NEW ZEALAND LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTING
NEW ZEALAND LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTING
Rotorua councillors question safety and legality of fluoridation directive
Rotorua Lakes Council was directed to work to fluoridate supply in parts of the city last year. Photo: Laura Smith
Rotorua councillors are questioning the safety and legality behind a government directive to fluoridate the city's water supply.
The decision on whether water should be fluoridated was removed from local government jurisdiction in 2021. Then-director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield directed Rotorua Lakes Council in July last year to fluoridate its central and eastern water supplies by 30 April next year.
Elected members voted at the beginning of the month to begin implementation of this. This involved infrastructure and design work.
But they also asked staff to gather further information from the Ministry of Health on the safety and legality of the directive.
At an Infrastructure and Environment Committee meeting on 2 August, infrastructure and environmental solutions deputy chief executive Stavros Michael outlined how the government would finance the project and the operating cost to the council would be about $160,000 a year.
Michael said members of the public "held diverse views". Some had expressed concern after reading overseas reports on the impact of fluoridation, which the council put to the ministry.
One of these was a United States National Toxicology Program systemic review of fluoride exposure and neurodevelopmental and cognitive effects.
The initial response included that while there was some evidence high fluoride concentrations may have an adverse effect on developing brains, there was no "convincing evidence of neurological effects at fluoride concentrations achieved by fluoridation of water supplies in Aotearoa New Zealand", a report for the council meeting said.
Michael said the directive was legally binding and needed to be in place by April otherwise there would be financial penalties. Non-compliance carried a fine of up to $200,000 and up to $10,000 per day for continuing offences.
Councillor Robert Lee noted New Health New Zealand started a judicial review in June challenging the directives. He wanted a suspension on the directive pending the outcome of this.
"We all should have a right to refuse medication."
He wanted the public to be consulted and also wanted to ask the ministry to drop the timeframe requirements........................
posted by Bill at
9:59 AM
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