Health minister stands firm on fluoride as Cook Shire Council removes decay-preventing mineral from its water supply

A Cairns pro-fluoride advocate has vowed to keep lobbying for the mineral to be added to regional Queensland town’s water supplies, following a meeting with health minister Tim Nicholls.

Cairns’ Nick Adsett is an advocate for reintroducing fluoride into Cairns' drinking water supply. Picture: Brendan Radke

A Cairns pro-fluoride advocate has vowed to keep lobbying for the mineral to be added to regional Queensland town’s water supplies, following a meeting with the health minister.

But Kanimbla resident Nick Adsett has conceded health experts’ campaign is “going backwards” with Cook Shire Council the latest local government area to stop treating its water supply with fluoride.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls met with pro-fluoride advocate Nick Adsett during community cabinet in Cairns earlier this week. Photo: Steve Pohlner

Mr Adsett met with Tim Nicholls in Cairns on Sunday, urging the LNP to mandate water fluoridation and improve rapidly declining oral health standards across the state.

Regional Queensland mayors have called on the state government to take responsibility for the public health decision but the minister has refused to budge.

“The advice from Tim Nicholls is to hold the local government to account,” Mr Adsett said.

“So I have a few irons in the fire.”

A push to convince Cairns Regional Council to reintroduce fluoride into its water supplies last December failed.

But Mr Adsett criticised the council for failing to provide councillors with any advice on the health implications of their decision in the recommendations tabled in its report.

“Unfortunately, the response I’ve had from Cairns Regional Council is that they won’t be discussing this anymore,” he said.

“So they consider the matter closed because they’ve made their decision.

“But I’ll keep raising this issue through the appropriate channels.”

Mr Adsett has since written to the Queensland Ombudsman seeking a review into the council’s decision.

Cook Shire Council voted to remove fluoride from its water supply earlier this month.

Member for Cook David Kempton said while he supported local governments having the right to decide whether to fluoridate their water or not, health practitioners made a compelling case for its use.

“It’s clearly a matter for councils and I have no ability to interfere in that,” Mr Kempton said.

“Personally, I think these decisions should be based on science and less on emotion.

“The medical evidence is that fluoride is beneficial to the health of young people, especially in this electorate.

“I’d be hoping that (Cook Shire) looks at that again.”

Of the councils in Queensland, 53 out of the 77 do not have fluoridated water.

More than 150 major health organisations worldwide including the World Health Organisation, the Australian Medical Association, and the Australian Dental Association support water fluoridation.

“We’re going backwards,” Mr Adsett said.

Originally published as Health minister stands firm on fluoride as Cook Shire Council removes decay-preventing mineral from its water supply