GE free? Don't tell us about it, says Qld govt

Voluntary bans by local farmers are a preferable way of creating GM crop-free areas than passing State laws, says Queensland Premier Peter Beattie.

And there are no plans to pass legislation enabling Queensland councils to legally enforce such bans, according to Innovation and Information Economy Minister Paul Lucas.

Their statements this week appeared to rule out the creation of state-sanctioned GM crop-free zones in Queensland any time soon.

They were triggered by media questions about Rosalie Shire, a rural Queensland shire council that is investigating how it might declare itself a GM-free zone.

An agricultural district about 100km west of Brisbane, the 2200 square kilometre shire supports cotton, corn, sorghum, wheat and oats.

Shire Council CEO Clint Weber said no resolution has been passed to declare the district GM-free.

"We have just requested information on what the process is. We are seeking information on gene technology because we think a cautious line is in the best interest of our community."

Council concerns have focused on cross-species gene technologies such as "putting fish genes in tomatoes so they taste like diesel," he said.

"Our position is we are wary of GM foodstuffs."

Its doubts were heightened by an earlier refusal by Commonwealth government agencies to reveal the location of any GM crops in the shire, he said.

Premier Beattie said he would be "happy to look at any request" from the shire but questioned whether it wanted a State government to "start behaving in a fascist way, dictating to farmers."

Any district that wants to create a GM-free zone "should go to all its farmers and get to them to agree in a voluntary way not to grow GM foods. If they want to market themselves in a voluntary way as GM-free, I have no problem with that." The Beattie government has committed about $270 million in biotechnology funding over the next 10 years.

Seven NSW councils have passed resolutions supporting a GE-free policy for food services supplied through council, according to GeneEthics Network director Bob Phelps. Another 14 have declared themselves genetic engineering-free zones or opposed to crop trials, he said. As in Queensland, however, those declarations are not legally enforceable without State government permission.