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GM Crops

Review of Western Australian Gene Technology Act 2006

The Western Australian Gene Technology Act 2006 commenced on 01 February 2007. Under section 194 of this Act, a review of the operation of the Act is now required. The Department is therefore inviting interested parties and individuals to provide written submissions on the operation of the Act to the review.  Further information is available.

GM Canola

In January 2010, Minister for Agriculture and Food Terry Redman announced an exemption under the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003 to allow cultivation of GM canola approved by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR).  

View the 2011 commercial plantings by shire of GM canola.

2011 GM canola growers area by shire

2011 GM canola growers count by shire

To assist WA canola growers in deciding whether GM canola has a place in their farming systems, the Department prepared a set of new Farmnotes on growing canola in 2010:

• Canola variety guide in WA 2010 Farmnote 406
• Roundup Ready canola in WA Farmnote 407
• Weed control in non-GM canola Farmnote 408
• On-farm segregation of GM and non-GM canola Farmnote 480
• Coexistence of different production systems Farmnote 468

Important changes in regulation of genetically modified crops occurred in 2009 and are summarised

• GM Canola developments 2009

Many questions are frequently asked about GM crops in Australia and Western Australia.

• GM Crops FAQs

Factsheets are also available providing information about GM crops in general.

GM crops have been grown around the world since the mid-1990s. The technology has been adopted with caution in Australia.

If you have questions about GM in WA email your GM-crop related questions to: gmcrops@agric.wa.au