As Convenor of the Fluoridation Information Network I took the opportunity to address the Watercare board at their Tuesday meeting on23rd May, to ask why they haven’t factored in to their deliberations the prospect of the decision to take the burden of deciding whether to fluoridate our water supply, or not, off local authorities and transfer it to the District Health Boards which in effect would be state-sponsored mandatory fluoridation and therefore the costs should be borne by taxes and not rates.

If all the costs involved in adding this highly toxic industrial waste from the filthy chimneys of the phosphate fertiliser industry were extracted and transferred to the Ministry of Health then that may well obviate this latest increase in water bills of $21 per year.

The costs extracted must not only include the supply and delivery of hydrofluorosilicic acid and the extra cost of maintenance caused by the damage to pipes and other infrastructure from this highly corrosive acid; but also the cost of monitoring the health of personnel handling this hazardous waste and of course the receiving population since the only studies done in NZ have only considered the effects on teeth and not the rest of the body, and people may need to be compensated accordingly.

From what I can gather, the upgrade of the Huia treatment plant and network is costed out at half a billion dollars and the cost of fluoridation needs to be teased out of that, along with the costs of monitoring and extra future maintenance and a risk assessment of the possibility of compensation to those adversely affected by fluoride.

Auckland Council continues to mislead people by maintaining that the most recent referendum in the region showed people supported adding this poison to their water supply when in fact the latest voted was taken in Onehunga where the people quite clearly indicated their opposition to artificial fluoridation.

On this basis Auckland Council should cease fluoridation immediately and ask Watercare to pass on the savings to their customers - us the ratepayers.

ENDS

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