MCDONALD’S may not be coming to Bega after all.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Despite celebrations by McDonald’s representatives after the Bega Valley Shire Council approved the Swan St development in a split decision last October, the company is having second thoughts.
A McDonald’s spokeswoman said it is “yet to determine the feasibility of the development” and has sought to modify a number of conditions attached to its approval.
The proposed changes revolve around hours of operation, noise conditions, delivery practices, signage and – most
crucially - rates.
Under current conditions, the restaurant and drive-through will operate from 6am until 11pm seven days a week, submit quarterly reports on noise levels and direct all delivery trucks to switch off their engines and refrigeration units while unloading.
McDonald’s will also pay more than $300,000 in water and sewer charges for 2011/12.
In a letter to the council’s general manager, Peter Tegart, McDonald’s principal planner Ben Craig said these and other conditions were “overly onerous, unreasonable and stringent”.
The company says it does not wish to change opening hours to the public, but wants hours of operation unlimited so staff can carry out duties on site around the clock.
It argues that continuously monitoring noise levels would require unattended equipment, meaning the source of noise would be unknown and results “largely meaningless”.
Deliveries are already set within business hours, so the company says truck engines will not be a major source of noise, while switching off refrigeration when unloading would breach hygiene policies.
Neighbours to the site – who have vocally opposed the development on the grounds it is inappropriate in a residential street – will be paying very close attention when these modifications come before councillors in May.
However, the single issue of rates may well determine whether McDonald’s decides to go ahead.
McDonald’s feels the council has incorrectly classified the Bega store - which will seat 66 people - as a takeaway/fast food outlet, which attracts higher rates than a sit-down café/restaurant.
It wants a reclassification, with water and sewer charges cut by 60-80 per cent to reflect this and the company’s water-saving initiatives.
“We are of the firm opinion that the approved development…should be defined as a restaurant,” Mr Craig said.
Current charges, he said, presented an “entirely unreasonable financial burden for a development of this nature and scale”.
The council’s group manager of planning and environment, Andrew Woodley, said he could not comment on the proposed modifications before the matter was reported to council next month.
It is sure to attract debate among councillors, four of whom voted against the development last year.