Australia - Ratepayers to pay fluoride bill

Ratepayers to pay fluoride bill
ERIC PARNIS
10 Mar, 2010 01:46 PM
TENTERFIELD ratepayers will cover all the costs of fluoridating the town’s water supply, despite a long and vocal history in objection to the chemical’s addition to local water.
A perturbed councillor Phil Yates asked the Tenterfield Shire Council at its last ordinary meeting to approach the State Government to pay the costs associated with fluoridating town water in light of the public opinion.
But it is quite clear that Councillor Yates is among the minority on council worried about matching public opinion on this matter.
Council voted against his request to approach the NSW Government, which is pushing for the addition of fluoride to water supplies through the Department of Public Health, to cover costs.
“Why, when 80 per cent of the Tenterfield community don’t want fluoride, are we paying for it?” he said.
“Can we approach them (the State Government) and ask them to pay?” he asked council.
The answer was no. ....................