A new bill has been introduced to parliament this week outlining the proposed regulatory regime for genetic technologies and genetically modified organisms. 

In this episode hear from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) science advisor Dr Emily Parker on the bill’s proposal for a tiered, risk-based approach to licensing and what could be exempt from the regulations. Also hear from from Dr Raj Bhula - the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia. Australia’s system has been used as a blueprint for New Zealand’s new regulations.

Guests include:

1. Dr Emily Parker, Professor of Chemical Biology at Victoria University of Wellington and Science Advisor to MBIE

2. Dr Raj Bhula, Australia’s Gene Technology Regulator, Office of the Gene Technology Regulator

Hosts:

1. Sheryl Haitana, editor, Dairy Exporter

2. Anne Lee, deputy editor, Dairy Exporter

Dr Emily Parker is science advisor to MBIE, and discusses how the hybrid model would use a tiered risk-based approach. 

Read more about the bill here:

• Gene technology regulation | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

• Gene Technology Bill 110-1 (2024), Government Bill Contents – New Zealand Legislation

Dr Raj Bhula is the Gene Technology Regulator in Australia. The Australian system has been used as a blueprint for the proposed regulations in New Zealand. She discusses the licensing process and regulations there and shares insights into the Australian experience in exempting some gene editing techniques from the regulations altogether.

Read more from the Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator:

• Community attitudes report

• Quarterly activities report

• One of the 20 year retrospective reports

• Genetically modified organism herbicide tolerance trait review report

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