Arrangements are being made to introduce fluoride into the water supplies of several Tablelands’ towns by 2011 as part of a Queensland Government initiative.
Towns such as Kuranda, Malanda and Yungaburra with populations of 1,000 people or more are now required to provide fluoridated water under new regulations.
The aim is to have 95 per cent of Queensland drinking fluoridated water by 2012.
Tablelands Regional Council Mayor Tom Gilmore says that while some people have environmental concerns, the council has no choice but to implement the policy.
“I’ve drunk fluoride water all my life and so it’s not an issue for me personally,” he said.
“There are other individuals within the community that take an entirely different view and so our council is simply taking the view that it’s going to be done as a result of the State Government’s policy initiative, and so we’ll just do it.”