State, Territory and Australian Government representatives responsible for gene technology met in Brisbane today for a meeting of the Gene Technology Ministerial Council (GTMC).

Reappointment of Gene Technology Regulator

State, Territory and Australian Government representatives responsible for gene technology met in Brisbane today for a meeting of the Gene Technology Ministerial Council (GTMC) and endorsed the reappointment of Dr Sue Meek as Australia’s Gene Technology Regulator for a further five years.

Chair of the ministerial council, Ian Macdonald, NSW State Minister for Natural Resources, Primary Industries and Mineral Resources, said, Dr Meek had the unanimous support of the GTMC.

“During the first five years of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, headed by Dr Meek, the national regulation of genetically modified organisms has been marked by scientific rigour, open and transparent consultation and a genuine spirit of cooperation between all governments,” Mr Macdonald said.

Statutory Review of the Gene Technology Act 2000 - Governments’ Response

Ministerial Council members, today endorsed a State, Territory and Australian Governments’ Response to the recommendations of the Statutory Review of the Gene Technology Act 2000 and the Gene Technology Agreement 2001, noting Queensland’s support is subject to Cabinet endorsement. The Review panel presented its report to the previous meeting of the GTMC. While the Review panel found that the objective of the Act – the protection of the health and safety of people and the environment – was being achieved, it highlighted the need for some changes to the regulatory scheme to improve its workability and effectiveness.

In response to the Review, the Ministerial Council agreed to a range of recommendations. The key amendments proposed are intended to adjust application timeframes and reduce the administrative burden on low risk dealings in order to focus the resources of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator on areas of greatest potential risk to people or the environment. The GTMC heard progress reports on the development of a nationally consistent co-existence framework for genetically modified and non-genetically modified crops, which is being considered by the Primary Industries Ministerial Council. The framework can be assessed for adoption by the States and Territories, which wish to do so, as each jurisdictions’ moratorium ends or is reviewed. New arrangements for dealing with emergencies will also form part of the changes.

Presentation by Professor John Mattick

Members of the GTMC heard a presentation on future developments in gene technology genomics by Professor John Mattick Professor of Molecular Biology and Australian Research Fellow at the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland. Professor Mattick is recognised internationally for his contributions to the field of genomics - the exploration of the genetic basis of individual differences and biodiversity.

Professor Mattick, in his presentation, said that despite broad plantings in many countries, there is no evidence to date of genetically modified plants having caused either health or environmental problems.

A copy of the State, Territory and Australian Government's Response to the Recommendation of the Statutory Review of the Gene Technology Act 2000 and the Gene Technology Agreement 2001 is available at:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/gene-gtmc.htm