Water fluoridation in Australia
[3][4] Some areas within Australia have natural fluoride levels in the groundwater, which was estimated in 1991 to provide drinking water to approximately 0.9% of the population.
Consequently, areas with higher average temperatures require less fluoride to be added to the drinking water to achieve the same oral health benefits.
The tropical conditions found in parts of Australia, such as Queensland, also make it difficult to maintain fluoridation equipment due to higher levels of corrosion caused by the wet climate.
The statement says “There is reliable evidence that community water fluoridation helps to prevent tooth decay.
[11][14][15] It is understood that the impetus to fluoridate the water came from the Municipal chemist, Frank Grey, who was prompted to act when an opera singer advised him not to let his daughter's teeth be pulled if he wished her to continue singing.
[17] The legislation allows for the Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Advisory Committee and prescribes its membership under section 4 of the Act.
[18] Under the Act and regulations the local area council must make a request to the NSW Health Department that their water supplies be fluoridated.
They include: Boorowa (Hilltops), Brewarrina, Byron Shire, Carrathool, Central Darling, Coonamble, Gunnedah, Gwydir, Jerilderie, Liverpool Plains, Murrumbidgee, Narrabri, Narrandera, Narromine, Upper Hunter, Wakool, Walgett, Wentworth and Water NSW.
Narrabri, Narrandera, Narromine have naturally occurring levels of fluoride and do not supplement their water supplies.
[11] [23] [24] Oberon Shire Council voted 5 to 3 to add fluoride to the local water supply in July 2018[25] and the instrument of approval was issued in October 2018.
The ACT Advisory Body continued to lobby the government and fluoridation of the water supplies in Canberra and the City of Queanbeyan commenced in May, 1964.
[32] The act is administered by the Western Australian Department of Health through the Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Advisory Committee.
[34] Western Australia has a number of areas where no additional fluoride is added to reach effective levels; these include: Halls Creek, Marble Bar, Onslow, Paraburdoo, Tom Price, Meekatharra, Carnarvon, Bremer Bay, Leonora and Laverton.
[34] The water supply in Dunsborough, in the south west of Western Australia, is de-fluoridated to the optimal level ( 0.6 to 0.9 milligram per litre).
[37] The addition of Fluoride to public water supplies in the Northern Territory (NT) is done via government policies.
[15] In 2010 the NT Department of Health published a position paper that strongly encourages water providers to add fluoride where possible but it is not mandated.
[39] Nhulunbuy, in north east Arnhem Land does not fluoridate and a review carried out in 2020 has not resolved the issue.
[41] Supplies south of Elliott have naturally occurring fluoride at levels sufficient to provide an oral health benefit.
[46] While 90% of Victorians have fluoridated drinking water, there are still many rural towns in Victoria that do not, including in some outer suburbs of the city of Mildura.
These Acts used general competency clauses that gave councils the ability to use discretionary powers if the action was not specifically covered by legislation.
"[54] This decision is seen as a regional political issue taking precedence over the government's positive stance on fluoridation.
[55][56] As a consequence of these changes local councils in Queensland have the choice to add fluoride to drinking water supplies, similar to the conditions in place under the previous legislation.
[61] Since November 2012 the major regional centres of Cairns,[62] Mackay,[63] Rockhamption,[64] Gladstone[65] and numerous other councils[66][67][68][69] have stopped fluoridation of their water.
