iSAYSO
Gene Technology – Safety Definition, Liability, Insurance, and Fiscal Risk
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
Gene Technology – Safety Definition, Liability, Insurance, and Fiscal Risk
To:
Official Information Act Requests
The Treasury
[email protected]
And:
Office of the Prime Minister
[email protected]
Dated 9th January
Request under the Official Information Act 1982
This request is made under the Official Information Act 1982.
This request seeks information relating to gene technology policy, approvals, promotion, and funding, including how “safety” is defined, how risk is allocated, and where liability and fiscal responsibility sit when decisions affect food systems, landholders, businesses, and quality of life.
1. Definition of “Safety”
1. All documents defining or describing what is meant by “safe” or “safety” in relation to gene technology affecting food, land use, agriculture, or human wellbeing.
2. Whether safety is assessed as absence of harm, acceptable risk, or risk outweighed by benefit.
3. The time horizon used in safety assessments (short-term, long-term, intergenerational).
4. Whether safety includes food integrity, contamination risk, export market acceptance, environmental stability, and economic exposure of farmers or landholders.
5. Whether reversibility of harm is considered when determining safety.
2. Liability, Insurance, and Risk Allocation
6. Documents identifying who bears liability if gene technology causes contamination, loss, restriction, or market rejection.
7. Any insurance policies, indemnities, guarantees, or compensation mechanisms held or contemplated by the Crown.
8. Any assessment that farmers, landholders, or private trusts are expected to absorb losses arising from gene technology decisions.
9. Any advice acknowledging risk transfer from government or industry to landholders.
3. Fiscal Risk and Treasury Involvement
10. Identification of contingent liabilities associated with gene technology policy.
11. Treasury advice to Ministers on unfunded or long-term fiscal risks arising from gene technology decisions.
12. Budget papers or Cabinet briefings relating to funding for remediation, compensation, or market loss.
4. Decision-Making and Accountability
13. Ministerial briefings, Cabinet papers, or correspondence relating to the promotion or expansion of gene technology.
14. Documents acknowledging concerns about procedural integrity, evidence testing, or accountability.
15. Advice relating to legal exposure of the Crown arising from gene technology decisions.
5. Absence of Information
If any of the information requested above does not exist, please confirm that explicitly.
Preferred Format
Electronic copies (PDF) are preferred. If information is withheld, please specify the exact statutory grounds relied upon.
Purpose
The purpose of this request is to understand how decisions described as “safe” are defined, funded, insured, and accounted for, where those decisions may interfere with life, food systems, livelihoods, and lands, land.
By:Tracy
1 The Terrace
PO Box 3724
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
tel. +64-4-472-2733
https://treasury.govt.nz
Reference: 20260012
Tracy Lynch [email protected]
Dear Tracy
Thank you for your request made under the Official Information Act, received on 9 January 2026.
You requested:
This request seeks information relating to gene technology policy, approvals, promotion, and funding, including how “safety” is defined, how risk is allocated, and where liability and fiscal responsibility sit when decisions affect food systems, landholders, businesses, and quality of life
. 1. Definition of “Safety” 1. All documents defining or describing what is meant by “safe” or “safety” in relation to gene technology affecting food, land use, agriculture, or human wellbeing.
2. Whether safety is assessed as absence of harm, acceptable risk, or risk outweighed by benefit.
3. The time horizon used in safety assessments (short-term, long-term, intergenerational).
4. Whether safety includes food integrity, contamination risk, export market acceptance, environmental stability, and economic exposure of farmers or landholders. 5. Whether reversibility of harm is considered when determining safety.
2. Liability, Insurance, and Risk Allocation
6. Documents identifying who bears liability if gene technology causes contamination, loss, restriction, or market rejection.
7. Any insurance policies, indemnities, guarantees, or compensation mechanisms held or contemplated by the Crown.
8. Any assessment that farmers, landholders, or private trusts are expected to absorb losses arising from gene technology decisions.
9. Any advice acknowledging risk transfer from government or industry to landholders.
3. Fiscal Risk and Treasury Involvement
10. Identification of contingent liabilities associated with gene technology policy.
11. Treasury advice to Ministers on unfunded or long-term fiscal risks arising from gene technology decisions.
12. Budget papers or Cabinet briefings relating to funding for remediation, compensation, or market loss.
4. Decision-Making and Accountability
13. Ministerial briefings, Cabinet papers, or correspondence relating to the promotion or expansion of gene technology.
14. Documents acknowledging concerns about procedural integrity, evidence testing, or accountability.
2
15. Advice relating to legal exposure of the Crown arising from gene technology decisions.
5. Absence of Information If any of the information requested above does not exist, please confirm that explicitly. Preferred Format Electronic copies (PDF) are preferred. If information is withheld, please specify the exact statutory grounds relied upon. Purpose The purpose of this request is to understand how decisions described as “safe” are defined, funded, insured, and accounted for, where those decisions may interfere with life, food systems, livelihoods, and lands, land.
I believe that all of your request for information about Gene Technology, except for point 3 specifically concerning Treasury involvement, is more closely connected to the functions of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment. Accordingly, I have decided under section 14(b)(ii) of the Official Information Act to transfer all of your request to the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, except for part 3 which will remain with the Treasury.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment has 20 working days from receipt of this transfer to make a decision on your request.
Yours sincerely
John Marney
Manager, Revenue and Economic Development