Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale has expressed disappointment at a decision by the Director-General of Health not to grant an extension which would allow fluoridation of the city’s water supply to be delayed.

Tauranga City Council had sought to delay the start-up of fluoridation beyond 1 November, noting that 30 days of continual dosing must be carried out prior 30 November, the date required by a mandatory Ministry of Health direction.

Mahé says Council elected members had wanted matters currently before the High Court to be finalised before the system is brought permanently on-line.

“We acknowledge that the Ministry is empowered to mandate water supply fluoridation under the Health Fluoridation of Drinking Water Amendment Act 2021, but feel that this was an important opportunity to allow Court processes to run their course and provide direction for water consumers and water supply authorities,” Mahé says.

“However, the Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, has turned down our request and repeated earlier advice that councils subject to a fluoridation direction must comply, or face significant financial penalties if they fail to do so.”

In a letter received on 20 September, the Ministry stated that the High Court has twice confirmed that the directions for councils to fluoridate their water supplies remain valid and Tauranga’s request for an extension would therefore not be granted.

“While the Ministry’s response has yet to be considered by elected members, the scale of the financial penalties the council could face if it does not comply with the fluoridation direction are extreme, including a fine of up to $200,000 and an additional $10,000 for each day of non-compliance. Additionally, we could also be required to pay back the Ministry’s contribution towards the fluoridation dosing equipment, which is estimated at $3.4 million,” Mahé says. “Those costs would fall directly on ratepayers, and I therefore think it’s likely the Council will decide to comply with the directive.”

A report will be brought to the council in December exploring options and detailing the costs of establishing an unfluoridated water supply point for the community.

“In order to comply with the 1 November deadline, testing and commissioning of the fluoridation dosing system would need to begin by mid-October. In order to give everyone certainty and as much time as possible I have asked that no fluoride is added through system testing until at least 24 October, after the Council has had the chance to consider the letter from Dr Sarfati. I don’t want to influence Council’s decision, however I want to give anyone who wishes to install filtration devices capable of removing fluoride as much notice as possible to get organised, as there is likely to be very little turnaround time between the Council decision and a potential start to testing the dosing system,” Mahé concludes.

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