Australia - ‘Populist and wildly subjective’: War over fluoride erupts between Port Macquarie councillors

 Councillors on the NSW mid-north coast are pushing for a public vote to remove fluoride from the public water supply. But dental experts and one council member have hit back, arguing community members should not be bombarded by “populist and wildly subjective opinions”.

The Port Macquarie-Hastings Council plans to launch a community poll later this year, alongside the local election, where residents can vote on whether or not fluoride should be filtered out of the drinking water. However, councillor Rob Turner is proposing instead of the poll, councillors discuss other less costly options for obtaining feedback from the community, providing they have been educated on the topic.

Mr Turner, who is a pharmacist, said there was plenty of evidence to support fluoridation of water, and it was not council’s role to “undermine” NSW Health. Even if the council does push forward with the community poll, which would cost upwards of $60,000 in taxpayer dollars, fluoride is compulsory.

Dental experts argue fluoride is essential in preventing tooth decay. “Under Section 6B of the Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Act 1957, a water utility may not cease fluoridation unless the direction is revoked by NSW Health,” the health department said in a statement.

“A water utility ceasing fluoridation without the direction being revoked is guilty of an offence against this Act.”................