New Zealand Legislation: Regulations

Explanatory note

This note is not part of the regulations, but is intended to indicate their general effect.

These regulations, which come into force on the 28th day after the date of their notification in the Gazette, require an application for a conditional release approval for a genetically modified organism under section 38A of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 to include information about any specific measures the applicant intends to take to keep the genetically modified organism separate from other organisms and to trace the genetically modified organism. If the applicant does not intend to take such measures, the application must include his or her reasons for not doing so. The prescribed information may assist the Environmental Risk Management Authority in deciding whether to approve the conditional release of a genetically modified organism with controls relating to the segregation and tracing of genetically modified organisms, such as requiring separation distances between genetically modified and non-genetically modified organisms. If the Authority imposes such controls, they may help the producers of non-genetically modified organisms to satisfy their markets of the non-genetically modified status of their products.