5 May, 2000 NEWS RELEASE
CROWN RESEARCH INSTITUTES ENDORSE
ERMA APPROACH ON GM TECHNOLOGIES
The Association of Crown Research Institutes (ACRI) today welcomed the action of the Environmental Risk Management
Authority (ERMA) to eliminate any breaches of the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act.
The spokesman for the ACRI committee dealing with genetic modification issues, Dr Ian Warrington, said unauthorised
research using GM technologies, even if unintentional and low risk, was not be countenanced under any circumstances.
"The actions of ERMA to ensure all correct approvals have been obtained and safety standards are being observed are both
practical and necessary.
"Research institutes must ensure management controls are vigorous and that the provisions of the HSNO Act are being
followed in order to secure the confidence of the public, regulators and the legislature."
Ends
Issued by: The Association of Crown Research Institutes
Contact: Dr Ian Warrington
Tel: (06) 351-7000
or
(025) 748-759