McAnswer in October

By CASEY NEILL
TECOMA McDonald’s opponents will know by the middle of next month if their fight against the golden arches has been successful.
Yarra Ranges Council last October rejected the McDonald’s planning application for 1529 Burwood Highway, Tecoma, following community uproar.
But just before Christmas the restaurant chain appealed the decision to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
VCAT heard the final two days of the eight-day case on 3 and 4 September and tribunal member Geoff Rundell said a decision was likely to be delivered in six weeks.
He congratulated the community members for their efforts. Lyster Ward councillor Samantha Dunn echoed his praise.
“The community did the absolute best job they could,” she said.
About 30 community members sat in the gallery to support the Tecoma submitters each day.
Cr Dunn said the final days were the most intense and featured community members and a town planner cross-examining two McDonald’s traffic experts and an acoustics expert.
“There was an enormous amount of information and in-depth analysis,” she said.
“By the end of it most people were exhausted.”
She said there was an element of relief that the hearing had come to an end and objectors could relax after shouldering an enormous workload.
“No more late-night and on-train meetings,” she laughed.
Cr Dunn said it was really difficult to predict what the tribunal would decide but she was pleased at the members’ level of engagement, “getting down to the gritty detail of the application and its implications”.
“When you look at all the implications of having development of that intensity on that site…” she said.
“I’d hope the tribunal members would see that through the submissions.”
Objectors argue that the drive-though restaurant would create traffic chaos in Tecoma and damage neighbourhood character and amenity through its scale and appearance.
McDonald’s submitted that its application met council planning requirements, and considered and addressed concerns the community raised around traffic, noise and litter.