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The following OPEN LETTER
from the St Lucia Residents' Association to the Premier, Mr Peter Beattie, is self
explanatory.
Dear Premier,
Today (Tuesday, 22 June 1999) on ABC Radio National around Australia, in a 50 minute
segment of "AUSTRALIA TALKS BACK" we heard from Prof Fran Baum (Public Health
Assoc), Prof Stephen Leeder (U.K.), Mr Ian Lindenmayer (C.E.O. the Australia NZ Food
Authority) and Mr Mitch Hooke (C.E.O. Aust Food and Grocery Council), with numerous
concerned members of the public alarmed at what is happening with our food supply and the
introduction of GM ingredients.
This has particular relevance to us with the establishment of the $100 million
Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, in which there has
been remarkably little public debate, given the significance attached to biotechnology as
perhaps our No: 1 industry for the future.
The Queensland Biotechnology Task Force is to undertake a range of immediate actions
and identify longer term initiatives which will enhance the capacity of Biotechnology to
create sustainable jobs and wealth for Queensland have regard to Government's economic,
social and environmental objectives and to develop a Whole-of-Government approach to this
important opportunity for Queensland. The Task Force shall provide a monthly report to the
Deputy-Premier outlining progress, potential new initiatives and issues requiring
resolution and a report to Cabinet on its findings by 30 June 1999.
We ask again, has your Queensland Biotechnology Task Force undertaken a Risk Assessment
Analysis on the "opening of the floodgates" to genetically modified foods (with
the acquiescence of the State Health Ministers in allowing a regulation free holiday for a
year as occurred on 13 May 1999), or indeed, upon your government's initiative to allocate
$270 million to " firmly establish Brisbane as Australia's Centre of Excellence in
Biotechnology and a major hub in the Asia-Pacific region"?
Our community is concerned not to have been consulted in this fundamental realignment.
We would not want to see the Biotechnology Task Force "flush out the baby with the
bathwater", as our commercial advantage in being "clean and green" and
unpolluted by genetically manipulated concoctions, would seem to be very much more
valuable than aligning ourselves with the American camp and being forced to compete with
their restricted market, when the rest of the world wants nothing to do with
"Franken-Foods"!
We would like your considered response as to how our environment is to be protected
from the unforeseen consequences of this untested technology, how the safety of the
Australian population is to be protected from the onslaught of the mutant products, and
how the Queensland Biotechnology Task Force is going to handle the massive public backlash
against GMO's, as was evident in the above radio program.
Yours faithfully
John Massey
St Lucia Residents' Association
