Frustration levels rose at a Dunedin hearing into gas and oil drilling yesterday, after submitters were regularly cut off and one stormed out.
Environmental Protection Authority hearings continued relating to Austrian company OMV's intention to drill an oil and gas exploration well costing about $80million in the Great South Basin this summer.
Decision-making committee chairman Mark Farnsworth tried to rein in submitters talking about the wider aspects of climate change.
The hearing is limited to the effects of a small potential discharge of harmful substances from the drill rig's deck drains, so wider environmental effects of gas and oil drilling cannot be considered.
At one point, an OMV spokesman outlined that gas was legally considered a mineral, which opposing submitter Kathryn Nevell questioned during her submission.
From the crowd she asked if she could respond, but Mr Farnsworth said she could not.
Ms Nevell then stormed out, but later returned.
At several points, Mr Farnsworth stopped submitters opposed to the plans as they spoke about the wider impacts of climate change.
He said he was ''very conscious of the frustration'' submitters were feeling at being unable to broaden the scope of the hearing, but the rules were set in legislation.
University of Otago senior marine botany lecturer Linn Hoffmann presented evidence on the wider implications of ocean acidification and how the decrease in ocean pH, caused by the uptake of carbon dioxide, was destroying marine ecosystems.
Shortly into her presentation, Mr Farnsworth cut it short, saying it did not relate to the specific consent.
Greenpeace climate campaigner Amanda Larsson said OMV had ''a lot to answer for'' in terms of the impacts its commitment to oil and gas had on the environment.
There was ''no other forum'' discussing climate change related to the consent, she said.
Other consents related to the company's drilling plans were non-notified and the public could not make submissions, therefore the scope of the hearing was ''inadequate'', Ms Larsson said.
Climate Justice Taranaki spokesman Urs Signer said oil should be treated under the Treaty of Waitangi as taonga, and therefore Maori should own that resource.
During his speech he was cut off by Mr Farnsworth, who said he understood concerns over ownership of oil, but it was not something the committee could consider.
Through video link, coral ecologist Lyndon DeVantier criticised the ''disjointed'' process in which consents regarding OMV's plans were assessed.
''Those of us that are concerned about these issues are increasingly frustrated we are limited to talking about a cupful of harmful substances.''
The hearing ends today with OMV's closing arguments.
