The Hastings community has voted overwhelmingly to keep fluoride in the local water supply.
The referendum on fluoride has returned just over 9,500 yes votes, which was about 4,000 votes more than the no vote.
Hawke's Bay District Health Board chief executive Kevin Snee says the vote should settle the argument over fluoridation in the district.
He says fluoridation of water supplies is not an issue that should be decided by local authorities and he will be pursuing that view at a national level in the near future.
