A Green Party leader has condemned the application by state science company AgResearch to genetically engineer a range of animals, as well as human and monkey cells and yeasts and bacteria.
"It wants to turn New Zealand into a giant GE laboratory to boost its own corporate plans at the expense of our long-term image, and without taking into account the huge risk of something going wrong," Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said.
AgResearch has made four applications for the laboratory testing of human and monkey cell lines and smaller species of genetically engineered laboratory animals, and the development of GE cows, buffalo, sheep, pigs, goats, llamas, alpacas, deer and horses.
The livestock could be used to produce antigens, bio-pharmaceuticals, enzymes, hormones and other products with possible health benefits and commercial applications.
AgResearch said it was making a "suite" of applications to obtain all the possible approvals it might need for research, breeding and production.
Its use of copies of human DNA would not involve Maori genetic material.
AgResearch said targeted high-value protein production in milk would be a niche market, supplied by small numbers of GE animals kept in containment.
"Any future farming operations [in containment facilities] will be limited to current farming areas in New Zealand such as Waikato, Taranaki, Canterbury and Southland," the company said.
The four applications on Erma's register are now open to public submissions, which will close on October 31.