The Far North District Council is today due to vote on a proposal to ban releases of genetically modified organisms in the district, a day after councillors in Whangarei agreed to push ahead with tough GMO restrictions.
Councillors were originally supposed to debate the GMO ban last month but changes to the Resource Management Act meant a more detailed cost-benefit analysis had to be carried out first.
If Proposed Plan Change 18 gets the green light in Kaitaia today, the council will publicly notify a change to its district plan placing strict controls on the use of GMOs in the Far North. The public and interest groups will then have a chance to make submissions before a final decision is made.
If passed, the plan change would require anyone planning a GMO field trial to apply for a resource consent, pay a bond to the council in case it caused any damage, for example to neighbouring crops, and ensure ongoing monitoring.
The release of GMOs would be illegal and no resource consent could be applied for. The only permitted GMO activities would be in laboratories or veterinary vaccines.