133 Molesworth Street
PO Box 5013
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
T+64 4 496 2000
05 December 2025
Sovereign Sharna
By email: [FYI request #32674 email]
Ref:
H2025074650
Tēnā koe Sharna
Response to your request for official information
Thank you for your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) to the Ministry of
Health – Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) on 26 October 2025 for information regarding community
water fluoridation.
As noted in the Ministry’s email on Monday 24 November 2025, your request seeks information
which is held by several other agencies and local authorities. The Ministry extended the period
of time available to respond to your request under section 15A of the Act, as the consultations
necessary to make a decision on the request are such that a response to the request cannot
reasonably be made within the original time limit. The Ministry would like to apologise for any
delay and any inconvenience caused.
On the 26 November 2025, the Ministry transferred several parts of your request to several
agencies
under section 14(b)(i) of the Act. This included questions 3, 5, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 20 to
the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai, question 10 to NZ Transport Agency - Waka
Kotahi and question 18 to WorkSafe.
The Ministry also notes your request seeks information which is both held by, and more closely
connected to the functions of, several local authorities. The Ministry has consulted 32 local
authorities to assess what information they hold in relation to your request. This has been
in order to transfer the relevant parts of your request to these local authorities under section 12
of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) and section 14
of the Official Information Act (OIA).
Please refer to the transfer letter, dated 5 December 2025, which outlines the transfers the
Ministry has issued to the relevant local authorities for information they hold.
Please find a response to each part of your request below.
A. Supply & Production
1. Identify the factory/facility where the fluoride chemicals supplied to New Zealand water
systems are produced, including location, operator, and production process. Include all
applicable laws, regulations, licenses, and international standards governing manufacture.
2. Identify all upstream raw material suppliers, including chemical sources such as
phosphate rock suppliers, and any subcontracted labs or blending facilities.
3. Provide the full chemical composition, including chemical names, chemical formulae,
and concentrations of all fluoride compounds added to the public water supply.
4. Provide all Safety Data Sheets (SDS), production records, and toxicology studies
related to the fluoride chemicals supplied.
5. Provide details of any chemical by-products, waste, or residues generated during
production, storage, transport, or dosing, including their environmental and human health
impacts.
6. Disclose all corporate entities, owners, and shareholders that profit from the
manufacture or sale of fluoride chemicals in New Zealand.
7. Clarify whether New Zealand currently manufactures fluoride chemicals domestically,
imports ready-made fluoride chemicals, or both, including details of manufacturers and
import sources.
B. Transport & Logistics
8. List all companies involved in transporting fluoride chemicals from production sites to
distributors, councils, and water treatment facilities. Include freight, shipping, and air
transport entities.
9. Provide shipping manifests, including transport schedules, storage conditions, and
handling protocols (personal driver details may be redacted).
10. Include all applicable laws, licenses, and regulatory frameworks under which these
transporters operate, particularly regarding hazardous substances.
C. Contractors & Distribution
11. Identify all contractors, consultants, and water treatment personnel who handle, dose,
or monitor fluoride chemicals.
12. Provide full contract details, including terms of service, duration, performance bonds,
insurance coverage, and any professional certifications required.
13. Disclose all corporate structures, shareholders, and profit arrangements related to
these contractors.
The Ministry does not hold any information within scope of parts 1-13 of your request. As noted
in our correspondence dated 24 November, 26 November and 5 December 2025 respectively,
some of the information you seek is held by other agencies subject to the OIA, as wel as
relevant local authorities subject to the LGOIMA.
Please refer to the two transfer letters the Ministry has issued for further details on which parts
of this request wil be addressed by the relevant bodies who hold parts of this information.
Please note that some of this information wil be held by private companies. These companies
are not subject to the Act and are therefore not obligated to share information they hold.
The Ministry queried a transfer to the Environmental Protection Agency. They noted that any
information they held in relation to your request is already in the public domain. They provided
the following information which may be of interest to you:
Hazardous substances imported to or manufactured in New Zealand require an approval.
In some cases, this approval can take the form of a Group Standard, where whole groups
of substances with defined classifications and uses are approved. In the cases of
substances used in the treatment of water, these could be covered by one of the Water
Treatment Chemicals Group Standards 2020 – there are 8 depending on the hazard
classification of the substance in question. The Group Standards identify any specific
controls on using the substances and refer to the EPA Notices which put in place further
requirements. The importers and manufacturers are responsible for self-assigning to the
correct group standard and maintaining records of this, and the EPA does not hold these
records.
