The Shire Council of Euobodalla, near Batemans Bay on NSW’s south coast, announced recently that it will be fluoridating its water supply by November 14. Only last week we learned that Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on the Mid-North coast expects to be fluoridated by Christmas.
The timing of these developments is of grave concern because Mr Al Oshlack’s 2011 challenge against water fluoridation in the NSW Land and Environment Court will not be fully resolved until Justice Pepper’s follow-up ruling is publicised. Justice Biscoe’s earlier ruling made it clear that consideration must be given to the effects of fluoride on the environment, including human health.
It appears that the NSW Department of Health, and the councils now agreeing to fluoridate, are ignoring Justice Biscoe’s landmark ruling.
Although our present NSW State Government swept into power with promises of giving the public more voice in making decisions that affect them, we are not seeing this in relation to water fluoridation in the light of Justice Biscoe’s recent court ruling.
Furthermore, this government appears immune to the fact that, collectively, around 290 towns and cities in the US, Canada and New Zealand have abandoned water fluoridation since 1990. And the reasons for this? Informed citizens acknowledge that water fluoridation presents unacceptable health risks and does not improve dental outcomes!
Please stand up and be counted.
John Lusk,
Dunbogan
