Waitaki Campaign 2023
How to become involved:
- Join the Fluoride Free Waitaki Facebook page
- Contact your local coordinator and offer to help.
Tuesday 26 March 2024
- The Mayor has verbally affirmed that the Council will not fluoridate until they receive an official legal directive.
- Council voted to formally receive our petition, and to consider our petition.
- Council has not yet agreed to give an official response to the petition.
- The Mayor has requested a report from the Chief Exec (Alex Parmley) to be presented at the next Council meeting , considering the possibility of requesting an extension of time to fluoridate, and other matters arising from the petition. This will be voted on at the next meeting, and then they will give an official response.
Thanks to our supporters and to Katherine who fielded the tricky questions! Thanks to everybody who has been involved in getting us to this point. Give yourself a huge pat on the back. Every little bit has counted. Without our pressure I think the council would be quietly putting fluoride in our water as soon as possible.
Thanks also to Councillor Jim Hopkins for asking that the report specifically include the possibility of seeking an extension as this wording was not in the original recommendation.
So all in all we have had a successful day! The petition gave us official time to speak to Council, and this in turn has resulted in the council considering requesting an extension to Fluoridate in line with Nelson’s extension until Dec 31st 2024. We will find out the result of this at the next meeting On April 23rd. Fingers crossed!
Petition to Keep Fluoride out of Waitaki’s water.
We have a petition – whoop!
You can find the paper version here under the Files tab on our facebook page page.
You can print out, put into staff rooms and take around friends, BBQs, Xmas gatherings…. If you leave this in a staffroom or shop, please check in with them again to ensure it’s collected. It may pay to give two copies. Keep some in your car or bag and then you have them handy all the time.
Please return completed petition forms to me (ph/text 027 277 8408) or drop in to our labelled mailbox in Community House foyer, 100 Thames St by 31 January 2024.
Online Petition Version
We have used change.org to enable the petition to be shared more easily – to Waitaki residents. You can find it here. If sharing, you may need to write the title and a wee personal intro on your post, as it doesn’t seem to come up. You can add to emails, use messenger, texts, Facebook. Let’s get sharing!!
We will present this to Council – hopefully at their first meeting in early Feb. I believe we would get 5 minutes to present, so another good opportunity to put pressure on Council and show there is a public backlash.
Brochures
We also have 250 tri-fold brochures. These are great to give out to people who don’t know the ‘untold side’ of Fluoride. Who wants some? – Let me know and I can arrange to get them to you. The link is here if you want to view or print your own: Brochure link on Fluoride Free NZ
Farmer’s Market / Main Street petition and info station
Any volunteers to spend half an hour or an hour with petitions and brochures, chatting to passers by? Let me know and we can make a plan. It’s quite social 🙂
There are none planned for now. We will meet late Jan/early Feb to plan presenting the petition to the council.
Referendum was held in 2007 with all wards voting no to fluoridation. Waitaki remains unfluoridated.
On October 18, 2007, the Waitaki District Council released the results of the fluoridation referendum held in four Wards on October 13, 2007.
Prior to the election the Council circulated information “For” and “Against” adding fluoride to public water supplies – see links below.
The following are the official results released by the Waitaki District Council:
Ahuriri Ward
NO – I Would Not Like Fluoride Added – 325 votes
YES – I Would Like Fluoride Added – 135 votes
BLANK VOTING PAPERS: 35
Corriedale Ward
NO – I Would Not Like Fluoride Added – 1216 votes
YES – I Would Like Fluoride Added – 505 votes
BLANK VOTING PAPERS: 119
Oamaru Ward
NO – I Would Not Like Fluoride Added – 4278 votes
YES – I Would Like Fluoride Added – 1894 votes
BLANK VOTING PAPERS: 278
Waihemo Ward
NO – I Would Not Like Fluoride Added – 544 votes
YES – I Would Like Fluoride Added – 366 votes
BLANK VOTING PAPERS: 108
Dated at Oamaru this 18th day of October 2007.
Joanne Firman
Electoral Officer