The mayor of a far north Queensland council says she is unhappy about State Government moves to force fluoridation on communities.

Tablelands Mayor Rosa Lee Long says council conducted a survey in the region and found strong opposition to fluoridating water supplies.

However, she says legislation introduced to Parliament this week takes away the choice of individual councils.

“We expected them to listen to the people but they haven’t … they all preach democracy down there but they practise dictatorship and that’s what’s happened here … it’s a very emotive subject, it’s a very controversial subject and it is so right across Queensland,” she said.

In a statement today, the Minister for Health said communities with a population of fewer than 10,000 people would be able to apply for an exemption from fluoridation, based on “set criteria, including cost effectiveness”.

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