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The Group Standards can be found here: www.epa.govt.nz/hazardous-
substances/substance-approvals-and-group-standards/group-standard-approvals/find-
group-standard-approvals/.
Please note the Ministry is funding the capital costs of set ing up community water fluoridation
for the 14 local authorities that have been directed to fluoridate by the Director-General of
Health. Ongoing costs in relation to the operation and implementation of fluoridation wil be met
by the local authorities.
Over 60 years of international and New Zealand research shows community water fluoridation is
a safe, effective and affordable way to improve oral health.
Last year, the Ministry published a new evidence review about the safety and effectiveness of
community water fluoridation, taking into account the latest international evidence. The review
found community water fluoridation provides ongoing clear benefits even when alternative forms
of fluoride (such as fluoride toothpaste) are available. You can find the evidence review here:
www.health.govt.nz/publications/community-water-fluoridation-an-evidence-review.
The Ministry has published previous responses on similar topics which may be of interest to you
below:
•
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/2024-08/h2024043279_response.pdf
•
www.health.govt.nz/system/files/2024-06/h2024042074.pdf
For other published responses on the subject of fluoridation that may be of interest to you,
please refer to the following link:
www.health.govt.nz/information-releases?keywords=Fluoride
D. Policy & Decision-Makers
14. List all individuals, boards, committees, and advisers who approve or recommend
fluoride use in New Zealand, including councils, Ministry of Health, and public health
associations.
In accordance with section 18(d) of the Act, a list of some of the organisations that endorse
community water fluoridation can be found on the Ministry’s website here:
www.health.govt.nz/strategies-initiatives/programmes-and-initiatives/oral-health/community-
water-fluoridation-policy#toc-1-4.
Please note this part of your request wil be addressed by some of the local authorities. Please
refer to the transfer letter(s) for further details.
15. Include all corporate affiliations, financial interests, and advisory bodies that influence
decisions regarding fluoride.
E. Compliance, Oversight & Safety
16. Provide copies of all risk assessments, environmental impact statements, monitoring
reports, and internal or external evaluations regarding fluoride safety, dosing, and public
health.
17. Provide documentation of regulatory compliance, inspections, or audits by government
or third-party authorities.
18. Disclose any incidents, complaints, or breaches relating to fluoride chemical safety,
handling, or dosing.
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The Ministry does not hold this information; however, it is held by the Water Services Authority -
Taumata Arowai. Additionally, WorkSafe holds information related to question 18. Please refer
to their responses in due course.
Please note some local authorities also hold some of this information. Please refer to the
transfer letter and their respective responses for further details.
F. Global Precedents & Case Studies
19. Provide documented information on countries that have ceased or restricted water
fluoridation, including Germany, Sweden, Japan, Netherlands, Finland, Israel, Hungary,
and the United States (Utah).
This part of your request is refused under section 18(g)(i) of the Act as the information
requested is not held by the Ministry and there are no grounds for believing it is held by another
agency subject to the Act.
20. Include international case law, peer-reviewed studies, legal decisions, or
environmental assessments showing health or environmental risks, chemical by-products,
or public health outcomes linked to fluoride.
21. Provide references to any policy or scientific evidence considered when approving or
maintaining fluoridation in New Zealand
The Ministry keeps a watching brief on the national and international evidence base.
Information relating to the safety and effectiveness of community water fluoridation can be
found on the Ministry of Health’s website at:
www.health.govt.nz/strategies-
initiatives/programmes-and-initiatives/oral-health/community-water-fluoridation-policy
Information about the implementation of community water fluoridation in New Zealand can be
found on the Ministry’s website at:
www.health.govt.nz/strategies-initiatives/programmes-and-
initiatives/oral-health/implementation-of-community-water-fluoridation.
Additionally, the Water Services Authority - Taumata Arowai wil address question 20 in its
response.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request with us, including this decision, please feel
free to contact the OIA Services Team on: [email address].
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review any
decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be contacted by email at:
[email address] or by calling 0800 802 602.
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Please note that this response, with your personal details removed, may be published on the
Ministry website at:
www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/information-releases/responses-official-
information-act-requests
Nāku noa, nā
Clare Possenniskie
Acting Group Manager, Public Health Policy and Regulation
Public Health Agency | Te Pou Hauora Tūmatanui
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