Residents in Auckland's Ōrākei and Eastern Bay suburbs are up in arms over a proposal for a new McDonald's franchise in the area.
A resource consent application for a 24/7 drive-through restaurant and McCafé on Kepa Road was lodged in September.
If fast food giant McDonalds gets its way, the old St James Church site on Kepa Road could be home to its newest outlet - and the locals are not happy about it.
"There's the unhealthy food, there's the traffic, there's the rubbish that it will generate," local resident Sue warned.
"Yup, no, the community definitely don't want it."
Sue has lived locally for the past 30 years and recalls the rubbish generated from the now-closed McDonald's locations on Tamaki Drive and Eastridge Shopping Mall.
"We've already had McDonald's nearby, we still have McDonald's nearby. We have one in Quay St which is what, 4 kilometres at the most that way and one in Glen Innes at 4km. We don't need another McDonald's here," she said.
Resource consent doesn't always require public notification but local residents believe there are substantial grounds to challenge this application and they should be heard.
Local councillor and Auckland's deputy mayor Desley Simpson agrees.
"For the process to be fair, for people to feel they have had a say to the independent commissioners who make that determination, I personally believe that the application should be one where people can have their say. It should be publically notified without a doubt," she said.
Simpson said the application is currently on hold, with more information required on things like traffic, noise and consultation with Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
"My understanding is they are waiting for the applicant to have a final list of things they needed to have done and that was by Friday of last week."
McDonald's said it's not unusual for small groups to voice concerns and in a statement to Newshub on Monday added: "As is required of any business or individual planning a development, we are following the council consenting process and will continue to work through that process as required."
A change.org petition to stop the 24/7 McDonald's has already attracted more than 1700 signatures with Ōrākei and Eastern Bay residents concerned about the influx of traffic on the already-strained Kepa Road and the heightened risk to children walking to and from school.
But they're not the only concerns. Sue said it will undo the hard work of local iwi to promote healthy eating.
"Why would we be putting a McDonald's with the people who are most vulnerable to eating junk food right next door to them? Sorry McDonald's, please go elsewhere," she said.
Recommendations on this proposal are expected by the end of the year.
