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On 21 September 2005 Mr Ian Cohen asked the Minister for Primary Industries, a question without notice regarding a genetically modified canola trial. The Minister provided the following response:
The National Variety Trials are conducted by the Australian Crop Accreditation System and are completely independent of the Department.
To date, the Australian Crop Accreditation System has not indicated how many Australian farms involved in the National Variety Trials may have an unintended presence of GM canola, or whether it has notified farmers involved in these trials about the possible unintended presence of GM canola.
Canola lines Victory 100 and Victory 101 have been confirmed by the Victorian DPI as having a very low level (0.04 per cent) unintended presence of the Monsanto Roundup Ready genetic material. This level equates to one plant in 2,500—in other words—roughly one or two GM plants at each trial site.
Neither the Minister nor the Director-General has forbidden the NSW Department of Primary Industries from informing affected farmers although it is acknowledged that the Australian Crop Accreditation System has a responsibility to notify farmers given that it conducts the trials and knows the location of all trial sites.
The lines Victory 100 and Victory 101 are included in National Variety Trials at fifteen (15) locations in NSW, viz Croppa Creek, Gunnedah, Wellington, Coonabarabran, Bellata, Albury, Deniliquin, West Wyalong, Ariah Park, Lockhart, Cowra, Harden, Grenfell, Parkes, Wagga Wagga.
There is no need for me to instruct that these farms be notified because my Department is not involved in the trials and notification is more properly a matter for the Australian Crop Accreditation System, which runs the Australian trials and knows their locations.