For medical-grade fluoride to have any effect on dental hygiene it must be applied topically not by ingestion. The toxic waste based fluoride currently used has no proven beneficial effect.

Most of the countries which tried mass fluoridation by water ingestion have either discontinued it or are in the process of doing so. The most beneficial action to take against caries is to reduce or halt the consumption of artificial sugars, especially for children.

While most developed countries have total or partial cover of dental costs for young children, Australia is lagging behind.

By promoting "mass fluoridation" our state and local authorities are shirking their public responsibilities.

The Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association extends its congratulations to the elected council of the Bega Valley Shire for their strong action in making significant changes to curtail expenditure in the proposed 2017-2018 Operational Plan and Budget, while also ensuring that community services will not be impacted.

The association was particularly impressed with the collective approach evidenced by councillors in their deliberations and their obvious commitment to acting in the best interests of residents and ratepayers by refusing to impose unnecessary and unfair increases in charges on the community, in particular in respect of sewerage charges and charges related to the use of community facilities.

While the association will follow up on the detailed effect of the many agreed amendments to the original draft budget to fully assess their impact, it believes that the majority of councillors today demonstrated a real willingness to act responsibly in addressing the shire’s financial challenges and for that the association applauds them.

And, in a most impressive demonstration of genuine leadership, having imposed real but responsible fiscal restraint on council, councillors imposed the same restraint on themselves by resolving not to accept an increase in their own allowances.

The association trusts that today’s confident performance will be the first of many and that councillors will now work together to bring about the necessary larger reform of council’s management culture.

The statistics regarding mental health in Australia are both startling and unacceptable.  One in three Australians will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime. Suicide is the biggest killer of young Australians and accounts for the deaths of more young people than car accidents.

We need to acknowledge those who are doing ground-breaking work in this area.

The Australian Mental Health Prize seeks to recognise Australians who have made outstanding contributions to either the promotion of mental health or the prevention and treatment of mental illness in areas such as advocacy, research or service.

I would like to encourage clinicians, health professionals and the public at large to nominate the people they feel should be recognised for their work.

More information and nomination forms can be obtained from www.australianmentalhealthprize.org.au  

Entries close on August 31.

For those who are living with the burden of mental illness every day, thank you for your support.