GTR Statement of Intent

Australia's gene technology regulatory scheme is governed by the Gene Technology Ministers' Meeting and centred on the Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act) and corresponding state and territory legislation. The functions and responsibilities of the decision-maker that administers the national scheme, the Gene Technology Regulator, are set out in the Act. The purpose of the scheme is described in the Object of the Act which is ‘to protect the health and safety of people and the environment by identifying risks posed by, or as a result of, gene technology, and by managing those risks through regulating certain dealings with genetically modified organisms’.

The OGTR is within the Department of Health and Aged Care and staff at the OGTR assist the Regulator in performing functions as prescribed in the Act.