The Environmental Risk Management Authority of New Zealand is holding a public hearing into Crop and Food Research's application to field test GM onions in containment at Lincoln, Canterbury. The hearing will be held from Monday 3 November to Wednesday 5 November 2003 at the Christchurch Convention Centre. The purpose of Crop and Food's research is to field test GM onions modified for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate, and to evaluate their environmental impact; herbicide tolerance; agronomic performance; development as cultivars and equivalency to non-genetically modified onions.

Field test applications of this type were not covered by the moratorium and have been permitted for the past two years. ERMA New Zealand publicly notified the application on 10 July 2003. 1,933 submissions were received, the majority of these in a standard format covering a similar suite of issues. 427 people who made a submission expressed a wish to be heard, however to date we expect approximately 41 submitters to attend.

Hearings are a fundamental part of the HSNO Act, facilitating the public's right to be heard in regard to notified applications. They are an opportunity for the Authority to be fully informed on an application and for the parties to put before the Authority information which is relevant to the application under consideration. The emphasis will be on the risks, costs and benefits of the application in the context of the statutory framework of the HSNO Act for contained field test applications.

The hearing will begin with an overview of the application by Crop and Food Research, presentation of ERMA New Zealand's Evaluation and Review Report, Nga Kaihautu will then introduce their report, and presentations from submitters will follow, and continue over the following two days. A draft sequence of submitters is attached.

For further information on the Crop and Food Research application, please look at the Application register on the website: www.ermanz.govt.nz. The application code is GMF03001 OR see the focus page on this application.