News in adding fluoride to water

bers at council meetings. “That’s democracy in action.” He also made an apology to a dog lobby group, Bay of Islands Watchdogs, whose members had been wrongly barred from taking their placards into an earlier meeting.

“That was incorrect. All groups should be treated equally,” he said.

Earlier in the meeting, however, controversy erupted when several members of the public objected to Māori ward councillors addressing the meeting in te reo — even though those councillors were the very ones calling for fluoridation to be put on hold.

Tepania strongly defended their right to speak Māori, saying it was one of the country’s official languages.

A written translation in English was provided both via the meeting livestream and on screens in the council chambers, he added.

Following the meeting, Michael Feyen — who spoke on behalf of the anti-fluoride campaigners — said the vote was “a good start”.

“I would’ve liked them to ask for a moratorium on it. The way it was worded it was just like they want a little bit of extra time before they implement it . . . but it’s a fantastic day

I think, they’re falling into line with many other councils around the country who are realising the folly of going on blind and just doing what the Government says.”

Feyen, a former Horowhenua mayor who now lives in north Hokianga, said he was grateful to the Māori ward councillors Halkyard-Harawira and Kapa, who had put the motion forward.

As previously reported, if no extension was granted, and the council did not fluoridate its Kaitāia and Kerikeri water supplies, it could face a fine of up to $200,000 under the Health Act — plus $10,000 a day for ongoing non-compliance.

In the Whangārei District, setting up fluoridation equipment at two treatment plants was expected to cost $4.6 million plus $100,000 each year in running costs.

However, a significant proportion of the set-up cost could be covered by a Ministry of Health subsidy.

In 2021 a new law took the responsibility for decisions around fluoridation away from local councils and gave it to the Ministry of Health.

When announcing the 14 councils’ fluoridation orders the following year, Bloomfield said it was a safe, affordable and effective method of preventing tooth decay.

“Community water fluoridation benefits everyone, but especially children, Māori, Pasifika and our most vulnerable,” he said.

Fluoride existed naturally in air, soil, seawater, plants and food, and fluoridated water was safe to drink, including for babies and the elderly.

Bloomfield said the New Zealand Oral Health Survey 2009, the most recent one available, found children and adolescents had 40 per cent less tooth decay in areas with fluoridated water.

I don’t think there’s enough funding for this . . . We are poor here in the Far North, people are homeless, we can’t afford it. Hilda Halkyard-Harawira