Record of GMO Dealings

What is the GMO Record?

The term ‘GMO Record’ is shorthand for Record of GMO Dealings (Part 9, Division 6, the Act).

The GMO Record contains information on all genetically modified organisms (GMOs) approved by, or notified to, the Gene Technology Regulator (the Regulator) or specified in an Emergency Dealing Determination.

The purpose of the GMO Record is to provide the Australian public with ready access to information about GMOs in Australia.

Australia was one of the first countries in the world to make such a comprehensive record available to the general community.

The GMO Record is a very important part of the openness and transparency of the regulatory system for GMOs that has been operating in Australia since 21 June 2001.

What is a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)?

Definition: The full definition of a GMO appears under section 10 of the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act). In essence, a GMO means:

1. An organism that has been modified by gene technology; or
2. An organism that has inherited traits from an organism, where the traits occurred in the initial organism because of gene technology.

What are dealings with a GMO?

‘Dealing’ in relation to a GMO is defined in the Act as meaning:

• conduct experiments with the GMO
• make, develop, produce or manufacture the GMO
• breed the GMO
• propagate the GMO
• use the GMO in the course of manufacture of a thing that is not the GMO
• grow, raise or culture the GMO
• import the GMO
• transport the GMO
• dispose of the GMO or
• possess, supply or use the GMO for the purposes of, or in the course of, any of the above.

Under Part 4 of the Act, all dealings with GMOs are prohibited unless they are:

• an Exempt Dealing (these are not listed on the GMO Record)
• a Notifiable Low Risk Dealing (NLRD)
• licenced as:
  • a Dealing Not involving an Intentional Release (DNIR) of a GMO into the environment
  • a Dealing involving an Intentional Release (DIR) of a GMO into the environment
  • an Inadvertent Dealing
• included on the GMO Register
• an Emergency Dealing Determination.

What GMO dealings are listed on the GMO Record?

The GMO Record contains information about:

• NLRDs
• all licences granted by the Regulator, including those for
  • DNIRs
  • DIRs
  • Inadvertent Dealings
• dealings with GMOs included on the GMO Register
• GMO dealings authorised by an Emergency Dealing Determination made by the responsible Australian Government minister

Confidential Commercial Information

The term ‘Confidential Commercial Information’ (CCI) may appear in the GMO Record or documents related to it.This is because the Act provides for the Regulator to declare that certain information is CCI. If information is declared as CCI by the Regulator it must not be released to the public.