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Between protesters, passionate discussions, and fire alarms it was all happening in the Otago Regional Council’s meeting this morning.
Ahead of today's meeting embattled Otago Regional Council chairwoman Marian Hobbs cast moves against her - nine councillors have written to the chief executive seeking a meeting to replace her - as an attempt to ignore national policy statements, saying she will not leave her role quietly.
"If I had gone quietly, the many citizens hoping for environmental improvements in Otago would have been told in whispers that I was too old, too stressed," she wrote in her chairwoman’s report to today's meeting.
The report sparked a heated response from some councillors today.
The discussion was momentarily interrupted by an evacuation alarm, but not before councillors had their chance to passionately deny her comments.
Cr Gretchen Robertson said she felt Ms Hobbs' comments suggesting councillors were ignoring national policy statements were "grossly unfair".
"It painted all of Otago in a particular light … we have actually worked closely with iwi and our community for many years to get to where we have got to."
Council needed to stop playing "crazy" games and start listening to the community leaders making a difference, she said.
"We need to recognise that people are getting hurt while we are doing this."
She said councillors had looked at its core values over lockdown, and all cared for the environment.
Ms Hobbs made reference to the letter written by seven councillors in March, and said it was opposite to a letter which was written to the minister at the beginning of the year, committing to completing the regional policy statement (RPS) by the end of the year.
"If we really are the environmentalists that many of you claim you are around this table, if you do care about water, then we will get a RPS in place by the end of this year."
Cr Michael Laws said there was not one person around the council table who had any intent of ignoring National Policy Statement on freshwater management.
Ms Hobbs said, based on councillors’ responses, they should withdraw the letter they signed, to which Mr Laws said it did not have relevance going forward as it was a letter written in response to the effects of Covid-19 and Ms Hobbs needed to "move on" and "build a bridge".
Cr Kevin Malcolm said it was "shocking" to imply that he, along with other councillors, were not for the environment.
He said he signed the letter at the time as a "heart-felt desire" in response to the pandemic.
"I had family in France in a military lockdown, and I could not think through that process … I had constituents ringing me in tears, saying they did not want the process to continue while they were thinking of their families.
"I have never ever said I have anything against the progress of this council towards fresh water and a good environment. Do not ever say that …"
Cr Alexa Forbes said the simplest way to move on would be to withdraw the letter.
Tension began before the start of the meeting, as protesters from Save Our Water Group awaited councillors at the door of Phillip Laing House, in Dunedin, before joining them inside the meeting room to deliver a letter.
The group of about 25 people stood up in the council meeting room and walked around the council table, handing each councillor a copy of their letter which outlined their concerns over the ORC’s waterway governance.
Green Party candidate Jack Brazil, who led the protest, said the group demonstrated as ratepayers, citizens and guardians for the future.
"[We protested] to send a clear message to the ORC councillors that we are appalled at their lack of integrity, the conflicts of interest over water permits with existing councillors and boring squabbling while freshwater is in imminent danger from further irreparable damage."
Unless council acted now, it would jeopardise all living systems that sustain life for further generations, he said.
It has been an important matter to the group, as they were "gravely" concerned at what they believed was a lack of meaningful partnership with tangata whenua.
"We are watching ORC, and we will continue holding them to account."