The Federal Gene Technology Act 2000 (the Act) passed Parliament in December 2000.
The legislation is the Commonwealth component of a national scheme for the regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Many of the administrative details of the legislation are contained in the Gene Technology Regulations 2000 (the Regulations).
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) is the administrative body under the Act.
The Gene Technology Act 2000 and Regulations have been produced to eliminate any possible hazard for occupational, public health and for the environment which may be associated with any GM techniques. The safety of recombinant DNA work ultimately depends on the individuals conducting it.
The Act and Regulations require a far greater level of accountability and penalties for non-compliance than the old voluntary Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC) guidelines, and failure to comply may result in prosecutions, with substantial fines (up to $1.1m), imprisonment (10 years) and the cessation of all GM work at the University.
To assist researchers with this complex subject, a detailed set of procedures and guidelines has been developed:
University information
CRICOS Code: 00126G
