Councils miss first fluoridation directive but is likely coming

Water supplies in South Canterbury are not part of the Ministry of Health’s latest fluoridation directive but it seems only a matter of time before they are.

Fluoridation of water supplies can now be ordered by the director-general of health following the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act in 2021 which shifted decisionmaking on fluoridation away from local councils.

The Waitaki District Council received such an directive from Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield on July 27 for its Ō amaru water supply, which now must have it operating at optimal levels by June 30, 2024, before the water services are due to transfer in July 2024 under the Government’s Three Waters plan.

Bloomfield’s order covered 14 councils, with Nelson City Council the only other South Island local body.

The director-general of health has said he would likely consider issuing further plans directing councils to fluoridate water later in this year.

Mackenzie District Council chief executive Angela Oosthuizen said they had been told that due to the small population of the district, they are not required to add fluoride as part of tranche one.

‘‘However, we understand that this may change when tranche two is considered in 2024,’’ Oosthuizen said.

Waimate District Council asset group manager Dan Mitchell said Bloomfield had written to chief executive Stuart Duncan recently outlining the councils that had been instructed to add fluoride to water supplies.

‘‘The correspondence indicated that Waimate DC was not one of these councils and that future direction may be possible.’’

Mitchell said the council has, in the past, discussed the power granted to the Ministry of Health to decree the fluoridation of water supplies.

‘‘If I remember rightly, this was effectively welcomed in so far as reaching consensus to fluoridate or not with any community is very difficult.’’

He said the issue of adding fluoride, or not, has not been directly discussed with council in his 10 years at council.

A Timaru District Council spokesperson said while they were not part of the first group asked to fluoridate, ‘‘it will have to follow any directive given to it by the MoH as we have to follow the law’’.

The Waitaki council said it welcomed the directive ‘‘with fluoridation proven in its effectiveness to prevent tooth decay’’.

‘‘Data for children aged 0-12 in the SDHB (Southern District Health Board) from 2022 show that 32% of children had experienced tooth decay by age five.

The introduction of fluoride is expected to cost about $370,000 for the Ō amaru supply, and is estimated to benefit over 15,000 people.