Australia
November 17, 2011

DIR 113 - Notification of licence application - Limited and controlled release of cotton genetically modified for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance - posted 17 November 2011 (PDF 128 KB)

NOTIFICATION OF APPLICATION

Receipt of licence application from Bayer for dealings involving intentional release of GM cotton (DIR 113)

Application

The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has received a licence application from Bayer CropScience Pty Ltd (Bayer) for the intentional release of genetically modified (GM) cotton into the environment (DIR 113), which qualifies as limited and controlled release under section 50A of the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act).

Bayer is seeking approval to conduct a field trial of cotton genetically modified for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. The purpose of the proposed trial is to assess the agronomic performance of the GM cotton and the efficacy of the insecticidal proteins under field conditions. The applicant proposes to limit the trial to four sites in Narrabri, NSW and Wyndham-East Kimberly, WA on a maximum area of 4 hectares per year for the first year and 16 hectare per year for the subsequent two years, between May 2012 and May 2015. No plant materials from the GM cotton would be used in human food or animal feed.
Purpose of this notification

This notification provides early information about the above application and the assessment process, including a forthcoming opportunity to comment. Advice about this application is not being sought at this stage of the assessment process. A comprehensive Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan (RARMP) for the application is currently being prepared. This is expected to be released for public comment and advice from a broad range of experts, agencies and authorities in February 2012. A period of at least 30 days will be allowed for submission of comments, as required by the Act.

In the interim, you can obtain a copy of the application by contacting my Office (contact details below; please quote the reference number DIR 113). 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 have any questions or would like to receive a hard copy of the application summary, please contact the OGTR using the details below.

The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, MDP 54, GPO Box 9848, Canberra, ACT, 2601
Telephone: 1800 181 030 Facsimile: 02 6271 4202 E-mail: ogtr@health.gov.au
Website http://www.ogtr.gov.au

Dr Joe Smith
Gene Technology Regulator
17 November 2011

• DIR 113 - Licence Application Summary (PDF 193 KB)
   

Website: http://www.ogtr.gov.au

Published: November 17, 2011