[Greens-Media] Govt fails to heed GE grass escape threat

[Twomey, Chris (Sen R. Siewert)]

Government fails to heed GE grass escape threat

"The recent escape of a herbicide-resistant genetically engineered (GE)
grass in the US sounds a dire warning to Australian agriculture that
tighter regulation and importation measures are needed," said Senator
Siewert.

"We must protect our industry and environment from unstoppable weeds."

The glycophosphate-resistant GE 'Creeping Bentgrass' Agrostis
stolonifera was designed for golf-courses and suburban lawns. However
the plant has now jumped the fence, demonstrating an ability to spread
rapidly by seed and to hybridise with other local grass strains.

"In the Senate today the government refused to implement mechanisms to
prevent the importation of GE Creeping Bentgrass and other
herbicide-resistant GE grasses, despite the serious threat it poses,"
she said.

"Its strong resistance to weed killers combined with its ability to
spread rapidly and to cross with other grasses makes it practically
unstoppable."

"The USDA is so worried by this escape that it is running its first full
environmental impact of a GE plant. We should learn from their mistakes
- prevention is so much easier than cure."

"We need to introduce stronger measures to ensure that GE plants
released in Australian field trials do not contaminate our environment
and become problem weeds," said Senator Siewert.


	           
For more information or comment call 

Chris Twomey on 0407 725 025
Email senator.siewert at aph.gov.au 
http://www.rachelsiewert.org.au

RESCUE THE SENATE


Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens spokesperson on Agriculture


Thursday, 14 September 2006