaipara District Council, Whangārei District Council, the then Rodney District Council (now part of Auckland Council), NRC and the local community.
It provides continuous protection from outdoor genetically engineered and genetically modified organisms across two adjacent provinces.
The zone came to fruition in January last year after going as far as the Court of Appeal and taking more than two decades to achieve.
Its genesis was near Kerikeri in the late 1990s, triggered by an uncontained outdoor genetically engineered tamarillo-growing research trial at the Government’s then HortResearch property.
Robinson said the zone had extra protections in place to address significant risks faced by farmers and other ratepayers.
NRC’s submission urged the Government to reconsider the bill’s provisions that stripped the ability of local authorities to regulate gene technology and meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and involve iwi and hapū in decision-making to reflect local kaitiakitanga responsibilities.
“We seek a regulatory framework that respects and provides for local regulation through regional and district plans, which is something strongly supported by communities and tangata whenua.”
Robinson said the bill risked letting the genie out of the bottle.
Whangārei Deputy Mayor Phil Halse said any legislation change needed to protect the zone’s unique status.
“We need to protect the strong precautionary and prohibitive genetically engineered GE/GMO provisions in the Northland and Auckland councils.
“We’ve done the work to get to this point in a collaborative and fiscally responsible manner, in keeping with the wishes of our ratepayers,” Halse said.
“The Government has told us to work as a region. Here is a case where we are already doing this.
“Don’t take that away.”
Halse said that if the bill became law, special provisions were needed to protect Northland and Auckland’s unique approach. The Hastings District Council also has this approach.
GE Free Tai Tokerau chair Zelka Grammer said the community’s right to decide on the presence of GE/GMO had already been confirmed by a landmark 2015 Environment Court decision.
“This decision gave councils the power, under the Resource Management Act, to control the outdoor use of GMOs in their regions,” Grammer said.
“We must continue to protect our valuable ‘Northland, Naturally’ brand and high-value agricultural economy against GMO contamination.”
Science Minister Dr Shane Reti said gene technology could deliver enormous benefit for New Zealand.
Science Minister Dr Shane Reti. Photo / Mike Scott
“[This includes] access to better cancer treatments, and increased productivity for farmers through such things as disease-resistant and drought-resistant grasses and tools to help meet emissions targets.
“This all adds up to greater economic gains for the country as a whole,” Reti said.
“New Zealand’s current regulations for gene technology are some of the most stringent in the world.
“The Gene Technology Bill aims to bring New Zealand up to international best practice, similar to legislation already in place in Australia.”
The select committee would consider the NRC’s submissions among others, he said.
“However, as it stands, the bill intends to enable science to grow and ensure gene technologies are managed proportionate to their risk, applying the same regulatory settings across the country.”
Meanwhile, Halse said it was concerning the bill sought to remove the zone’s current requirement for those setting up an outdoor GE/GMO trial in Northland to post a significant bond and take responsibility for any of its unintended consequences.
“We don’t want people coming into our district or wider region to experiment with GMOs, buggering off when there are unintended adverse impacts or GMO contamination and leaving us [councils] to clean up the mess.”
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
