Speaking to several Oberonites, the council's fluoridation public relations campaign has failed miserably.

Several I spoke to knew nothing about this important change to our water supply.

It comes hot on the heels of the aged care units debacle, where that council project is hopelessly delayed and apparently losing over $20,000 in income and yet the council left the affected people in the dark.

Notwithstanding public division and resentment about fluoridation, we should be entitled to expect council to show due care and respect to residents and ratepayers connected to the town's reticulated water supply by properly informing all affected by this unpopular change.

But no, that was too hard.

Council posted only a small comment in the Oberon Review (600 readers and very many not affected by the change) and provided an even smaller TV news flash lasting a few seconds and no doubt missed by most of us.

Did the council send out a reminder to all our town folks of the possible risks of fluoride? Did it formally restate its claims for dental heath improvements expected from adding this substance to our water so that 20 years down the track we can confirm that the promised results have or have not been achieved? You guessed it: the answer on both counts is no.

All of this is very incompetent.

Perhaps the time has come for council leadership to step down and let new people bring new perspectives with a new determination to transparently manage affairs in less divisive ways and with the focus squarely on the real interests and needs of this community.