A Gene Technology Bill that overturns GE Free Aotearoa was introduced to Parliament on 17 December 2024 and sent to the Health Select Committee where submissions close on the 17th February 2025. The government intends it to become operational law this year. 

Why Oppose the Gene Technology Bill?

The Bill could make New Zealand an outlier globally, with even less regulation for GE than those of countries with well-established GMO industries.  The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO)  requires all GMOs to be regulated. However, the Gene Technology Bill empowers a single person, the ‘Regulator’, to exempt from regulation whatever gene technologies and GMOs they deem to be safe. This means many types of GMOs could be released into the outdoor environment with no public notification and few, if any, safeguards.

The claim that some GMOs, such as specific types of gene edited organisms, can be presumed safe is not scientifically valid. Gene editing has been shown to result in many unexpected changes to the DNA. Therefore, there is risk, and where there is risk, we need regulation. 

In a long Regulatory Impact Statement officials at BMIE have admitted that "the bill does not likely meet the level necessary for high quality regulatory analysis..."

"the key limitation was information on the sector and main constraints a defined, narrow scope, and a compressed timeline to undertake analysis, which also resulted in a narrow, targeted consultation..."

This scope limitation...means we have not considered all potential options that may have effectively addressed key issues underlying the changes sought bu Government, including amending the existing HSNO Act to enable these activities or adequately considered wider impacts and consequences on the [HSNO] regime". 

This bill undermines protections for our environment, economy, and communities by:

• Ignoring all legal reference to the Precautionary Principle;
• Excluding Treaty of Waitangi Principles & disregarding Māori rights and perspectives.
• Failing to ensure clear liability to manage risks.
• Failing to provide traceability within the food production supply chain;
• Minimising labeling requirements and consumers right to choose; 
• No standards to uphold animal welfare and ethical concerns;
• Failure of officials to conduct an economic analysis regarding the value of New Zealand’s non-GMO exports or international clean green reputation;
  
• Removal local councils’ ability to enforce GE-free regions or protections under the RMA;
• Deregulation of GE techniques like gene editing and synthetic biology;
• Creates a business-focused body, replacing the robust HSNO Act safeguards.
• Redefinition of the legal terms to exclude new GMO breeding techniques, gene editing applications and gene edited production processing aids;
• Allows unlabelled, untested GE products (SDN1, SDN2) into NZ. These products, once released, are irreversible and can spread through natural pollination.

Your Voice Matters! Submissions don’t need to be complex – simple, clear statements make a difference. 

• Write in your own words for maximum impact.
• Focus on issues that matter to you, such as environmental risks, economic concerns, or ethical standards.

Please check out the submission templates and resources we have provided below. Deadline: Monday, 17th February, 2025

 Let’s work together to protect our GE-Free status and safeguard New Zealand’s future!