November 29, 2002

The Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has approved three new applications for the conditional release of GMOs.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIRO) has been granted a licence for the intentional release of GM insecticidal (INGARD® and Bollgard II®) and insecticidal/herbicide tolerant (Bollgard II®/Roundup Ready®) cotton into the environment on a limited scale and under controlled conditions. CSIRO proposes to carry out a limited and controlled release at five sites, Katherine and Douglas Daly in the Northern Territory and at Kununurra in Western Australia, over a total area of 136.5 hectares.

A second application by CSIRO for the intentional release of genetically modified (GM) insecticidal cotton into the environment, on a limited scale and under controlled conditions has also been approved by the OGTR.

This limited and controlled release will take place on three sites, in the shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley, over a total area of 3 hectares. None of the cotton plants from the release, or their by-products, would be used for animal and human food

A third application has also been approved.

The OGTR has received an application from the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia (WA) for a licence for the intentional release of GM insecticidal (INGARD® and Bollgard II®) and insecticidal/herbicide tolerant (Bollgard II®/Roundup Ready®) cotton into the environment on a limited scale and under controlled conditions.

The Department proposes to carry out a limited and controlled release at 30 sites, Kununurra and Broome in Western Australia, over a total area of up to 500 hectares.

None of the cotton plants from any of these releases, or their by-products, will be used for human food.