Northern councils wary as GE moratorium nears end

By TONY GEE

Issues of local body responsibility, liability and risk must be settled before the moratorium on releasing genetically modified organisms is lifted, says the Far North District Council.

It and the Whangarei council fear that removing the moratorium on October 29 will leave them and other councils trying to sort out controversial and sensitive issues without clear legislative guidelines.

Areas of concern in the Far North include "cross-boundary" effects if neighbouring councils take different approaches to the release of GMOs, and uncertainties in jurisdiction between the Environmental Risk Management Agency and local bodies.

A task group of councillors and staff has been set up to liaise with adjoining councils in Whangarei and Kaipara in a bid to establish a Northland regional approach to outstanding issues.

In Whangarei, district mayor Craig Brown has written to Prime Minister Helen Clark seeking an extension of the moratorium because of uncertainties, including balancing economic benefits against risks to conventional and organic food producers.

The Whangarei council is also concerned over who should bear liability associated with those risks.

Like the Far North, it wants local body roles clarified under legislation involving the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, Resource Management Act and the Local Government Act.

In Kaipara, where the district council is taking a strong anti-GM stand, mayor Graeme Ramsey said it had decided a bylaw was the best way to stop or limit GMO release within the district once the moratorium is lifted.

A working group was investigating legal issues related to the introduction of such a bylaw, which Mr Ramsey said was likely to be some time away.

"A lot will depend on Parliament and what happens with the NOOM [New Organisms and Other Matters] Bill," he said.

During select committee hearings on the bill, changes were sought to address shortcomings involving the post-moratorium role and responsibilities of local bodies under a GMO release regime.

It is not known what, if any, local government-related amendments will be included when the bill goes back to Parliament for a further reading.

"There's a very consistent message coming from Northland," Mr Ramsey said. Kaipara's stand is based largely on its agricultural strength.

The 303,000ha district has extensive dairying, beef raising, market gardening, kumara and avocado growing activities.