Four out of five New Zealanders think councils should be able to keep their districts GM free using local plans, a poll commissioned by a Hawke's Bay food producing group found.
The Colmar Brunton poll was done on behalf of Pure Hawke's Bay, a group of premium food producers who are asking councils in the region to secure Hawke's Bay's GM-free status through local plans.
The lobby group will be taking the results to Parliament to insist Hawke's Bay and other regions retain the ability to make decisions that it believes are critically important to export returns and reputation.
This year, the Government announced its intention to change the law to prevent the regions from doing so. But 79 per cent of New Zealanders participating in the national poll said councils should be able to use the RMA to prohibit GM releases in their territories.
Pure Hawke's Bay spokesman Bruno Chambers said the response shows the Government is "way out of step" with New Zealanders.
He said regions must retain the ability to protect their GM-free status.
"Many of our competitors in high-value markets are able to ensure their fields remain GM free under local laws and are doing just that."
Several councils, including Hastings, Whangarei, Far North and Auckland City, are proposing to use local plans to protect their regions from GMO releases.
Spokesman and JM Bostock produce company owner John Bostock said food producers and exporters are better placed to understand regional economic opportunities than a Wellington regulator.
"The message from the market place is loud and clear: premium buyers and high value markets want GM free.
"New Zealanders understand this, the poll shows 83 per cent of respondents believe that remaining GM free in food production is important for New Zealand's reputation."
He said the poll shows nationwide support and has the potential to be "bigger" than the Ruataniwha dam for Hawke's Bay and its economy.
Mr Bostock pointed to the South Australian Government, which this month extended the state's moratorium on GM cropping because it sees GM-free status as critical to South Australia's position as a premium food and wine producer. He said the Hawke's Bay community was "right behind" the initiative to protect the region's GM-free status.
"Eighty-four per cent of respondents in a regional poll we commissioned last year said the region should remain a GM-free food producer, and a similar number wanted the local authorities to use their planning powers to protect that status."
Ngati Kahungunu chairman Ngahiwi Tomoana said: "NKII supports a GM-free Kahungunu rohe from Wairoa to Wairarapa as the right thing to do by Papatuanuku. Our geographical uniqueness allows us to invest in greater organic development and branding for the region."
Hastings District Council is backing the initiative and is proposing to formalise the district's GM-free food producer status in the district plan.
The latest poll also shows nearly four out of five New Zealanders support councils being able to ensure GM developers, and not general ratepayers, carry the costs of cleaning up GM contamination after field trials.
Locally, the Hastings District Council has opened the draft District Plan for consultation. The plan would make Hastings a GM-free food producing area.
Submissions are due mid-February. Pure Hawke's Bay is due to write a joint submission including statements of support from the many growers who support the bid to make Hawke's Bay a GM-free region.