On this page:
- Information provided to the Director-General of Health on whether to direct certain local authorities to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water supplies
- Directions to fluoridate issued by the Director-General of Health
- The Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill
- Related resources
The Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 shifted decision-making on fluoridation from local authorities to the Director-General of Health. The change allows for a nationally consistent approach to community water fluoridation based on its well-established health benefits.
Local authorities will be required to fluoridate a water supply if directed to do so by the Director-General of Health. Those already fluoridating are required to continue to do so.
In deciding whether to make a direction to fluoridate, the Director-General of Health is required to consider:
- scientific evidence on the effectiveness of adding fluoride to drinking water in reducing the prevalence and severity of dental decay
- whether the benefits of adding fluoride to drinking water outweigh the costs, including consideration of local oral health status, population numbers, and financial cost.
Information provided to the Director-General of Health on whether to direct certain local authorities to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water supplies
This release contains information that was provided to the Director-General of Health to inform decisions made in accordance with the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 on whether to direct certain local authorities to fluoridate some or all of their drinking water supplies.
View the information release document
Directions to fluoridate issued by the Director-General of Health
The Director-General has issued 14 directions to local authorities to fluoridate community water supplies. This follows a process as described in the Health Act 1956.
The 14 local authorities who have received directives are:
- Whangārei District Council
- Western Bay of Plenty District Council
- Waitaki District Council
- Waipa District Council
- Tauranga City Council
- Tararua District Council
- Rotorua Lakes Council
- New Plymouth District Council
- Nelson City Council
- Kawerau District Council
- Horowhenua District Council
- Hastings District Council
- Far North District
- Auckland Council.
We estimate this will increase the number of New Zealanders receiving fluoridated water from 51% to around 60%.
The Ministry will invite these local authorities to apply for funding from an allocated budget of $11.3m to support capital works required to fluoridate.
The Ministry will track improvements over time in the oral health of communities receiving water fluoridation.
The Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021
Documents related to the development of the Act:
- Cabinet paper: Decision-making on the fluoridation of drinking-water supplies (PDF, 325 KB)
Please note: a typographical error has been identified in appendix 1 of the Cabinet paper (paragraph 2, page 11). The age range stated should read children aged between 1 and 14 years, not 1 and 4 years. - Cabinet minute: Decision-making on the fluoridation of drinking-water supplies (PDF, 129 KB)
- Departmental Disclosure Statement: Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill (docx, 46 KB)
- Sapere report: Review of the Benefits and Costs of Water Fluoridation in New Zealand
- Inquiry into Supplementary Order Paper No. 38 on the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill Report of the Health Committee
- Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021
Related resources
- For more information and to hear more from a range of New Zealand experts on the effectiveness and safety of water fluoridation, visit the Fluoride Facts section
- The Office of the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor has examined new evidence on water fluoridation published since the Royal Society Te Apārangi report in 2014: Fluoridation: an update on evidence
- Effective and safe | Ministry of Health NZ