
The director-general has already rejected a plea from the council for an extension on the deadline which requires the council to start adding fluoride into the public water supply very soon.
Those in opposition continue to contend that it is a health issue and that the directive interferes with individual rights, including the right to refuse certain medical or health interventions.
The safety of fluoride and its efficacy to aid the delay of tooth decay has also been questioned.
Last month, at an earlier protest, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher was challenged to "stand up for the Waitaki community" on the matter.
He said the council had asked for an extension but had been met with a refusal. "We’ve asked that they make this a local democracy issue," he said in June.
"They have refused that."
The council had done its best to represent the district on the matter but it was not prepared to compromise its legal position — including a $200,000 fine plus $10,000 a day — or the removal of the elected council, Mr Kircher said.