April 2011

WHANGAREI STEPS CLOSER TO A GMO BAN

 

 

 

 

www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/northland/whangarei-leader/4904334/Steps-closer-to-a-GMO-ban

Steps closer to a GMO ban

WHANGAREI LEADER

by

Denise Piper

19/04/2011

Cheers and claps supported Whangarei district councillors as they made a move to ban genetically modified organisms in the district.

At an environment committee meeting last Wednesday councillors unanimously voted to investigate regulating GMOs through the district plan.

The regulation is likely to prohibit releases of GMOs to the environment and requiring resource consents for GE trials.

Whangarei is the first council to agree to regulation but it hopes it will be joined by other councils in Northland and Auckland who are part of the Inter-council Working Party on GMO Risk Evaluation and Management Options.

That would mean the costs can be shared. But councillor Crichton Christie says the council will go it alone if necessary.

"This has been eight years in the making. At the end of the day this is about managing the risk that this council has over genetic engineering – it is not about whether you agree with GE or not," he says.

"It would be nice if the other councils came with us but if not we still have to manage the risk."

Environment Minister Nick Smith has confirmed the costs of environmental damage from a GMO release gone wrong could rest with the council and neighbouring property owners.

WHANGAREI DISTRICT COUNCIL MOVES TO PROTECT ITS COMMUNITY FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

GE FREE NORTHLAND

Press Release 15 April 2011

 

Whangarei District Council moves to protect its community from Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

 

Whangarei District Councillors have voted unanimously to reject the outdoor use of genetically engineered (GE) crops and animals in the District.   Whangarei District Council will now (in addition to its own District Plan change to prevent GMO land use) actively seek to undertake a collaborative plan change with all Northland councils and Auckland Council to keep GMOs out of the wider region.

 

Well done WDC!

WHANGAREI DISTRICT COUNCIL VOTES UNANIMOUS WAY FORWARD FOR STOPPING GE

13 April 2011

 News release

 Whangarei vote unanimous on way forward for GE

 

www.wdc.govt.nz/NewsRoom/MediaReleases/2011-Media-Releases/Pages/Whangarei-vote-unanimous-on-way-forwardforGE.aspx

 Whangarei District Council (WDC) has taken a leadership position on the controversial issue of genetic engineering. Councillors voted unanimously today at their Environment Committee Meeting to investigate regulating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) through the District Plan in conjunction with other councils in Northland and Auckland. The regulation would most likely take the form of prohibiting releases of GMOs to the environment and requiring resource consents for GE trials undertaken in Northland and Auckland.

NORTHLAND CAN LEAD ANTI GMO FIGHT

 

see

 

 

http://whangareileader.realviewdigital.com/#

letters to editor:

email: whangarei.editor@snl.co.nz

 

ACTIVISTS SAY NORTHLAND CAN LEAD ANTI GMO FIGHT

by Denise Piper

l4 April 2011

WHANGAREI LEADER

A grassroots movement against Genetically Modified Organisms could start in Northland, activists say.

Councils can now restrict or prevent the outdoor use of Genetically Modified Organisms under the Resource Management Act.

Clarification from Environment Minister Nick Smith means GMOs could be banned entirely if the community wants.

Previously councils were warned that if they got involved in controlling the organisms they could assume some of the liability for any future problems caused by GMOs.

The Northland Regional and Whangarei District Councils are part of an Inter Council Working Party on GMO Risk Evaluation & Management Options.

The Working Party has now commissioned a report to identify the optimal wording for any rules in the council's District Plans or Regional Policy Statements.

Working Party Chairman Dr. Kerry Grundy will be giving Whangarei councillors more information at their Environment Committee meeting tomorrow.

GE Free Northland spokeswoman Zelka Grammer says there is an opportunity for Whangarei and Northland to lead the rest of the country agains GMOs- the same way New Zealand's nuclear free movement started at a community level.

The situation in Japan shows that there is are damn good reasons why there's prohibition of nuclear reactors and I would say there's damn good reasons to prohibit GMOs.