Mr McADAM - 2002-08-15
Can the minister inform the House of the government’s position on the cotton industry in the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for this very important and timely question. May I say that this government is committed to building and diversifying the economic base of the Northern Territory across all industry sectors. As such, we will look at all potential industries for the Northern Territory but in doing that, we will research all aspects of those industries, their viability and, particularly, their environmental sustainability.
Members will be aware that my department is working in conjunction with both the CSIRO Plant Division and the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Council to trial cotton at Katherine Research Station. That trial has now been running for four years. It should also be noted that these trials occur under a licence approved by the federal Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and are conducted in full accordance with their terms and conditions. I think members will agree that in terms of putting such a trial together that a broad, collaborative group such as this is the ideal way to research the potential of these new industries, and looking at all the environmental and sustainability issues.
Our government’s pre-election position on genetically modified organisms was that we currently oppose any commercial development, but support ongoing experimentation and testing. In accordance with this, our position is that current research should be completed before any commercial cotton industry is even considered. The government also believes that the community of the Northern Territory should have a full public debate on this before any commercial operation is considered.
The Monsanto company has written to the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator seeking approval for a licence for the commercial release of its GM cotton variety, Bollgard II, into 80 regional areas of Australia, and one of the areas in which they have asked for the release is Katherine. It should be stressed that Monsanto’s application is to sell GM cotton seed, not to grow it. Under the Commonwealth Gene Technology Act, any such licence is subject to a full review into the health, safety and environmental risks associated with such a release.
I can inform the House that I have written to the Gene Technology Regulator saying that a full review must take place before the granting of any such licence is considered. In that letter I stated:
The Northern Territory government’s position is that unless and until the research currently being undertaken
demonstrates the environmental sustainability of such an industry, and the conditions under which this might
proceed are determined, the government does not support a commercial GM cotton industry in the Northern Territory.
I suggested earlier that I believe the community needs to debate this issue before any GM cotton industry in the Territory is considered. Regardless of the debate in relation to genetically modified organisms, there are other environmental sustainability aspects that must be looked into and openly discussed in relation to cotton. Land use and water use particularly – the government will not support any commercial industry that is not compatible with protecting our land and water ways.
I am sure members are aware that there is a public forum being held in Katherine on 21 August, and due to Parliamentary sittings, obviously I won’t be able to attend. Appropriate representatives of my department will be on hand to explain the current research and to take questions. Hopefully, this forum can be the start of a mature and constructive debate that is based on fact and science.
There is already a degree of misinformation being perpetrated. On radio last week, it was suggested that the Northern Territory government has caved in to lobbying from commercial cotton growers. I can state categorically to this House that I have not been approached by or met with any commercial operator looking to grow cotton in the Northern Territory. As far as I and my department are aware, there is no organisation before government expressing any interest in commercially growing cotton in the Northern Territory.
I look forward to further consultation with the community on this issue, particularly the people in the Katherine region, I can say to the member for Katherine and other stakeholders. I also look forward to working with the community and other industry groups to further examine, to help build and diversify the economy of the Northern Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Barkly for this very important and timely question. May I say that this government is committed to building and diversifying the economic base of the Northern Territory across all industry sectors. As such, we will look at all potential industries for the Northern Territory but in doing that, we will research all aspects of those industries, their viability and, particularly, their environmental sustainability.
Members will be aware that my department is working in conjunction with both the CSIRO Plant Division and the Australian Cotton Cooperative Research Council to trial cotton at Katherine Research Station. That trial has now been running for four years. It should also be noted that these trials occur under a licence approved by the federal Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and are conducted in full accordance with their terms and conditions. I think members will agree that in terms of putting such a trial together that a broad, collaborative group such as this is the ideal way to research the potential of these new industries, and looking at all the environmental and sustainability issues.
Our government’s pre-election position on genetically modified organisms was that we currently oppose any commercial development, but support ongoing experimentation and testing. In accordance with this, our position is that current research should be completed before any commercial cotton industry is even considered. The government also believes that the community of the Northern Territory should have a full public debate on this before any commercial operation is considered.
The Monsanto company has written to the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator seeking approval for a licence for the commercial release of its GM cotton variety, Bollgard II, into 80 regional areas of Australia, and one of the areas in which they have asked for the release is Katherine. It should be stressed that Monsanto’s application is to sell GM cotton seed, not to grow it. Under the Commonwealth Gene Technology Act, any such licence is subject to a full review into the health, safety and environmental risks associated with such a release.
I can inform the House that I have written to the Gene Technology Regulator saying that a full review must take place before the granting of any such licence is considered. In that letter I stated:
The Northern Territory government’s position is that unless and until the research currently being undertaken
demonstrates the environmental sustainability of such an industry, and the conditions under which this might
proceed are determined, the government does not support a commercial GM cotton industry in the Northern Territory.
I suggested earlier that I believe the community needs to debate this issue before any GM cotton industry in the Territory is considered. Regardless of the debate in relation to genetically modified organisms, there are other environmental sustainability aspects that must be looked into and openly discussed in relation to cotton. Land use and water use particularly – the government will not support any commercial industry that is not compatible with protecting our land and water ways.
I am sure members are aware that there is a public forum being held in Katherine on 21 August, and due to Parliamentary sittings, obviously I won’t be able to attend. Appropriate representatives of my department will be on hand to explain the current research and to take questions. Hopefully, this forum can be the start of a mature and constructive debate that is based on fact and science.
There is already a degree of misinformation being perpetrated. On radio last week, it was suggested that the Northern Territory government has caved in to lobbying from commercial cotton growers. I can state categorically to this House that I have not been approached by or met with any commercial operator looking to grow cotton in the Northern Territory. As far as I and my department are aware, there is no organisation before government expressing any interest in commercially growing cotton in the Northern Territory.
I look forward to further consultation with the community on this issue, particularly the people in the Katherine region, I can say to the member for Katherine and other stakeholders. I also look forward to working with the community and other industry groups to further examine, to help build and diversify the economy of the Northern Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016