Ian Stephenson (eion.co.nz) — Mayoral Declaration 2028
My Principle
I want you to know this clearly: I am absolutely serious about running for Mayor of Tauranga. This is not a gimmick or a vehicle — it is a commitment.
I am doing my due diligence, and I will leave no stone unturned. That is the whole benefit of walking with me on this journey; together, we will discover how to solve the problems our community faces.
I am here to fix the world with Mistral, Millios, and with you. We are stronger together, and we are building solutions that last.
If people want solutions, I am here. If not, then I have misread the moment. But I believe this city is ready — ready for truth, for clarity, and for a future we can be proud of.
Proof Through Action
This campaign is not built on empty words. I do not ask you to take my promises on faith. I ask you to watch the proof unfold.
Every step — from questioning the Council’s use of fluorosilicic acid, to holding leaders accountable for Environmental Impact Assessments, to demanding clarity where silence has reigned — is part of showing you exactly how I will act as your Mayor.
I will not simply claim transparency, accountability and solutions. I will demonstrate them.
Judge me by my process. Judge me by the results we achieve together.
🌊 This is Communityism. This is Trajectory Theory. This is the future we can build.
— Ian Stephenson
Mayoral Candidate 2028
REPLY FROM : -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL INFORMATION REQUEST - NOTIFICATION OF DECISION
Rob Donald <Rob.Donald@boprc.govt.nz> 9 September 2025 at 11:00
To: Ian Stephenson <ianstephenson117@gmail.com>
Dear Mr Stephenson
RE: Local Government Official Information Request – Notification of Decision - LGOIMA Reference 738
We refer to your Request for information under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) regarding fluoride which was received by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council (Council) on 31 August 2025 and acknowledged by Council on 1 September 2025.
Council has now made a decision on your Request.
Council has decided to provide the information highlighted in grey below and attached.
Please note that you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Act. The Ombudsman’s Office can be contacted by calling 0800 802 602, emailing info@ombudsman.parliament.nz or online at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
Our LGOIMA responses may be published on the Council website. If we do this, we will not publish the requester’s personal or contact details. Please contact us if you have any concerns.
If you contact the Council about this Request, please quote the BOPRC reference number above.
Yours faithfully
Rob Donald
Science Manager
Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana
P: 0800 884 880 DD: 0800 884 881
E: Rob.Donald@boprc.govt.nz
M: 021 869 441 W: www.boprc.govt.nz
A: PO Box 364, Whakatāne 3158, New Zealand
Thriving together – mō te taiao, mō ngā tāngata
Request for Information (note: this is the original request with Council responses highlighted in grey/red)
Ingredient Distinction
Can you confirm that the chemical used in Tauranga’s water supply is fluorosilicic acid (H₂SiF₆), an industrial by-product, and not medical/pharmaceutical-grade fluoride (sodium fluoride or calcium fluoride)?
As advised by email on 2 September 2025, this part of your request has been transferred to Tauranga City Council.
Do you accept that these are chemically distinct compounds with different toxicological profiles?
BOPRC does not hold this information.
Scientific Basis
Please provide any studies or Environmental Impact Reports held by your department that specifically support the human safety and environmental safety of fluorosilicic acid (H₂SiF₆) when used in community water supplies.
If no such studies exist, please confirm.
The attached presentation was prepared at the request of Rotorua Lakes Council, it is effectively an environmental impact assessment of the use of fluoride in Rotorua potable water.
Infant Risk
Has the BOPRC science department issued any public warnings or guidance relating to the use of fluoridated water in infant formula, given that CDC, FSANZ, and NRC all classify infants as a high-risk group (Cressy 2010; NRC 2006)?
No.
If such warnings have been issued, please provide copies.
Closing
This request is not about naturally occurring fluoride in seawater, but about the deliberate addition of fluorosilicic acid into the public water supply. It is essential that the science team and Council recognise the difference.
Your response will assist in clarifying whether Tauranga residents have been given accurate scientific information and adequate protection.
Disclaimer: This message and accompanying data may contain information that is confidential or subject to legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient you are notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this message or data is prohibited. If you received this email in error, please notify us immediately and erase all copies of the message and attachments. We apologise for the inconvenience. Thank you.
