Mayor Ross Church comments on Govt's proposal for DHBs to be decision makers on fluoride in drinking water

Please find below comments from Kāpiti Coast District Mayor Ross Church regarding the Government’s proposal that decision making on fluoride in drinking water become the responsibility of District Health Boards.

Mayor Ross Church has welcomed the Government’s announcement that it will introduce a Bill to Parliament that, if passed into legislation, would make District Health Boards responsible for decisions about adding fluoride to drinking water supplies.

“Kāpiti Coast District Council introduced a remit to the 2014 Local Government New Zealand [LGNZ] conference calling for LGNZ to urge the government to change legislation so that decisions about fluoride weren’t left to local authorities.

“They are decisions best left to public health experts and I’m delighted that the government has seen the sense in this argument. Fluoride in water is a public health intervention and the Ministry of Health considers it to be an issue of national importance. Yet it’s been local authorities who have had to navigate their way through a minefield of conflicting medical and scientific information and, in many cases, polarised views within their communities.

“I clearly remember the day our council resolved to take this matter to Local Government New Zealand and it’s heartening to see that two years down the track we’ve got what looks like real progress on this important issue.”

For more details see:

Local Government New Zealand’s press release:http://www.lgnz.co.nz/home/news-and-media/2016-media-releases/local-government-welcomes-governments-decision-on-fluoridation/

The Government’s press release: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fluoridation-decision-move-dhbs-0

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