WA growers have been promised the Genetically Modified (GM) Crops Free Areas Act will be repealed this financial year amid concern it was at the bottom of the Barnett Government's priority list.
A group of high-profile growers who support GM asked Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston last month to drive the matter forward as they are worried the repeal would become overlooked on this year's busy parliamentary agenda.
Agricultural Region MLC Jim Chown MLC reconfirmed the importance of the repeal for the government and assured growers it would occur as promised before the State election due next year.
"Despite having an extremely busy legislative agenda for this year's sitting of the Parliament, the Barnett Government has prioritised the repeal of Labor's draconian GM laws that have stifled research into WA specific traits in GM crop varieties," Mr Chown said.
"This is great news for the agricultural region and its communities that rely on agriculture to remain viable.
"GM crops have the potential to herald the greatest technological advancement in agriculture this State has ever seen."
Speaking on behalf of the growers, Bill Crabtree said he was "a little bit more sure" the repeal would occur, but his concerns would remain until it was officially passed.
"They're more out on a limb now than they were before, they're more committed than they were before," he said.
"I'm feeling more comfortable about it.
"They've said again and again and again that this would happen.''
After much pressure, the first reading of the Act occurred last November.
Moves to repeal the Act have been pushed by farm groups which fear existing legislation could be used by a future Labor government to re-introduce a ban on GM crops in WA.
WA Labor has threatened to use the laws to stop WA growers accessing the technology, if it wins government at the next election due in March 2017.
Commercial production of GM canola was first allowed in WA by the current Liberal/National government in 2010, following successful large-scale on-farm trials the season before.
An exemption order was written by then agriculture minister Terry Redman allowing GM canola to be grown across the State.
Mr Baston has previously described the Act as "a piece of legislation purely designed for prohibition".
Introduced in 2003, it provides the minister with powers to designate areas of the State where GM crops can't be cultivated, or to specificy GM crops.
It also gives the minister powers to destroy GM crops and imposes a $200,000 penalty for recklessly or knowingly growing the technology in restricted areas.
According to figures provided by Monsanto Australia, the amount of GM canola planted in WA has steadily increased over time, with 86,000 hectares planted in 2010, 94,800ha in 2011, 121,694ha in 2012, 167,596ha in 2013, 260,000ha in 2014 and 337,000ha in 2015.
The letter headed by Mr Crabtree is jointly signed by John Snooke, Cunderdin, Lewis Johnstone, Williams, Mike Baxter, Kojonup, Mark Adams, South Stirling, Tom Carmody, Cascades, Garry Cosgrove, Mingenew, Glen Thomas, Tenindewa, Duncan Young, Beverley, Jemma Sadler, Wongan Hills, John Young, Calingiri, Karen Strange, Bruce Rock, Mark Wandel, Gibson, and Darren Morrell, Cunderdin.
In addition to the letter, agricultural chemical and biotechnology advocacy group CropLife Australia recently joined with WAFarmers and the Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA (PGA) to call on the WA Government to act on the issue.
The group launched an advertising campaign last month to remove the GM crop moratorium and support science and facts.
CropLife Australia chief executive officer Matthew Cossey said WA growers needed certainty.
"WA's farmers must have confidence in access to these safe, effective modern agricultural innovations if WA is to maintain and improve its position in an increasingly competitive international marketplace and this access is under serious threat," he said.
"That is why CropLife, in co-ordination with WAFarmers and the PGA, has undertaken a public information campaign in support of the Government's GM crop moratorium repeal Bill that had its first reading in Parliament in November."