The Agriculture Minister, Kim Chance, says a national regulatory system to begin next month will oversee the trials, but the state could place a moratorium on the crops by 2006 if the system proves unsatisfactory. Mr Chance has told Parliament he will ask that the trial sites be published in recognition of community concern about GM crops and their potential impact on trade and the environment. He says the interim policy recognises the development of the GM market. The matter will be debated in the Upper House following a request from the Greens.
Scientists start the search for more bones from Australia's largest dinosaur.
For the first time in history, US scientists have found a way to turn embryonic human stem cells into blood cells, possibly paving the way for creating inexhaustible blood banks, according to a report to be published on Tuesday. Scientists have uncovered the most significant dinosaur fossil ever found in Australia. A recent study has shown the grey nurse shark is on the verge of extinction. A conference on aged care in Cairns has heard speculation that medical advances in the next couple of decades may deliver a healthy human life span of up to 150 years. For more audio, video and feature stories, visit our Science Multimedia Archive page .