{"id":907036,"date":"2026-09-27T05:38:20","date_gmt":"2026-09-27T05:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/907036\/"},"modified":"2026-09-27T05:38:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-27T05:38:20","slug":"locals-are-not-lovin-plans-for-new-mcdonalds-outlets-in-these-tourism-towns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/907036\/","title":{"rendered":"Locals are not lovin\u2019 plans for new McDonald\u2019s outlets in these tourism towns"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Benjamin<\/p>\n

September 27, 2026 \u2014 1:30pm<\/p>\n

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When Phillip Island residents started looking for details about a new McDonald\u2019s outlet proposed for the township of Cowes, their online searches generated some confounding results.<\/p>\n

Why were there so many responses about a fast food application in England\u2019s Isle of Wight?<\/p>\n

\"AnAn artist\u2019s impression of the proposed McDonald\u2019s store in Cowes. <\/p>\n

The communities of Cowes on Phillip Island and the town of the same name on the Isle of Wight are separated by more than 17,000 kilometres, but share a common fear about their future. In both coastal communities, there has been a fierce backlash against plans for a new McDonald\u2019s outlet.<\/p>\n

Those concerns, however, are not limited to Cowes. Across Victoria, from Castlemaine to Northcote, residents are fighting the fast food giant\u2019s encroachment.<\/p>\n

Many Phillip Island residents who oppose McDonald\u2019s plans want the Bass Coast Shire to follow the lead of its British counterpart and reject the application for a 24-hour outlet.<\/p>\n

Say No to McDonald\u2019s member Trevor Ryan said community concerns about the proposed outlet for Cowes ranged from environmental damage and health impacts to traffic and road safety issues \u2013 particularly for young children at the primary school just metres away.<\/p>\n

\"OpponentsOpponents of the proposed McDonald\u2019s outlet for Phillip Island fear fast food will bring litter that will be damaging for wildlife. Joe Armao<\/p>\n

He said the global hamburger chain would devastate the tourism destination\u2019s food scene by taking business away from local operators.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhillip Island\u2019s appeal is built around distinctive local food, drink and visitor experiences,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Councillors<\/a><\/p>\n

Opponents fighting McDonald\u2019s in Cowes fear it will generate a wave of packaging litter that will compromise Phillip Island\u2019s unique coastal wildlife.<\/p>\n

\u201cRubbish does not just blow into the next suburb, it blows into our ocean,\u201d Ryan said.<\/p>\n

McDonald\u2019s has applied to the Bass Coast Shire to operate 24\/7 with a maximum of 50 seats. If approved, the outlet would be less than 20 metres from the boundary of Cowes Primary School and is directly opposite retirement home units. It would be the first McDonald\u2019s outlet on Phillip Island.<\/p>\n

The application has triggered about 1000 objections lodged with the Bass Coast Shire council. By comparison, it has received 26 letters in support.<\/p>\n

One of those supporting letters said a McDonald\u2019s outlet would provide jobs for young people as well as somewhere to get coffee after 2pm and food after 8pm when other businesses have closed.<\/p>\n

Another supporting letter said the proposed site was beside a service station, making it a suitable location while also providing a food choice for emergency services and shift workers. A 7-Eleven outlet has been approved for that service station site.<\/p>\n

\"GeoffGeoff Moed and Trevor Ryan on the site of the proposed McDonald\u2019s outlet in Cowes. Justin McManus <\/p>\n

However, an online petition opposing the McDonald\u2019s outlet in Cowes has more than 5700 signatures.<\/p>\n

Cowes health and wellness coach Victoria McGregor-Dawson said Phillip Island did not need McDonald\u2019s. She said the location directly opposite retirement units was particularly problematic.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got the elderly people living here, and they\u2019re going to be infringed upon by lights, noise, smell on every level,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Later this month, the Bass Coast Shire will hold a public meeting to hear from residents about their views on the proposed McDonald\u2019s outlet.<\/p>\n

\"VictoriaVictoria McGregor-Dawson says there are few redeeming qualities for McDonald\u2019s in Cowes. Justin McManus <\/p>\n

But councils have traditionally had little power to reject fast food planning applications. And when they do, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal can overturn those decisions. A McDonald\u2019s outlet is under construction in Northcote<\/a> despite vehement protests from residents.<\/p>\n

The Victorian parliament has passed legislation giving councils new powers enabling them to consider the health implications of planning applications. Presently, councils cannot assess planning applications on health grounds.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Robert<\/a><\/p>\n

But the new powers do not come into effect until October next year, and opponents of the proposed new outlets say the fast food giant is trying to ram through planning applications while it can exploit the existing rules.<\/p>\n

Residents have also mobilised against plans for a McDonald\u2019s outlet in the gold-rush town of Castlemaine, which remains free of global fast food franchises.<\/p>\n

Mac Off Protect Castlemaine coordinator Vicki Anderson said the looming new laws were not strong enough, and needed to focus on the pattern of fast food operators setting up near schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t consider the legislation strong enough to deal with this specific issue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Anderson said McDonald\u2019s had bought the site it intended to develop in Castlemaine, at the town\u2019s arrival point, but was yet to submit a planning application to the local council.<\/p>\n

She said the proposed location was inappropriate for a fast food restaurant.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a major walking, cycling and traffic route.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sustain: The Australian Food Network executive director Nick Rose said McDonald\u2019s was attempting to secure new outlets in Victoria before councils had the chance to block them. He said fast food corporations were targeting growth areas, often crowding out healthier options.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a public health problem in this state,\u201d Rose said.<\/p>\n

He argued communities had a right to live free of fast food outlets if they wished.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey want healthier food environments for themselves and their kids,\u201d he said. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s a question of democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

But McDonald\u2019s asserts its outlets deliver numerous community benefits. A company spokesperson said one of its new outlets could generate investment of $3 million to $5 million, creating hundreds of jobs in construction and ongoing employment after opening.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen considering new restaurant locations, we assess a range of factors including zoning, population growth, traffic flow and accessibility, to ensure we can meet the needs of local communities,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

\"McDonald\u2019sMcDonald\u2019s opponents Geoff Moed and Trevor Ware in front of the school where the proposed outlet will be built. Justin McManus <\/p>\n

The company said it valued community feedback and worked with councils to ensure development applications complied with planning laws and regulations.<\/p>\n

But Phillip Island Business Network member Geoff Moed disputed suggestions McDonald\u2019s would deliver an economic boost to the community. He said the company used technology, including customer touch screens, to minimise staff numbers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a multinational company that sends the bulk of their money overseas,\u201d Moed said.<\/p>\n

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\"BenjaminBenjamin Preiss<\/a> is The Age’s regional editor. He was previously state rounds reporter and has also covered education for The Age.Connect via X<\/a> or email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"September 27, 2026 \u2014 1:30pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":907037,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[64,63,99],"class_list":["post-907036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-business"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=907036"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/907036\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/907037"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=907036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=907036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=907036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}