South Australia has announced its intention to be the last mainland state to lift its GM moratorium, but Kangaroo Island will remain GM-free.
The moratorium, introduced by Labor in 2003, was due to extend until 2025 but the Liberal Government plans to overturn that.
The decision to lift the 16-year ban was made following an independent review by Emeritus Professor Kym Anderson earlier this year.
Professor Anderson estimated the cost of the moratorium to SA's grain industry was about $33 million since 2004 for canola alone.
Professor Anderson's review found that Kangaroo Island was the only region in South Australia able to demonstrate evidence a GM-ban delivered market benefits.
The South Australian Parliament's Legislative Council has also established a Select Committee to inquire into, and report on the moratorium of the cultivation of GM crops in South Australia.
That committee has not yet reported its findings.
A statutory consultation period will now go for six weeks to give feedback on the Government's announcement.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-08-19/south-australia-to-lift-ban-genetically-modified-gm-crops/11428142
