GE Free Northland February / March 2020 PUBLIC APPEAL FOR FUNDS

GE Free Northland (in food & environment) 

February / March 2020
PUBLIC APPEAL FOR FUNDS

GE Free Northland became a s274 (interested) party last year, in support of Whangarei District Council and Far North District Council's appeal against Northland Regional Council, due to the NRC's controversial 16 July 2019 GE/GMOs decision ( to exclude all precautionary and prohibitive GE/GMO provisions from the proposed new Regional Plan for Northland).

In our view, the NRC has failed to make a sound decision on the GE/GMOs issue, despite the scientific, economic, and cultural evidence presented by submitters supporting provisions to control the adverse effects of GMO use on the environment through the Plan. We will join Whangarei and Far North District Councils in seeking relief in the Environment Court against NRC.

The NRC decision was passed by one vote, the casting vote of the chair, despite strong community and submitter support for a precautionary approach to GMOs, and clear direction for precautionary wording (already in the operative Regional Policy Statement for Northland).

The process followed by NRC regarding the GE/GMO issue has been highly controversial, and angered many Northlanders. We consider there has been a lack of transparency which was exacerbated by the failure to appoint independent commissioners to consider the GMO issue under the proposed Regional Plan for Northland.

There are questions about the failure by NRC to act in keeping with precautionary GE/GMO Policy 6.1.2, Method 6.1.5 and other wording in the operative Northland "Regional Policy Statement".

See GE Free Northland 16 August 2019 Media Release

With your help we can ensure strong precautionary and prohibitive GMO provisions are placed in the new Regional Plan for Northland.

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 our legal counsel, a top planner and various Expert Witnesses needed for the Environment Court application, hearing, and associated costs over the next six months.

Our bank account details are as follows:  GE Free (Northland) Inc 
account  01 0382 0009202 00 ANZ Kerikeri  

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

Please help us ensure that the new Regional Plan for Northland is in alignment with the excellent precautionary and prohibitive GE/GMO provisions in the Auckland Unitary Plan, supports the wishes of Northland District Councils WDC and FNDC, Tai Tokerau mana whenua, existing GE free primary producers in Northland, and protects Northland's Coastal Marine Area and land. Kaipara District is particularly vulnerable to applications to the EPA for outdoor GE experiments, field trials and releases in Northland.

Thank you for your support so that we can continue doing the good work we do.

Committee of GE Free Tai Tokerau - together we are stronger -
Zelka Linda Grammer (Chairperson) 
Martin Robinson (Spokesperson)

contact for further information:
mobile: 022 309 5039  text only

phone: 09 407 8650 Martin Robinson
or mob: 022 136 9619