Posted on 18-2-2002

Australian Councils Ban GM
By Stefanie Balogh, The Australian, February 14, 2002

A GROWING number of local councils are forging ahead with moves to outlaw
genetically modified crop trials despite the industry ridiculing the bans
as unenforceable.

Rosalie Shire Council, in Queensland's Darling Downs food cradle, is the
latest of about 30 local governments across the nation to pass a resolution
declaring itself a GM-free zone. While these councils have moved to ban
trials, this cannot be enforced because they have no legislative backing
from state governments. Rosalie Shire Mayor Noel Strohfeld was pushing the
Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning to alter state laws
to allow official GM-free zones. But so far no states have taken that step.

South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria have all released
discussion papers on the issue. Victoria rejected the zones last year.
Tasmania, however, has introduced a two-year moratorium on GM crops. "We
were worried about the environmental risks and especially in transferring
genes between species -- animals and plants, that sort of thing . . . it
could open up a Pandora's box," Mr Strohfeld said. "We feel if there is
something we do overlook now, it could start a chain reaction catastrophe
that perhaps the world is not ready for."

Greg Hallam, chief executive officer of the Local Government Association of
Queensland, said his association had "steered well clear of it" and did not
have a policy or view on GM-free zones. [the Local Government Association
in the UK supports the Five-Year-Freeze] "Our legal advice is they can't do
it under the existing law. You have to have the laws changed," Mr Hallam said.

Brian Arnst, spokesman for GM-company Monsanto, said he would be
"surprised" if any state government agreed to pass legislation allowing
council areas to claim GM-free status.