❓ A WA parliamentary question on notice regarding random audits of genetically modified (GM) canola growers. The question seeks details on the audit process, results, and communication, and questions the voluntary nature of the audits.
AnsweredQoN 2868Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
With regard to the random audits that the Minister promised during debate on the disallowance of growing of genetically modified (GM) crops in the other place, I ask -
(1) What is the process for these random audits?
(2) Have any random audits been carried out?
(3) If yes to (2), will the Minister please give details including, but not limited to, -
(a) how many random audits have been carried out to date;
(b) for each random audit that has been carried out;
(i) the location (by Shire);
(ii) the result;
(iii) which persons and/or entities have been informed of the result;
(iv) any enforcement action or other action taken by;
(A) the Department;
(B) Monsanto; and
(C) any other person or entity?
(4) Is it true that letters are being sent from the Department of Food and Agriculture to GM growers, asking if they wish to nominate themselves to be audited?
(5) If yes to (4), is this what the Minister calls, ‘demonstrating the effectiveness of stewardship protocols’?
(1) What is the process for these random audits?
(2) Have any random audits been carried out?
(3) If yes to (2), will the Minister please give details including, but not limited to, -
(a) how many random audits have been carried out to date;
(b) for each random audit that has been carried out;
(i) the location (by Shire);
(ii) the result;
(iii) which persons and/or entities have been informed of the result;
(iv) any enforcement action or other action taken by;
(A) the Department;
(B) Monsanto; and
(C) any other person or entity?
(4) Is it true that letters are being sent from the Department of Food and Agriculture to GM growers, asking if they wish to nominate themselves to be audited?
(5) If yes to (4), is this what the Minister calls, ‘demonstrating the effectiveness of stewardship protocols’?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
16 November 2010
Responded by
Minister for Child Protection representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food
Response time
35 days
Department of Agriculture and Food
(1) The audits proceed as follows:
· A trained Auditor from the Department of Agriculture and Food contacts the
GM canola grower to arrange a mutually convenient date and time for the audit.
· At the agreed time the grower and Auditor meet at the grower's property and the Auditor assesses compliance of the grower with the Roundup Ready Canola Grower License and Stewardship Agreement using an Audit Checklist of 23 criteria.
· If there are no identified non-conformities the Auditor and grower sign the completed Audit Checklist and both retain a copy of the signed form.
· If there is an identified minor non-conformity the Auditor completes a Corrective Action Request for the grower and arranges a follow up meeting to check the requested remedial action has been completed.
· If there is an identified major non-conformity the Auditor completes a Corrective Action Request for the grower and forwards a copy of this form to Monsanto as well as arranging a follow up meeting to check the requested remedial action has been completed.
· All Audit documents are collated by the Audit Coordinator and will be used to prepare a final report for the Minister.
(2) Yes
(3)(a) 41 audits in 25 shires.
(b) (i) There have been multiple audits in the following 8 Shires -- Cunderdin (6 audits), Victoria Plains (4 audits), Northamptonshire (4 audits), Wongan Ballidu (2 audits), Esperance (2 audits), Plantagenet (2 audits), Wickepin (2 audits), York (2 audits); 25 audits in total.
There has been a single audit in the following 17 Shires -- Albany, Beverley, Coorow, Chapman Valley, Chittering, Corrigin, Cranbrook, Dalwallinu, Gnowangerup, Goomalling, Mingenew, Northam, Pingelly, Quairading, Ravensthorpe, Tammin and Wyalkatchem.
(ii) Whilst no breaches have been identified to date, a full report will be tabled following the 2010 harvest and the audit process.
(iii) The relevant officers within the Department's Grains Industries Directorate.
(iv) (A-C) No action has been required.
(4) No. The Minister wrote to all known canola growers in May 2010 to ask for volunteers to participate in the audits. In addition, the Department has used grains industry networks to ask GM canola growers to volunteer to participate in the audits.
(5) The audit program is intended to provide assurance of the compliance of the GM canola growers with the conditions of the licence and stewardship agreement. The number of audits required was calculated (based on the advice from the Department's biometrician) as being the number which provided assurance of the compliance of the GM canola grower with the conditions of the licence and stewardship agreement.
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(1) The audits proceed as follows:
· A trained Auditor from the Department of Agriculture and Food contacts the
GM canola grower to arrange a mutually convenient date and time for the audit.
· At the agreed time the grower and Auditor meet at the grower's property and the Auditor assesses compliance of the grower with the Roundup Ready Canola Grower License and Stewardship Agreement using an Audit Checklist of 23 criteria.
· If there are no identified non-conformities the Auditor and grower sign the completed Audit Checklist and both retain a copy of the signed form.
· If there is an identified minor non-conformity the Auditor completes a Corrective Action Request for the grower and arranges a follow up meeting to check the requested remedial action has been completed.
· If there is an identified major non-conformity the Auditor completes a Corrective Action Request for the grower and forwards a copy of this form to Monsanto as well as arranging a follow up meeting to check the requested remedial action has been completed.
· All Audit documents are collated by the Audit Coordinator and will be used to prepare a final report for the Minister.
(2) Yes
(3)(a) 41 audits in 25 shires.
(b) (i) There have been multiple audits in the following 8 Shires -- Cunderdin (6 audits), Victoria Plains (4 audits), Northamptonshire (4 audits), Wongan Ballidu (2 audits), Esperance (2 audits), Plantagenet (2 audits), Wickepin (2 audits), York (2 audits); 25 audits in total.
There has been a single audit in the following 17 Shires -- Albany, Beverley, Coorow, Chapman Valley, Chittering, Corrigin, Cranbrook, Dalwallinu, Gnowangerup, Goomalling, Mingenew, Northam, Pingelly, Quairading, Ravensthorpe, Tammin and Wyalkatchem.
(ii) Whilst no breaches have been identified to date, a full report will be tabled following the 2010 harvest and the audit process.
(iii) The relevant officers within the Department's Grains Industries Directorate.
(iv) (A-C) No action has been required.
(4) No. The Minister wrote to all known canola growers in May 2010 to ask for volunteers to participate in the audits. In addition, the Department has used grains industry networks to ask GM canola growers to volunteer to participate in the audits.
(5) The audit program is intended to provide assurance of the compliance of the GM canola growers with the conditions of the licence and stewardship agreement. The number of audits required was calculated (based on the advice from the Department's biometrician) as being the number which provided assurance of the compliance of the GM canola grower with the conditions of the licence and stewardship agreement.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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