THE Fraser Coast will have its fluoride future decided in February with Mayor Gerard O’Connell confirming the issue would go before a council vote next month.

The announcement came after the State Government removed its mandate for fluoride to be added to drinking supplies in November.

Since then a number of other Queensland councils have made decisions on whether to continue to put the compound into their water.

Cr O’Connell said ratepayers were footing a bill of approximately $200,000 annually for fluoride.

He said information would be made available to the community in the coming week and public feedback would then guide the council on its decision.

“We don’t meet again in January and we’ve got two meetings in February,” Cr O’Connell said.

“So what I thought if by early February … we can put some information out and say here are the pros and cons as we see it from council, and then put up a resolution … then take a vote on it – I would like to bring it to some sort of fruition.”

Cr O’Connell said he still believed the State Government should have made a definitive decision on the future of fluoride instead of dumping the responsibility on councils.

He said he questioned why local governments should look after dental matters when they were the domain of State Governments.

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