Far North takes tentative step towards GMO controls

The Far North District Council will go as far as a ‘robust’ analysis of the risks, benefits and
costs of creating local management controls for genetically modified plants and organisms in
the Far North.

But the council remains a long way from a final decision on whether or not to introduce
changes to its District Plan to create mechanisms to either control or ban GMOs completely.

Councillors last Thursday agreed to continue working with the Inter Council Working Party
(ICWP) in a collaborative approach towards a Resource Management Act Section 32
analysis of the implications of local control mechanisms.

A budget of $10,000 has been set aside for the joint initiative.

This follows a similar decision by the Whangarei District Council earlier this year.

The approach has been strongly supported by the GE-Free Northland lobby group which
sees the Section 32 analysis as the first step towards Northland councils regulating the use
of GMOs.

However, the Far North council has made it clear it has not given up hope of convincing
central government to take the lead and legislate to protect councils and their communities.

The council intends approaching Local Government New Zealand (through the ICWP) to
apply further pressure on the government to come up with national standards, safeguards
and indemnities.

The prime concern in the Far North has always been that localised management
mechanisms exposed local communities to the cost of clean-ups and cross-boundary
liabilities arising from failed GMO programmes.

The Environment Minister has consistently rejected ICWP calls for a government-led
approach and has referred councils to their powers under the RMA to make their own GMO
rules through the District Plan process.

The Far North wants it made clear that it will not pre-judge the issue and it has no intention
of indicating a preference until the Section 32 analysis has been completed and it has
recommendations on the table.

If the council decides to proceed with a District Plan change to provide local GMO rules, the
long-running debate will be back in the public arena as part of a formal submission process.