Australia
December 14, 2007
DIR 077/2007 - Limited and
controlled release of wheat and barley genetically modified for
enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses or increased beta glucan.
DIR 077/2007 - Notification
of Licence Application - Limited and controlled release of wheat
and barley genetically modified for enhanced tolerance to
abiotic stresses or increased beta glucan
NOTIFICATION OF APPLICATION
Receipt of licence application from The University of
Adelaide for dealings involving intentional release of
genetically modified wheat and barley: DIR 077/2007
Application
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has
received a licence application (DIR 077/2007) from The
University of Adelaide for an intentional release of
genetically modified (GM) wheat (Triticum aestivum) and
barley (Hordeum vulgare) into the Australian environment
which qualifies as a limited and controlled release under
section 50A of the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act).
The University of Adelaide
is seeking approval to conduct proof of concept research
with up to 30 lines of wheat and barley that have been
genetically modified for enhanced tolerance to different
environmental stressors (including soil boron and drought)
or increased levels of dietary fibre. The release would take
place at one site in the shire of Marion in South Australia
on a total area of 0.04 ha between May 2008 and June 2009.
The proposed trial would involve experiments to assess the
agronomic performance of the GM wheat and barley lines under
field conditions. A number of measures are proposed by the
applicant to restrict the spread and persistence of the GMOs
and their genetic material that will be considered during
the assessment of the application. The GM wheat and barley
will not be used for either human or animal consumption in
Australia.
Purpose of this notification
A comprehensive Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan
(RARMP) for the application is currently being prepared. I
expect this to be released for public comment and advice
from a broad range of experts, agencies and authorities in
mid March 2008. The Act specifies a 30 day minimum
consultation period if no significant risks to human health
and safety of the environment are identified, and a 50 day
minimum consultation period if significant risks are
identified.
In the interim, you can obtain a copy of the application
itself by contacting my Office (see contact details below;
please quote the reference number DIR 077/2007). As the
application is quite lengthy, you may prefer to view a
summary of the application which is posted on our website
along with this document (under ‘What’s New’). If you would
like to receive a hard copy of the application summary,
please contact us and we will post it to you.
If you have questions about the application, or how you can
provide comment on the RARMP when it is released, please
contact the OGTR at:
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator
PO Box 100
WODEN, ACT 2606
http://www.ogtr.gov.au
Telephone: 1800 181 030
Facsimile: 02 6271 4202
E-mail:
ogtr@health.gov.au
DIR
077/2007 - Licence Application Summary
Reference
material
Risk Analysis Framework for Licence Applications to the Office
of the Gene Technology Regulator (2nd Edition) 2005
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