Petition: Remove Fluoride From Our Drinking Water

There's past, present and emerging. I note that all councils are in attendance for our final meeting this year and I welcome all of you in the gallery this evening. It's lovely to have so many of our community here this evening so welcome to you too. Can I please have a mover for the confirmation of the Minutes? Thank you Councillor Lorentson. Seconded, thank you Councillor Wegener. All in favour? Carried unanimously. There are no Mayoral minutes. I believe we have a petition received from Debra Walz with over 544 signatures regarding the removal of fluoride from our drinking water. I move that this petition be received and referred to the Chief Executive Officer to determine appropriate action. I'll second it. Thank you Councillor Wilkie. Thank you. All in favour? Carried unanimously. Thank does anyone else have any petitions? No. We are up to notified motions but I will move that to the agenda to get through our presentations and deputations because I believe we have a couple of present deputations. So Ms Walz would you like to come to the podium and present your deputation? Welcome. Nice to see you again. Thank you.

Good evening. Our deputation is on fluoridation. Noosa Shire Council and Unitywater have created a monopoly in the water supply market in the Noosa Shire and we, as residents, have no alternative but to use your water product. The water that is provided has fluoride added. According to this, the ACCC Federal consumer law, there are three violations pertaining to the supply of fluoridated water. There are no consumer guarantees of safety to the fluoridated water. Is not fit for purpose. Unitywater and Noosa Shire Council are supplying a product for which we have not requested or consented to. Some quick facts for you: 97% of western europe has rejected water fluoridation. Only 5% of the world's population has mandated water fluoridation. The New Zealand high court declared mandated water fluoridation violation of New Zealand human rights law. Many children now exceed recommended daily fluoride intake from cheese paste to wine. Fluoride is not a nutrient. Data from Unitywater indicates non-residential fluoridated water accounts for 22.8% of total water. Toxicologists around the world are saying we don't need fluoride added to our water. Who do we listen to toxicologists or the lesser informed government dentists and politicians? 64 studies have linked fluoride with reduced IQ in children. Throughout this year I have written to Noosa Shire Council regarding the inclusion of fluoride in our town water supply. You have referred me to Unitywater. Upon writing to them with my concerns, Unitywater referred me to Seqwater. Writing to them with my concerns, Seqwater referred me to the Queensland Health Department. Upon writing to them, the Queensland Health Department referred me back to Noosa Shire Council. This might suggest I've been given the runaround. You are well aware that Noosa Council are one of 19 councils across the State of Queensland that is continuing with the addition of fluoride to the town water supply, despite the fact that the majority of councils across the State of Queensland have relinquished this practice. Adding fluoridation to the town water supply incurs a significant cost to Council by way of the purchase of chemicals, staffing, testing, electricity and infrastructure. For example, when Cairns Council ceased fluoridation, they made a saving of about $300,000 per annum. Alternatively, there are some residents of our community who believe they'd prefer to their water. A solution to this after community consultation is to offer them fluoride tablets which they can add to their personal water supply. This was a cost-effective strategy undertaken by Queensland Council who made the decision to stop mandating fluoride in their water. This would result government does not contribute to paying the operational costs. Public opinion, community consultation and opposition to fluoride. Ethical concerns, mass medication and no freedom of choice. Health risks, where there are no Australian government studies. However, accumulating science. From overseas studies show significant harm. Fluoride is not a water treatment, it is a health care treatment. A legal risk to councillors with future class actions. Inequity or discrimination forced on some not all. In but consensus with other Queensland councils. And lastly, staff health risks. This could lead to future compensation payouts by Council. It is reasonable to assume that Noosa Shire is home to a modern contemporary group of communities. Is reasonable to expect that our community members would want to have a choice over what they consume. The petition I've provided clearly indicates their choice. In fact closer to a thousand have signed that petition. Of water is a matter of individual preference. Local councils do not bear the responsibility for health care and Council promotes the idea of residents making well-informed decisions for themselves, do they not? There are more arguments against adding fluoride to our water than arguments avoiding it. Fluoride is a known uric acid it is an enzyme inhibitor. It can cause dental fluorosis, osteoporosis. Many consumers have conditions that are worsened by fluoride exposure. Others make statuses that make fluoridation ill-advised. For example, pregnant women for whom fluoride consumption is associated with increased risks of pre-term birth and cognitive behavioural effects in offspring and the elderly for whom fluoride consumption is associated with increased risks of neurological disorders and arthritis. People at greater risk of health damage from water fluoridation include people with joint problems, people with diabetes or blood sugar regulation problems, with sensitive kidneys or dysfunction, and people with a personal or family history of heart disease. Statistically, this would include many of our community members. Swallowing fluoride poison