SA councils decide GM fate as deadline looms

In late April, the SA government struck a deal with the opposition to pass its Genetically Modified Crops Management (Designated Area) Amendment Bill 2019, with a provision that the state's 68 local governments (excluding Kangaroo Island) had six months from when the legislation passed to apply to keep the moratorium within their council areas.

These applications must be submitted by the end of this month to ensure they are processed by the November 15 cut-off date, as outlined in the legislation.

More than a dozen councils, particularly in the Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges region, decided to consult with their communities, with many planning to vote on those results at council meetings within the next fortnight.

The Mount Barker District Council meets on Monday.

MBDC mayor Ann Ferguson said community responses had been a "mixed bag" and that the council would be keeping its World Heritage Site bid in mind.

MBDC is among six councils in the Mount Lofty Ranges hoping to become a WHS with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

"Staying GM-free could be advantageous for food and marketing," she said.

"But we have to take a lot of things into account when voting on the final report at our next council meeting."

Barossa mayor Bim Lange said their elected members were planning to meet this week to discuss their 112-response survey and 11 submissions, but didn't feel the WHS bid would have an impact on decision-making.

He said a final report would be voted on by council on September 15.

City of Onkaparinga met last week to consider the results of its community engagement, which comprised 314 survey responses and a number of submissions.

The council also heard from Grain Producers SA, organic certifier National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia and the McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association.

"Based on the evidence, members asked that a report be brought to council on September 15 for further consideration, with a recommendation on whether or not to make an application to the minister for our city to be designated GM-free," a council spokesperson said.

The Adelaide Hills Council received up to 300 survey responses and will vote on a final report on September 22.

AHC Development and Regulatory Services director Marc Salver said, depending on the way voting swayed, a GM-free region could be considered.

"We are discussing with surrounding councils, four of whom have completed consultation (Murray Bridge, Alexandrina, Mount Barker and Barossa), to consider any potential synergies if all, or a number of councils, resolve to pursue a GM-free region," he said.

Yankalilla Council held an elected member forum on Tuesday, where they went through consultation feedback before a report is voted on at its September 15 council meeting.

Yankalilla mayor Glen Rowlands said there had been some concerns about health issues in GM products, which he said were unfounded, but did query the need for GM crops, as their use was not widespread.

"We are a mainly grazing area, so having GM isn't that important to us at this stage," he said.

"This council will give a recommendation to the minister and the minister can deal with it, not us."

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Public consultation has also occurred in the eastern council areas of Mid Murray, Karoonda East Murray, Coorong and Southern Mallee.

KEM mayor Caroline Phillips said survey results would be discussed at council next Tuesday, while an independent community forum was also held locally on Tuesday night, where the advantages and disadvantages of GM technology were discussed with a number of local and interstate guest speakers.

Forum organiser and organic farmer Rita Porker said the meeting, which featured with nine local and interstate speakers, was well attended by the public and elected members from a number of local councils.

"We wanted to find out what the advantages were for SA growers and the more we looked, the more disadvantages we found," she said.

"It had been difficult for farmers to access information about risks, marketing and trade advantages to make decisions on the advantages of GM food crops.

"Kangaroo Island examples of higher prices and segregation success show it is possible for farmers in various other areas of the state to achieve higher gross margins with non-GM crops.

"But we had good information sharing and councillors were open-minded and that's what we were hoping to achieve."

Mid Murray mayor Dave Burgess said their consultation results would also be discussed at council on Tuesday, with the views expected to be "balanced".

"But at the end of the day, farmers should be making the choice of how they run their business, so we look forward to seeing their input," he said.

Southern Mallee District Council would be making a decision at its September 16 meeting, while Rural City of Murray Bridge mayor Brenton Lewis said a report would be presented to council on September 14.

"We have had responses range from emotional to defensive, we have had perspectives on what's best for the industry and also the consumer," he said.

"We have recorded every response, but obviously they have to be realistic if we plan to present our position to the minister."

He believed the community surveys should not have been "dumped on" councils.

"This should have been done through PIRSA, particularly as the decision ultimately rests with the Primary Industries Minister," he said.

But not all councils decided to conduct extensive public consultation.

The Eyre Peninsula Local Government Association conducted a preliminary GM survey in June, which received 200 responses, with 80 per cent in support of lifting the moratorium.

LGA president Sam Telfer, who is also mayor of the Tumby Bay Council, was not aware of any EP councils that then conducted their own local consultation.

"If any councils do proceed with an application, they have to start preparing their justification soon because there isn't a lot time left before the September 30 deadline," he said.

GPSA chief executive officer Caroline Rhodes said the organisation had been tracking council deliberations closely in key cropping regions and was working with the LGA to provide factual information to support this process.

"We have also made deputations to a number of councils, which has proven to be effective in addressing concerns and outlining how the industry will manage coexistence," she said.

Ms Rhodes was confident the integrity of the legislation requiring trade and marketing considerations would help to mitigate the efforts of anti-GM proponents who "remain active at a local community level".

Primary Industries Minister David Basham reminded councils that they must "demonstrate an economic benefit" if they want to retain the GM crops moratorium and that applications were due soon to ensure they could be considered by the GM Crop Advisory Committee as required by law before the state government made its final decision.