{"id":18249,"date":"2012-11-30T16:22:46","date_gmt":"2012-11-30T06:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=18249"},"modified":"2024-01-22T10:58:13","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T00:58:13","slug":"mayor-backs-end-to-fluoride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2012\/11\/30\/mayor-backs-end-to-fluoride\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Backs End To Fluoride"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 30, 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Mayor Wayne Kratzmann is expected to recommend to the December council meeting that fluoridation be stopped at the region’s five major water schemes.<\/p>\n

The move could save council between $150,000 and $200,000 a year.<\/p>\n

This follows the State Government’s announcement last night that it would be restoring control of fluoride management back to local councils.<\/p>\n

Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington said today amendments to legislation would permit local governments that are currently fluoridating their water supplies to cease to do so.<\/p>\n

And in some cases, they could be able claim back capital costs.<\/p>\n

“Local governments that have, up to now, invested in fluoridation infrastructure in good faith and that subsequently determine it is not in the best interests of a community to continue fluoridation may be able to claim eligible capital costs back from the Queensland Fluoridation Capital Assistance Program,” Mrs Frecklington said.<\/p>\n

Mayor Kratzmann told southburnett.com.au<\/strong> fluoridation was a major issue but purely because of the cost factor.<\/p>\n

“The bottom line is, if we don’t have to have it in, because of the cost, we wouldn’t,” he said.<\/p>\n

He said it was one of the items councillors discussed with Local Government Minister David Crisafulli when Cabinet recently visited Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

At that stage, council was seeking to rollback fluoridation from seven days a week to just weekdays to save money, however he said today’s announcement that they could stop it completely was “great news”.<\/p>\n

“Particularly from a financial point of view and considering the recent losses in State grants and Transport Infrastructure Development grants,” Cr Kratzmann said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said fluoride was currently being added to water supplies in Blackbutt, Nanango, Kingaroy, Wondai and Murgon.<\/p>\n

He would meet with Mrs Frecklington this afternoon to discuss the legislative changes.<\/p>\n

“And I will have this on the agenda for discussion at the next South Burnett Council meeting on December 19,” Cr Kratzmann said.<\/p>\n

“I would certainly be supporting that we cease (fluoridation) subject to getting all the information.”<\/p>\n

Cr Kratzmann said most South Burnett residents get their drinking water from rainwater tanks, anyway.<\/p>\n

“I think in the country we value water more than our city cousins,” he said. “Tanks are synonymous and people think drinking tap water is not that great.”<\/p>\n

Health Minister Lawrence Springborg said months of debate about the state-wide rollout of fluoride treatment had convinced the State Government to re-establish a role for local authorities in the decision-making process.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe government is convinced by the strong advice of health authorities that endorse fluoride treatment,\u201d Mr Springborg said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEighty-seven per cent of Queenslanders have fluoride included in their local water supplies.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, while we continue to advocate for the inclusion of fluoride, we retain a strong philosophical commitment to local decision-making.<\/p>\n

\u201cAcross this state, water supplies are the responsibility of local authorities and they will no longer be sidelined in this debate.\u201d<\/p>\n