Overview

• Gympie councillors voted 5–3 to stop dosing the water supply, with the mayor citing about $255,000 in annual savings and a one-off decommissioning cost of roughly $100,000.
• Under Queensland law the council must notify residents for 30 days before decommissioning, which it expects to complete by June next year.
• Major medical and dental bodies back fluoridation, and a University of Queensland expert called the decision a poor public-health outcome that will cost residents more in dental care over time.
• Evidence cited to councillors notes each dollar spent on fluoridation can save $7–$18 in avoided dental treatment, according to the National Health and Medical Research Council.
• The decision extends a statewide retreat from council-run fluoridation, with Cook Shire recently ending it, Cairns choosing not to reinstate it, Banana Shire decommissioning facilities, and Queensland Health data showing only 16 of 77 local government areas will continue once Gympie exits, though most people in the south-east still receive fluoridated water.