Environmental impacts of fluoridation - Rob Donald, BOPRC
This note I made is important. Fluorosilicic acid was introduced October 2024. This report is dated February 2025. This means the report was mader long after the 'fluoridation' process was introduced and so therefore no EIR was done prior.
PLUS: As per the recommendation in page "Environmental fate of fluoride – where will it go?", The officer makes a declaration that they don't know the amount of 'Fluorosilicic acid' in the waste water. If there are reports, where are they? If there are none, then there is no EIR.
Well I don't know about you but this does not look like any Environmental Impact Report I have ever seen. It lacks any specific details, reviews, references, and absolutely no 'environment' was recognised by any party. Our reply is designed to clarify some points before we draw a conclusion.
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REPLY SENT 10-09-2025 - 1:06 am
Kia ora Rob,
Thank you for your reply. We have reviewed the February 2025 Rotorua presentation you supplied. With respect, this does not address Tauranga’s situation. This is now our second urgent request for clarity and immediate action.
Key Questions
Tauranga EIR — Can you confirm whether Tauranga City Council has commissioned or completed its own Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for fluoridation at 90 Devonport Road? Yes or No?
Duty of Care — Do you accept that without providing information to child-bearing mothers and families, Council is failing its duty of care under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, particularly to its own pregnant employees and the public? Yes or No?
Data Gap — You stated Council does not know how much fluorosilicic acid is already present in the environment. How can Council lawfully proceed with dosing Tauranga’s water supply without this required data?
Representation
Please confirm: are you personally representing Tauranga City Council’s official position on fluoridation? If not, who is?
Trajectory Theory Analysis
To expedite matters, we have anticipated your likely responses and analysed why they fail:
“This is TCC’s responsibility, not BOPRC’s.”
Fails: Both Regional and City Councils are jointly responsible for public health and environmental outcomes. Passing the issue between agencies is not a lawful substitute for an EIR.“Rotorua’s report is sufficient.”
Fails: Rotorua potable water is not Tauranga’s system. Tauranga requires its own EIR under environmental law.“Fluoride is widely used and safe.”
Fails: The compound here is fluorosilicic acid, not medical-grade fluoride. These are chemically distinct with different toxicological profiles.“We’ll look into it later.”
Fails: Infants are being exposed daily. Delay prolongs risk and liability.“We don’t hold this information.”
Fails: Confirms no Tauranga EIR exists, which supports our request for immediate cessation.
Urgent Action Requested
Because infants are at risk today, we request:
Immediate cessation of fluoridation in Tauranga until a proper Tauranga-specific EIR is completed.
Immediate public advisory to pregnant women, families, and staff about potential risks, pending that investigation.
We have already done the analysis for you. Please act with urgency.
Ngā mihi,
Ian Stephenson
Mayoral Candidate — Tauranga 2028
REPLY SENT TO MARTY GRENFELL
To: Marty Grenfell, CEO, Tauranga City Council
Subject: Urgent – CEO Duty of Care re Fluoridation
Dear Marty,
I am writing in your capacity as Chief Executive of Tauranga City Council.
We have now received a response from Rob Donald (BOPRC Science Manager) to our LGOIMA request regarding Tauranga’s fluoridation program. His reply did not provide:
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Any Environmental Impact Report specific to Tauranga;
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Any assessment of health impacts on pregnant women or infants;
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Any public guidance on the use of fluoridated water in infant formula.
This leaves a clear gap in Council’s duty of care.
As CEO, you carry direct responsibility for the health and safety of Council staff, contractors, and tenants. Accordingly, I request your urgent clarification on:
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Whether the 90 Devonport Road rainwater supply is subject to fluoridation, and if so, by what method.
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What steps you are taking to notify staff and tenants — especially pregnant women — of the risks associated with fluorosilicic acid (H₂SiF₆) in water.
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Whether you accept that, in the absence of an Environmental Impact Report, continued fluoridation presents unresolved legal, health, and reputational risks.
For your reference, international authorities including the CDC (2010), FSANZ, and the NRC (2006) all identify infants as a high-risk group when exposed to fluoridated water. I include this not as argument, but as relevant context for your direct review.
Please treat this as urgent. While central government may require “fluoride,” Tauranga is not using fluoride — it is using fluorosilicic acid: an industrial by-product that could never achieve Environmental Impact approval.
Yours sincerely,
Ian Stephenson
Mayoral Candidate — Tauranga 2028
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