No universal fluoridation, yet
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Universal fluoridation is not on the cards yet in the Ashburton District, but is certainly bubbling on the horizon.
A law change last year has given the authority to instruct councils whether or not to fluoridate their water to the director-general of health, currently Dr Ashley Bloomfield.
Ashburton District Council infrastructure services group manager Neil McCann said so far the district was not on the fluoride radar.
“Not at this stage but we may be considered again toward end of the calendar year,” he said.
“Council was advised in June this year that we were not included in a list of 14 territorial authorities that were being considered to receive a direction to fluoridate some supplies under their control.”
Ashburton stopped fluoridation across all its supplies in 2002, which was reconsidered in 2007 but not reintroduced, and Methven is currently the only drinking water supply that is fluoridated in the district.
But mandatory fluoridation is in the pipeline.
Universal chlorination of council drinking water supplies will come in from November under Taumata Arowai, the national water services regulator, but Ashburton supplies are already chlorinated.
Fluoridation is not a water quality issue but a health concern so, after the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act came into force in December 2021 the decision was taken off councils and given to the director-general of health.
It is understood 14 councils throughout the country have been selected to begin working on fluoridating their water supplies, and others are sure to follow.
A Ministry of Health spokesperson said the director-general of health had not yet issued any local authorities with directions to fluoridate, but it was likely they would commence issuing directions this year.
"Implementation of community water fluoridation will likely take a staged approach. If directions are issued, timeframes for compliance will be based on the individual circumstances of each supply."
Other than Methven, McCann said no other council supplies have the infrastructure to fluoridate the supply and as they are awaiting Government direction there is no provisions to do so either.
“We haven’t made specific budget provision for fluoridation, however, we are considering space requirements for fluoridation equipment as part of future planning,” McCann said.
It’s a similar case in Selwyn.
Water services asset manager Murray England said the Selwyn district had no supplies with fluoride and none of its schemes were currently able to be fluoridated, nor was there any budget for installing the necessary equipment.
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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