TRC rejects McDonald’s

GLAD to hear another resident has raised concerns regarding another fast-food takeaway development in their neighbourhood, and good to see councillors rejecting the proposal based on the possibility of negative impacts on traffic, acoustics, and amenity. The same thing happened in our street, they had already purchased the land and were removing the houses in readiness.

A few years ago now, I wrote an objection to the McDonald’s development proposal at the now Eastville precinct at the Brisbane end of Herries St, Toowoomba. A global website set up helping people prepare objections to such fast-food takeaway proposals was extremely helpful.

Common negative issues impacting residential surrounds identified that the website collaborated was increased traffic. Noise, rubbish, and the 24-hour lighting – all confirmed the same issues negatively impacting the surrounding residential environment.

McDonald’s’ corporate policy and procedure at that time focused on sustainability promises of keeping the surrounding area the store is located free of rubbish of their product waste.

Today the amount of McDonald’s’ paraphernalia littered on the street of surrounding houses and driveways has increased at least four times. As customers drive out, they throw their food wrappers and drink cups napkins and paper bags on the street.

I have rung and then presented at the store as the policy suggests requesting and referring to their policy that the store cleans up their branded rubbish littering the street out front and in the surrounding area.

The manager said as mainly young staff serving in-store and the store staff are flat out they don’t do it. An additional staff member is required to supervise staff cleaning outside the store and surrounding area and staff need to wear yellow high visibility jackets so Full stop, they don’t do it.

Traffic has increased 10-fold with cars screeching out of the Eastville precinct exit onto Herries st and plough foot to the floor as they speed towards town.

There has been a huge increase in big trucks and heavy vehicles now entering the top of Herries St parking in front of houses opposite Eastville, more than often parking across driveways in no standing zones as they then walk across to Eastville to get food.

Buses often pull up on weekends and parking on the road, unload kids after sports and head to McDonald’s and KFC.

Daily, weekly, and many years on, cars continue to park in the no-standing zones where signs are erected and clear markings on the road have been put there by the council.

This area is the same one that serves St Vincent’s Private Hospital and its new and expanded emergency premises, medical and child care centres, and parking is a real nightmare in this block and as a result a potential gold mine for the council revenue re: parking noncompliance.

I am not aware of any targeted surveillance by the council officers regulating the surrounding areas since establishments started operating, so I don’t know and ask the question – Does the council monitor these developments after they are established, are regular “audits” of possible negative impacts conducted with residents so this feedback can be taken into consideration when making future decisions?

Community consultation after development could assist in collecting evidence from those living in the area being impacted by the outcome of these specific planning decisions where councillors have concerns.

For example, after all the work to put markings on the road, and erect no-standing signs, does the council collect/gather data and information from parking compliance surveillance in the specific areas where such developments are approved – data of parking fines issued, complaints from residents, traffic incidents reported etc? Is it considered in regard to future development decisions for this community?

It’s this follow-through from development application to living the reality of the day-to-day lived experience of people impacted by the failure of the proposal’s promises.

So much is promised to mitigate the negative impacts predicted, but too little on listening to and evidencing by the council so that their decisions can make a difference in the future. DEE WHITTAKER, Toowoomba