Fluoride Bill - Important Legislative Changes

Date: 29-Jun-2017

Legislative changes made by the Newman Government yesterday will restore local control of fluoride management across Queensland. Last minute amendments were made to the South East Queensland Water (Restructuring) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2012. The changes mean more choice for communities in managing fluoride.

According to Hansard, Minister Springborg stated: “Indeed, we have about 87 per cent of the Queensland population currently covered by fluoridated water supplies. There is potential for another few per cent to fluoridate. But, under the amendments which are going to be moved later in consideration in detail by the sponsoring minister, there will also be an opportunity for those communities and those local governments which are currently fluoridating to consider what is in the best interests of their community and move to opt out of fluoridation in the future”.

The following extract describes relevant sections added to the Bill:

Section 7. Decisions about fluoridation of public potable water supplies

(1) A local government may decide that fluoride be added to the water supply that supplies potable water to the community in its local government area if it is satisfied the decision is in the best interests of the community.

(2) If a local government makes a decision under subsection (1)—

(a) if the local government is not the public potable water supplier for the potable water supply that supplies potable water to the community—the local government must give the water supplier notice of the decision; and

(b) the water supplier must add fluoride, or continue to add fluoride, to the water supply.

(3) A local government may decide that fluoride not be added to the water supply that supplies potable water to the community in its local government area if it is satisfied the decision is in the best interests of the community.

(4) If a local government makes a decision under subsection (3)—

(b) the water supplier must not add fluoride, or must cease to add fluoride, to the water supply.

Section 9 Costs

If—

(a) a local government makes a decision under section 7 to add fluoride, or cease to add fluoride, to the water supply that supplies potable water to the community in its local government area; and

(b) the local government is not the public potable water supplier for the potable water supply; and

(c) the public potable water supplier for the potable water supply incurs costs (compliance costs) in complying with the local government’s decision; the local government must pay the public potable water supplier’s compliance costs.’.

Section 13 Notification of intention relating to fluoridation of public potable water supply

(1) This section applies if a local government makes a decision (a fluoridation decision) to add fluoride, or cease to add fluoride, to the public potable water supply that supplies potable water to the community, or part of its community, in its local government area.

(2) The local government must—

(a) give the chief executive a notice stating that the local government has made a fluoridation decision and the nature of the decision; and

(b) publish the notice at least once in a newspaper circulating in the area of the State serviced by the water supply.

(3) The public potable water supplier for the public potable water supply must, at least 30 days before adding fluoride or ceasing to add fluoride to the water supply—

(a) give a fluoridation notice to the chief executive; and

(b) publish the fluoridation notice at least once in a newspaper circulating in the area of the State serviced by the water supply.

(4) In this section— fluoridation notice means a notice stating—

(a) that the local government has made a fluoridation decision; and

(b) that the public potable water supplier for the public potable water supply intends to add fluoride or cease to add fluoride to the water supply from a stated day.

The full Hansard transcript is available here. Back to list