The chairman of the Northland Regional Council Bill Shepherd is defending his role in the decision not to regulate against genetic engineering.
Mr Shepherd used his casting vote last week to defeat proposals for rules governing GMO's - genetically modified organisms - in the regional plan.
That's been criticised as an abuse of process, and a slap in the face for community opinion, because public submissions to the council on the GE issue were 82-1 against allowing them in the region.
RNZ Northland reporter Lois Williams has the story.
