Title: Feral GM canola is found in Western Victoria
[Ballarat Courier, 22 Sept. 2010] -- Feral GM canola weeds have
been found on roadsides in Western Victoria. Canola farmer Geoff Carracher
discovered the GM canola weeds and sent them to Gene Ethics for testing, and
they showed up positive. Mr Carracher, from the Network of Concerned Farmers,
said the GM contamination had already spread further. He said an inspection of
the GM canola weeds, near Bringalbert, north of Apsley, showed some had been
eaten by nearby sheep. These rogue GM plants are probably from seed spilt on the
way to the GrainCorp grain dump at Lillimur last year," Mr Carraclier said. The
Lillimur site was also contaminated when GM canola was dumped in a non-GM bin.
The feral plants infest more than 100 metres of roadside and should be
eradicated before they set seed as the GM contamination will spread." West
Wimmera Shire has asked the Department of Primary Industries to clarify who is
responsible to clean up, but their response is not known. In 2008, when GM
canola weeds were found on roadsides near Horsham, repeated requests to the
shire, Main Roads and the agriculture minister’s office got no
response.
Article: WeedsNews1036 (permalink) Categories: :WeedsNews:genetics, :WeedsNews:agricultural weed Date: 22 September 2010; 10:59:09 AM AEST