NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE

17 NOVEMBER

Parliamentary Notice

Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993

Notice of Proposal to Promote an Indicative Referendum Petition

Pursuant to section 7 of the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993, I give notice that I have received from The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union a proposal to promote an indicative referendum petition.

The wording of the question proposed to be put to voters in an indicative referendum is—

“Should the number of firefighters employed in the New Zealand Fire Service be reduced?”.

Comment is invited on this wording. Anyone wishing to comment must send three written copies to:

• The Clerk of the House of Representatives
• Bowen House
• Parliament Buildings
  Wellington

by 5 pm on Friday the 6th day of January 1995.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of November 1994.

D. G. McGEE, Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Notification of Determination of the Precise Question at an Indicative Referendum

Pursuant to section 13 of the Citizens Initiated Referenda Act 1993, I hereby give notice:

That Mr William Maung Maung—

— has been approved to use, for the purposes of an indicative referendum petition, the wording determined in the paragraph below;

— is the promoter of the indicative referendum petition in which the wording determined in the paragraph below is to be used;

— has been approved to use a form for the purposes of the indicative referendum petition;

That the wording of the specific question to be put to voters in the proposed indicative referendum is—

“Should there be a legally enforceable requirement that political parties observe their constitutions and their manifesto promises?”.

Dated at Wellington this 15th day of November 1994.

D. G. McGEE, Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Parliamentary Summary

Summary of Bills Presented

This section contains a précis of all bills presented to the House this week. Not all bills presented are introduced. The introduction of a bill requires the agreement of the House.

Hazardous Substances and New Organisms

Aims to provide a comprehensive and consistent approach to the management of all hazardous substances and new organisms. Hazardous substances are presently regulated under the Explosives Act 1957, the Dangerous Goods Act 1974, the Toxic Substances Act 1979, and the Pesticides Act 1979. Some substances regulated under the Animal Remedies Act 1967 are also hazardous.

The importation of new organisms (that is, organisms of a kind not already present in New Zealand) is covered by provisions in the Plants Act 1970 and the Animals Act 1967. The development of genetically modified organisms is not covered by present legislation at all.

Part I—Preliminary:
Contains the purpose of the bill and provisions relating to the Treaty of Waitangi.

Part II—Purpose:

Part III—Environmental Risk Management Authority:
Establishes a new statutory body, the Environmental Risk Management Authority, to assess and develop controls for the importation, manufacture, development, and release within New Zealand of hazardous substances and new organisms.

The new body was foreshadowed in Part XIII of the Resource Management Act 1991. That Part set up a body called the Hazards Control Commission. The body was never formally established and Part XIII of that Act is to be repealed.

Part IV—Assessment of Hazardous Substances and New Organisms:
Provides that the Environmental Risk Management Authority is to assess all new hazardous substances and new organisms for their suitability for importation, manufacture, development, or release from containment, and approve the importation, manufacture, development, or release from containment if the beneficial effects outweigh the harmful effects, or decline the application in any other case. Approvals may be granted with controls placed on the substance or organism.

New organisms can only be controlled while in containment. Containment is a location or facility where the organism or substance is confined to prevent escape. Hazardous substances will have controls imposed in accordance with their hazardous