The decision comes after rigorous community debate including the submission of a petition to council by local health care specialists.

The petition was submitted by Dr Roshan Abraham on behalf of 137 residents, health professionals and scientists supporting fluoridation of the water supply and opposing the community poll.

The poll, championed by mayor Peta Pinson and deputy mayor Lisa Intemann, aimed to gauge community opinion on the future of water fluoridation by asking the question: "Do you want Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to permanently cease adding fluoride (hydrofluorosilicic acid) to the drinking water supply"?

Member for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams stepped in last week and again voiced her dismay at what she described as an "appalling waste" of ratepayer funds.

Mrs Williams said discussion, or concern, about council's legal requirement to fluoridate the water supply, should be directed to the state government and not gauged via a costly community poll that was to be non-binding and not compulsory for residents to participate in.

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Cr Intemann, who has been an anti-fluoride advocate for more than 17 years, made the difficult decision to put a motion to the September 6 extra ordinary council meeting to rescind the poll.

The deputy mayor said she will take up the state MP's offer for robust, honest and respectful discussion on the matter with the Secretary for Health who is the only person able to revoke the direction to fluoridate water.

The Fluoridation of Public Water Supplies Act 1957 (the Act) sets out a very clear pathway for the authorisation and control of the addition of fluorine to public water supplies.

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council made the decision to fluoridate drinking water in 2004.

"Thank you to all councillors for their strong views on this matter," Cr Intemann said.

"My perspective changed very dramatically, in particular because of a delay of three months in the council election. The debate had got very heated and quite nasty and it was causing a lot of division in the community."

She was supported by Crs Rob Turner, Geoff Hawkins and Peter Alley in rescinding the poll and shifting the debate into the space offered by the state MP.

"It has been a passionate topic amongst councillors and the community and I fully support the deputy mayor in an alternate way to get a good outcome on behalf of the community and that is to speak directly to the Secretary for Health which has been facilitated very well by the Member for Port Macquarie," Cr Turner said.

Cr Intemann said councillors can represent the community and its opinions on water fluoridation as a part of that direct discussion.

She said she will be basing her submissions on "science and facts".

Cr Sharon Griffiths said the community should have a right to express its opinion on the matter and end the debate on whether to maintain, or make an application to the state government to cease water fluoridation, once and for all.

Cr Pinson said it takes a polarising issue off the table.

"We will not know what our community really thinks about something that affects every person who receives fluoride (in their water)," Cr Pinson said.

The mayor said much of the angst in the community was about the cost of the poll, which was to estimated to be between $65,000 and $90,000. She said it would have been money well spent.

"This isn't about fluoride anymore, this isn't about $90,000 anymore. This is about asking our community what their desires are moving forward in relation to how their drinking water is treated," Cr Pinson said.

"Going to the poll was one way to end that debate once and for all."

Cr Pinson said it sends a strong message to the community, who deserve the facts about what is put into the water supply, that council "doesn't want to hear the inconvenient truth".

The mayor and Cr Griffiths did not support the rescission motion to "take away the community's right to have their say".

Cr Intemann said while she would have loved the poll to happen, it was only one step in the process toward starting a discussion with NSW Health.

To quell community angst over the poll, she is "reluctantly, but willingly" going to take up the state MP's offer.

Cr Turner congratulated the organisers of the petition across the local health sector for showing passion about "maintaining a foundational health care principal for our community".

Cr Intemann also applauded the organisers of the petition for their time and effort on an important community issue.

"I clearly do not agree with the suppositions of it but nevertheless, as a supporter of democracy, I support individuals having their right to express their view."

Cr Griffiths said the signatories on the petition are simply expressing their opinion and the community should have the right to do the same.

Cr Pinson agreed saying the petitioners had a right to express their opinion, just like every other member of the community. If discussion goes to NSW Health, it must fairly represent all community opinion - both for and against, which is what the poll would have clearly gauged.

"In the last four years as mayor we've seen a lot of petitions come through council. We've seen a growing activity within our community of engagement," Cr Pinson said.

"That's what the poll at the upcoming December 4 election was all about - it's all about engaging our community, about asking our community about their views because without their views, how can we make decisions. Without their views, how can we represent them?

"The deputy mayor is correct, it's about democracy. It's what our country stands for - freedom of speech. Whether you are on one side of the debate or another, our country supports it. We support it in our parliaments, we support it in our local government chambers, we support it around the dinner table - people are able to discuss openly their views and feelings about things."

Cr Intemann said the recent public debate over fluoridation had been widely informative and she is taking positive gains from engaging the community on the issue.

She said the community can share their opinions by making representations to the Member for Port Macquarie. In the meantime, councillors have two weeks to submit questions.

Council's chief executive Dr Clare Allen will formally advise the Electoral Commission that council will not be holding a community poll in conjunction with the local government election on December 4.

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