Australia
May 3, 2013
DIR 119 - Limited and controlled release of narrow-leafed lupin genetically modified for herbicide tolerance - University of Western Australia
Issue of licence DIR 119 to the University of Western Australia for a field trial of GM narrow-leafed lupin
3 May 2013
On 15 February 2013, the Regulator invited submissions on the consultation version of the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) for licence application DIR 119 from the University of Western Australia (UWA).
The Gene Technology Regulator has issued a licence in respect of application DIR 119, authorising the limited and controlled release (field trial) of narrow-leafed lupin lines that have been genetically modified (GM) for herbicide tolerance.
The release is authorised to take place at the New Genes for New Environments facility located in Merredin, Western Australia, on a maximum area of 0.5 hectares per growing season between May 2013 and April 2015. The primary purpose of the field trial is to determine what level of glyphosate the GM narrow-leafed lupin plants can tolerate under field conditions. The GM lupin will not be used for human food or animal feed.
The decision to issue the licence was made after extensive consultation on the RARMP with the public, State and Territory governments, Australian Government agencies, the Minister for the Environment, the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee, and relevant local councils, as required by the Gene Technology Act 2000 and the corresponding State and Territory legislation.
Issues relating to the health and safety of people and the protection of the environment raised during the consultation process were considered in the context of current scientific information in reaching the conclusions set out in the finalised RARMP and in making the decision to issue the licence.
The finalised RARMP concludes that this limited and controlled release poses negligible risks to people and the environment. Licence conditions have been imposed to restrict spread and persistence of the GMOs and their genetic material in the environment and to limit the release in size, location and duration, as these were important considerations in the evaluation process.
Appendix A of the RARMP summarises the submissions that were received from prescribed experts, agencies and authorities, and indicates how issues raised relating to risks to human health and safety or the environment were considered in the document. Two submissions were received from the public on the consultation RARMP and the issues raised, and their consideration, are summarised in Appendix B of the RARMP.
A Summary and the complete finalised RARMP, together with a set of Questions and Answers on this decision and a copy of the licence, can be obtained on-line from the DIR 119 page of the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator’s website or requested via the contacts detailed below.
Office of the Gene Technology Regulator
MDP 54 GPO Box 9848 CANBERRA ACT 2601
PDF version of DIR 119 Notification of decision GM lupin field trial - posted 3 May 2013 (PDF 100 KB)
PDF version of DIR 119 Questions and Answers (PDF 81 KB)
PDF version of DIR 119 Summary of the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) (PDF 186 KB)
PDF version of DIR 119 Full Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) (PDF 701 KB)
PDF version of DIR 119 - GM Lupin Licence Conditions (PDF 351 KB)
Reference material
Risk Analysis Framework for Licence Applications to the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (3rd Edition) 2009
The Biology of Lupinus L. (lupin or lupine)
Topics
Species