is not necessary for adding it to teeth. If you think it may help teeth, then let me explain that fluoride is a calcium chelator which actually reduces the available calcium in the human body. The World Health Organisation says if you use fluoride toothpaste then there is little need to fluoridate the water supply. And a quote from who? In countries where dental health awareness alternative in the public is very high and alternative vehicles for fluoride, such as toothpaste, are widely available and widely used, a decision to not fluoridate the water would likely be of little consequence. Directly from the who. Sources of fluoride include toothpaste, mouthwash, other hygiene, dental hygiene products, bottled beverages, canned food items, black tea, red tea and some other teas, black and red rock salt, supplements and medications. The Federal government Australian drinking water guidelines agree that the community should be consulted. In 1.4 of the community consultation part of their guidelines, the are intended to provide consumers with safe and aesthetically pleasing water and ultimately it is consumers who will be the final judges of water quality. It is vitally important that consumers are viewed as active partners in making decisions about drinking water quality and the levels of service to be adopted. Community expectation and willingness to pay must be considered. It is the responsibility of drinking water suppliers to keep the community fully informed about water quality, existing problems and needs for improvement. Fluoride is a developmental neurotoxin. 300 studies have fluoride is your a neurotoxin. 52 human studies associate fluoride with reduced IQ. More than 100 animal studies show that fluoride can damage the brain. 2014 lancet medical journal fluoride as a neurotoxin. The bashash study of September 2017 is of significance. Urine fluoride levels in pregnant women link to lower IQ in offspring. For example, 1 milligram litre exposure results in a reduction of between 5 and 6 IQ points. One milligram to one litre is the dosage we have in our water. Why fluoride is not safe according to the USA's NRC report of 2006. It damages the teeth, causes dental fluorosis. It damages the bone, which results in skeletal fluorosis. It damages the brain, the bones, just about every part of our body. It interferes with the endocrine system, especially the thyroid. It may cause osteosarcoma, which is a type of cancer. Some people are already exceeding safe levels when drinking water at that one milligram per litre of fluoride ratio. In 2008, the labour Queensland state government. Mandated water fluoridation across the State, including the SEQ. But in 1220, the LNP state government. Gave the power to mandate or remove water fluoridation to local Councillors. It's an interesting exercise to look at our sewage usage. Unitywater calculates that, on average, 90% of water used by residents is discharged through the sewerage system, capped at 740 litres per day for residential customers. Where does this water end up is treated and released into the biosphere, what is the impact of this fluoridated water on our ecosystem and wildlife? Councillors, is this being environmentally responsible and aware? Great number of Noosa residents strongly object to having fluoride added to their drinking water. No consultation has ever been undertaken with the community. People believe they have a human right to decide. Goes into their drinking water and do not agree a Council and or Councillors who have no medical qualifications make that decision for them. Mandating and administering a toxin as a health product is criminal. As times change and our community becomes increasingly responsive to what they are consuming it is a message to Councillors to realise that you do not bear the responsibility of health care and you can make the decision to remove fluoride from our water supply once and for all. In fact community members demand that you take action. Council if desire building a healthy relationship with the Noosa Council community as your goal, as you identify in all your reports and rhetoric, then building trust, relationships and communicating are the tools for success. Opposed to power plays, intimidation and fear, which are the tools of control. Councillors should use due diligence to avoid infringing upon human rights, which basically means to do no harm. But more importantly take action to respect and support human rights. This means seizing the opportunity to take action to make a positive contribution towards the protection and of human rights, whether through your core business, strategic social investment, or simply by stopping the draconian practice of adding fluoride to our water. Would anyone of the Councillors here today be willing to sign a statutory declaration outlining your personal and financial guarantee that fluoride in the water is 100% safe for 100% of the people. 100% of their lifetime and will not detrimentally affect their health in any way? If you can't guarantee this, then I suggest your best course of action is to put a stop to the addition of fluoride in our water. Have any one of you the courage to question the safety and legality of fluoride poisoning in drinking water? It is not safe and effective, you would lead us to believe. By removing fluoride from our water, you are putting the minds of this community at ease. They will no longer have a concern that their kids and their grandkids could be poisoned by this toxin. I've attended many Council meetings this year, as you know. Not for malicious or vindictive reasons, pure purely to highlight to you concerns raised in the community. Let me suggest that your time would be better spent debating real health and safety concerns. Such as fluoride in the water and homelessness, rather than the safety concerns of two umbrellas. Before I go on to my question, want I just wish you all a very safe and restful festive season and thank you very much for your time.