Update from GE Free Northland, Public Appeal for Funds (Court of Appeal case- Federated Farmers of NZ vs NRC

 

Update from GE Free Northland :)

We now have a date for the Court of Appeal case (Federated Farmers of NZ latest appeal, still trying to force Northland Regional Council to remove the valuable precautionary GMO provisions from our Northland "Regional Policy Statement").
fixture date: 22 November 2017, in Wellington.
Parliament  has recognised  in the RMA that local councils can regulate or ban outdoor use of GMOs. Our ability to establish a GM Free producing zone under local plans has been shielded following last minute changes to the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill ( April 2017).

 The Maori Party opposed the National Party's attempt to strip local councils of their ability to create enforceable GE Free Zones (through s360D and clause 43A).  

While the exemption is not as wide as what Fonterra, NZ Beef & Lamb, NZ Dairy, Zespri, Local Government NZ, various councils, primary producer boards, Pure Hawke's Bay, and many others called for (the best outcome for the regions would have been the deletion of s360D in its entirety), the exemption provides good protection against Wellington imposing risky GE experiments in our region. 

But- even though there is nothing left to argue (jurisdictional issue is now clear)- Federated Farmers of NZ (having taken Northland Regional Council to both the Environment Court and the High Court, failed attempts to force the NRC to remove the valuable precautionary GMO provisions from our Regional Policy Statement) have lodged their latest vexatious appeal.
Federated Farmers need to retire from this legal battle and let us all get on with our core business of growing the safe and clean, nourishing GE free good that consumers desire.
We won against Federated Farmers of NZ  in both the Environment Court (May 2015) and the High Court (August 2016) but Federated Farmers are making another attempt.

We believe that this will be the final challenge on this matter (by Federated Farmers of NZ) and we need to see it through.


The Far North District Council and Whangarei District Council  excellent collaborative GMO plan changes cannot proceed until this Court of Appeal case (Northland RPS)  is resolved.  


Donations are needed to keep us going strong!
Any donations or other financial support would be greatly appreciated.  Your donations and other financial support will be used to help cover the costs of legal counsel needed for the Court of Appeal hearing and associated costs over the next few months.

Our bank account details are as follows:

GE Free (Northland) Inc account    ANZ Kerikeri
01 0382 0009202 00

Cheques can be posted to:
Secretary, GE Free Northland PO Box 1439  Whangarei 0140 Northland

Thank you for your support so that we can continue doing the good work we do.
More information: ring Martin Robinson, spokesperson GE FREE NORTHLAND
09 407 8650