KEY POINTS:
A West Coast opponent of the use of 1080 poison backed out of making an oral submission on the future of the controversial chemical after learning the phone call could cost her more than $12.
The Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) has been holding hearings around the country as it takes a second look at the risks, costs and benefits of 1080.
The review was requested by the Department of Conservation and the Animal Health Board, which use it for controlling possum numbers.
Three hearings were held in the South Island but none on the West Coast, which has the greatest use of 1080.
A number of West Coasters travelled to Nelson or Christchurch to have a say and people had the opportunity to make oral submissions by phone - with Erma calling collect.
Erma communications manager David Venables said that when they phoned Flow Ir In, of Ross, at her allotted time she declined to accept the collect charges. It would have cost her $3.90, then 80c a minute and she could have spoken for up to 15 minutes.
"Erma prevented me from doing so by holding hearings away from the Coast, by denying me access to funds to get to any of the physical hearings, and then by calling collect," she emailed.
"If I were a child calling my mother, I might call collect, but this is Erma."
However, Mr Venables said Erma did not have the budget to pay for toll calls. Everyone had been given the opportunity to make written submissions.
"We can't hold hearings everywhere, and we had them in Dunedin, Christchurch and Nelson in the South Island. ... West Coast people came across to Christchurch, and some to Nelson."
Hearings will wrap up this month and Erma may decide to change the controls or conditions on the use of 1080, or withdraw the approval all together.
- NZPA
