The decision comes after an extended public consultation period on water fluoridation, which started in February 2020 but could not proceed until February 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The public consultation process received 26 written submissions, 25 from Hindmarsh residents and one regional.

Of the 26 submissions, eight supported the fluoridation program, and 17 were against, maintaining that they believed a healthy diet and exercise was a priority.

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Despite the negative feedback, councillors unanimously voted to support further efforts to advocate for the municipality's water fluoridation.

Hindmarsh Shire is one of the few local government areas in Victoria to not have access to fluoridated water, with fluoridated water available to 96 per cent of the state.

The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends community water fluoridation to reduce tooth decay across the population.

In 2020, the Victorian government released the Victorian action plan to prevent oral disease, which looked at providing fluoridated water to all of the states by 2030.

Water fluoridation is a state-run project, with local councils playing an advocacy role once funding and opportunities become available.

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