The Board Resolution revokes its decision last November to challenge government orders to fluoride the city’s water supply from March 28.
Photo: Alexia Russell
A Northland Council, the Combat Council, to add fluoride to its water supply in the last five months, bowed to the government’s pressure – but the counselors also voted to interrupt fluoride immediately if a legal challenge followed on Tuesday.
The district counselors of Whangārei gathered in front of a public gallery crowded on Monday afternoon, in a debate that exposed sharp divisions among the elected members.
The resolution that was eventually approved in the decision of last November to challenge government orders to fluoride the city’s water supply from March 28.
The timeline is shaving, because if the board complied with this deadline, it had to start testing the equipment and managing the city’s water supply on Wednesday.
The counselors who opposed the fluoride were now setting their hopes in an injunction that the council was looking for the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
If this injunction were granted, it would buy the board time until its legal challenge against fluoridation could be heard.
The second -year resolution asked employees to adhe with fluoridation until the morning of 19 March and to interrupt preparations if the injunction was successful.
It also required the mayor and chief executive to advise the Director General of Health that fluoridation was being performed “under protest” and without prejudice to the next legal challenge of the board.
The second meeting was often bogged down at order and procedural issues, with much of the argument against the continuation of the battle of fluoride focused on the cost of taxpayers.
In addition to heavy legal accounts, team time hours and possible fines, the board can be forced to pay the cost of US $ 4.56 million of fluoride equipment.
The Ministry of Health has already paid $ 2.28 million and was expected to reimburse the board for the other half.
An amendment by Counselor Scott McKenzie, asking for an immediate end to all legal procedures and associated costs, was defeated only when Mayor Vince Cocurullo used his casting vote to break the impasse of seven votes in each direction.
Mayor Vince Cocurullo said the costs of fluoride struggle were a concern.
Photo: RNZ / PETER DE GRAF
The original motion of counselor Gavin Benney was then approved by 13 votes for one.
At the beginning of the debate, counselor Patrick Holmes was concerned with the effect on the rates of unjustified expenses to combat fluoride.
He said that the decisions about fluoridement were deliberately taken from the councils because the Director General of Health was the most qualified person to make this connection.
“The losers will be the tamariki [children]. The only winners will be the lawyers, with whom we continue to play money, “he said.
Counselor Simon Reid, however, believed that people were “too hanging from the cost of doing the right thing.”
“If going to prison is my punishment for doing the right thing, bring it,” he said.
Counselor Ken Couper, on the other hand, felt that the objectors who filled the gallery with posters like “taking the F out of our water” were in the wrong place.
If people felt so strongly on the issue, they should bring their concerns to the government, which made the decision to fluoride in Whangārei and Bream Bay, he said.
Counselor Nicholas Connop, on the other hand, possibly spoke to many when he just wanted everything to end, and lamented the anger and division that the topic generated.
“I just want it to end and end. Science is science,” he said.
After the meeting, counselor Gavin Benney – who led the fluoride struggle – said he was disappointed that he had to revoke the previous decision of the board.
“It’s a step back, there’s no doubt about it, and I’m not happy with it. But to comply with the directive and not violate the law, and to be able to follow our lawsuit, we had to do what we had to do. It’s disappointing to have to change it today, but I’m pleased to win.
Cocurullo said the costs of fluoride struggle were a concern.
However, if the government had not required the board to install fluoridation equipment, nearly $ 5 million could have been spent on educational programs on dental care and nutrition in schools.
“I believe this would be a much better use of money,” he said.
Counselor Scott McKenzie said he accepted the vote on his rejected amendment, which was so close that it required the mayor’s cast vote.
He remained concerned about the approach of the “open checkbook” of the counselors to the issue of fluoride, with legal costs so far of $ 110,000 and the increase.
It was also possible for taxpayers to end up having to pay the government’s court costs if the board lost their legal challenges.
McKenzie, however, was pleased with the fact that the meeting was held in public.
Originally, it should have been kept at closed doors last week, but most counselors voted to be rescheduled as a public meeting.
In addition to Tuesday’s injunction, the board was asking the courts to decide whether to add fluoride to drinking water at the proposed level of 0.7-1.0 mg per liter was safe and whether the director general of health instructions was legal.
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