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Call to Action- make your submission to Northland Regional Concil, protect our existing valuable GE free status

Call to Action- Have your Say on GMOs in Northland.    Protect our
existing valuable GE free status!

Submissions needed to Northland Regional Council by 3pm, Friday  9th
December 2011 in response to the NRC draft Regional Policy Statement
(RPS) document.

It's easy - with our key points/ suggestions below :)       thanks!
for your help.


What's it all about?

The Draft New RPS for Northland provides a broad direction and
framework for managing Northland's natural and physical resources,
including land, water, minerals, plants, animals and built structures.

 It is made up of:

Principles to guide the way it is carried out, identified regionally
significant issues, objectives to address the issues, and policies and
methods to achieve the objectives.  You can access the Draft new RPS
using the link below.

It is only reviewed once every 10 years, and certain individuals are
trying to weaken important environmental policies and focus unduly on
economic development.

www.nrc.govt.nz/Your-Council/Council-Projects/New-Regional-Policy-Statement-/Draft-RPS-released/

In addition to whatever other issues are of concern to you, there is
an urgent need to make submissions to the NRC noting the glaring
omission of the NRC's precautionary GE policy, as proposed in the NRC
RPS Discussion Document 2010.

In response to this precautionary GE provision (put forward by the NRC
last year), the NRC received the largest number of submissions made on
any issue raised in the NRC RPS Discussion document 2010, supporting a

Time for Northland Regional Council to support its territorial authorities and Auckland Council "super city" in keeping GMOs out of the region

ACTION ALERT

 

Want to help to protect our existing valuable GE free
status from GE experiments and releases on our patch?


You can make a difference.

WHY?
A hugely important meeting of the Northland Regional Council is being
held this Tuesday, 15 November at Kaikohe, where your councillors will
vote on a important GE agenda item.

 

see


www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/159518017436869/

NORTH GATHERS GE FREE CLOUT

27 July 2011 Northern Advocate

NOTHERN ADVOCATE

"North gathers GE free clout"

by Lindy Laird

Eco activists destroy Australian GM wheat crop

AFP - Thu, Jul 14, 2011

        Environmental activists broke into an Australian government research farm Thursday and destroyed an experimental crop of genetically-modified wheat protesting against what they said were safety issues.
       Armed with weed trimmers, three Greenpeace activists scaled a fence at the Canberra facility in the early hours of the morning and razed the crop, which had been modified to lower its glycemic index and increase fibre.
      The government science agency running the trials, CSIRO, confirmed there had been "a break-in overnight at their crop trial site" and it was assessing the damage.
      "The police, and the government's gene technology regulatory authority ... have been informed and are inspecting the site," a CSIRO spokesman told AFP.
"CSIRO is currently assessing the damage to the trial crops and considering next steps."
        Greenpeace said the activists, three women, wore hazardous materials suits to keep them from carrying GM organisms out of the site, and were motivated by concerns about the trial's safety.

COUNCIL REJECTION OF GE DESERVES SUPPORT

Guest View as published today's 9 May 2011 Northern Advocate (p. 6), under the heading

COUNCIL REJECTION OF GE DESERVES SUPPORT

 

COUNCIL REJECTION OF GE DESERVES SUPPORT

By

Zelka Grammer

GE Free Northland chairwoman

9 May 2011

NORTHERN ADVOCATE

Cheers WDC for saying NO to GE.

Whangarei councillors recently made history by unanimously rejected the outdoor use of genetically engineered crops and animals in Whangarei District.

WDC is now asking other Northland councils to join in a collaborative plan change to ban all GMOs in our region.

This is a wise move considering that a big multinational like Monsanto or Crown Research Institutes can apply for GE experiments or releases on our patch, without being liable for any harm caused.

After lobbying central government for over 7 years to fix the flaws and gaps in the national minimal legislation that covers GE, local councils have finally had enough and are saying no to GE.

Deformed GE salmon, blends of transgenic animals (including human genes) , GE trees and GE crops that contain insecticide in every cell and gene are the types of experiments Council wants to ban locally to protect our biosecurity, farmers, rural communities and public health.

The Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) approved experiments with GM cattle resulting in high mortality rates and gross deformities. Six-month-old calves who appeared "normal" unexpectedly died when their internal organs ruptured.

NO to Genetic Engineering

NO to Genetic Engineering

("Our Town" column)

by

Whangarei Mayor Morris Cutforth

in the Whangarei Report, Thursday 28 April 2011

 

A constant theme of my mayoralty is that Council needs to listen to the people. A prime example of the will of the people making itself felt is over the controversial issue of genetic engineering.

GE is the 'most-submitted' issue WDC has ever had, attracting over 7,000 submissions of which around 90% were in favour of ensuring Whangarei District remains GE free. Council has heard what people have said and supported it. Last week we voted unanimously to investigate regulating genetically modified organisms through the District Plan in conjunction with other councils in Northland and Auckland. This will most likely mean that releases of GMOs will be prohibited and resource consents will be needed for GE trials in Northland and Auckland.

I am delighted that I have come to Council at this epic point in an eight year journey, where in essence we are saying 'no!' to genetic engineering. Before I was elected to Council I didn't have a strong view one way or the other about GE, but since I have become more involved I have met many people who are passionate about it. After listening to their stories about what can go wrong - often at a very real and personal level - I can understand their passion and I am glad we are able to do something practical at last. And just as importantly, Whangarei and Northland are being seen as taking the lead in an important national and international issue.

Cheers for the WDC- saying NO to GE

Cheers for the WDC- saying NO to GE

           Whangarei councillors have unanimously, and historically, rejected the outdoor use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Whangarei District.  WDC is asking other Northland councils to join in a collaborative plan change, to ban all GMOs in our region (a wise move considering that at any moment, a big multinational like Monsanto or Crown Research Institutes can apply for GE experiments or releases on our patch, without being liable for harm caused).

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.

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.

GE FREE NORTHLAND AGM Monday, l4 March 2011 WHANGAREI

GE FREE NORTHLAND (in food and environment) Annual General Meeting

 

Monday, l4 March 2011-  at 7pm

Venue:  Eco Solutions, 3a Bank St, Whangarei

(opposite the Whangarei bus depot & the Grand Hotel)

 

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