A telephone survey is set to gauge public opinion on genetically modified organisms.
The survey will be asking whether ratepayers are satisfied with current national regulation by central government agencies, Environmental Risk Management Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries – under the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.
Or whether people would like local councils to regulate genetically modified organisms in some way.
The Auckland Regional Council and most of the territorial authorities in Northland are involved, with the exception of the Northland Regional Council, through an inter-council working party on GMO risk.
GE Free Northland supports the view that central government agencies like the authority and the ministry are not competent to regulate GMO land use.
Their preference is for an outright ban until liability is established, risks adequately identified and evaluated, credible systems for ensuring the protection of organic and conventional primary production, and genetic engineering shows evidence of benefit overseas.
The Northland Regional Council chose not to join other councils to exert local controls on GMOs. It also recently softened wording on the issue in its community plan.
The council’s position has angered GE Free which says it is flouting public opinion by weakening its policy.
However, regional council chairman Mark Farnsworth says his council is still precautionary on GE but he believes the issue is one for central government, not local councils, to address.
The council set aside a $10,000 contingency fund in its plan for expert assessments of GE applications in the North.
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