Greens seek to maintain GM moratorium through new bill
The Greens are fighting to maintain South Australia’s ban on growing genetically-modified crops.
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Greens MLC Mark Parnell will introduce a bill to parliament this afternoon that has the potential to thwart the government’s plan to lift the ban on growing genetically-modified crops in South Australia.
Mr Parnell originally moved the bill two years ago that would have seen the ban remain in place until September 2025.
In August, the state government announced plans to lift the moratorium through regulations, with the exception of Kangaroo Island which has a niche marketing arrangement for non-GM canola in the Japanese market.
Mr Parnell now hopes to “close the loophole” that would allow the state government to lift the moratorium through regulations and allow growers to sow GM crops in the 2020 season.
He proposed the moratorium remain in place for the whole of South Australia until both Houses of Parliament agree otherwise.
“The government can’t touch the expiry date of the moratorium, parliament has set that date, what they can do is modify the area the moratorium covers,” he said.
“To me, that’s sneaky and exploiting a loophole.”
Mr Parnell said if the government proceeds with their planned regulations, the Greens will move to disallow them, whenever they came before parliament.
He said his bill would give growers certainly for next season, rather than have a possible disallowance looming.
Mr Parnell will not move a vote on the bill until a Select Committee undertaking a report on the GM ban hands down its report.
The committee are meeting this week, with the report set to be handed down when parliament resumes after a two-week break.
Primary Industries Minister Tim Whetstone said the response to the state government’s proposal to lift the GM moratorium had generally been very positive.
“Our intention to lift the GM moratorium is about giving farmers a choice on what crops they would like to grow,” he said.
“Our decision is based on an independent review which found the GM moratorium provides no price premium compared with our GM-growing neighbouring states.”
The review, undertaken by economics emeritus professor Kym Anderson, found the moratorium had cost SA grain growers at least $33 million since 2004 and will cost farmers a further $5 million if extended to 2025.
Mr Whetstone said the government had received extensive feedback from the farming industry, as well as the research community, who had identified opportunities to grow South Australia’s economy.
He said while the government’s six-week statutory consultation period was still ongoing, it was the government’s intention to lift the moratorium in time for the next cropping season.
“Members of parliament who are listening to what the majority of the state’s grain growers have been saying so far will not support disallowing regulations to lift the moratorium,” he said.
Grain Producers SA chief executive Caroline Rhodes said it was a disappointing move by Mr Parnell.
“GPSA is extremely disappointed with this latest intervention by Mr Parnell, particularly as he has failed to consult with the industry that he is seeking to regulate,” she said.
“This appears to be a last-ditch attempt to impose his anti-GM political ideology without regard to science or the weight of evidence from extensive public consultation.
“Parnell’s bill goes beyond the original intent of the act, which establishes the legal framework to declare distinct GM-free zones for marketing purposes in South Australia. There is no ‘loophole’ in the government’s proposal, the Minister is applying the law as intended by the former Labor Government.”