The Tablelands Mayor says the fact most Mareeba residents ignored a survey about water fluoridation does not mean most people do not care about the issue.

Six hundred-and-one residents filled out the survey, which was sent to almost 6,000 households in Mareeba.

Sixty-nine per cent of respondents said they do not want fluoride added to the water supply.

Mayor Rosa Lee Long says that is reflective of the population.

“When you have a survey it does mean that not everybody has to reply,” she said.

“But I think that’s a good indication of how, to my way of thinking anyway, it’s a good indication of how people are thinking down there.

“When people write letters to the editor, they say that for every letter that’s written there’s probably 10 other people thinking the same way, so I wonder if we can equate that to people actually returning their surveys.

“It would still indicate that the vast majority don’t want it.”

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