ANTI-FLUORIDE campaigners staged a blockade at the Corndale fluoride plant yesterday vowing to maintain action until local authorities stopped plans to put fluoride in drinking water.

Final approvals on the new fluoride plants are expected as early as this week.

Up to 30 protesters were singing and waving placards, but were also preparing a six metre bamboo tripod and various other measures to block official access to the new Rous Water fluoride facility at Corndale.

Far from being healthy, fluoride was an industrial waste and very toxic, anti-fluoride campaigner Al Oshlack said.

The exact form the protest would take has not been finalised, and it may become a rolling blockade targeting a range of Rous Water’s fluoride plants he said.

The anti-fluoride campaigners said they would fight against the decision to add fluoride to drinking water until it was reversed.

The blockade was just one of their available strategies, and legal action was also being considered he said.

Kate Marson, a member of Fluoride Free Northern Rivers, joined the blockade to highlight the faulty science behind the moves to put fluoride in drinking water.

“There is no proof that there are better long-term dental outcomes,” she said.

In December 2013 Lismore council voted in favour of putting fluoride in the water and also gave further regulation of the process to the NSW state government.

NSW Health has since directed Rous Water to fluoridate the water.

According to NSW Health there are more than 50 years of experience proving the effectiveness and safety of water fluoridation.

Fluoride in the water supply acts like a constant ‘repair kit’ for teeth, NSW Health said.

Rous Water is in the process of commissioning four fluoride plants situated in Corndale, Clunes, Knockrow and Dorroughby.

The plants are ready to go, and just need to get the final tick of approval from NSW Health.

This could happen as early as this week, a spokesperson for Rous Water said.

Fluoridated water will be supplied to most town water customers in the Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley Council areas.

Fluoridated water will not be supplied to Byron Shires town water customers nor town water customers in Nimbin.

The anti-fluoride protesters argue the people of the region did not get a meaningful say on fluoridation.

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