McDonald's Wānaka site breaks planning rules; environment group

An Upper Clutha environment group says that the proposed Wānaka McDonald's restaurant would breach Queenstown Lakes District planning rules.

The Wānaka McDonald's resource consent application to develop a restaurant with a 24 hour drive-thru off Wānaka-Luggate Highway (SH6) opened for public submissions last Friday (July 12).

Members of the public have already put their opinions forward, and McDonald's New Zealand communications lead Kenny Simon told Crux today that the fast food retailer is committed to the public submission process, and the outcome of that process.

Upper Clutha Environmental Society president Julian Haworth has noted to Crux that the zone is classed as 'rural' in the Queenstown Lakes District Council Proposed District Plan (PDP) and that the proposed McDonald's development is "far above the threshold" of what's allowed on rural land.

The society believes that a variation to the Queenstown Lakes District Proposed District Plan would be necessary for consent to be granted to McDonald's, Mr Haworth says. 

In the QLDC proposed district plan, McDonald's Wānaka site at 237 Wānaka-Luggate Highway (outlined in a black and white border) is marked yellow to show it is zoned rural. (QLDC Proposed District Plan Map). 

"The visual effects, amenity effects, effects on landscape values and cumulative effects of the development proposed in this sensitive location are likely to be significant and adverse."

The society's application points out the proposed McDonald's site will be visible from State Highway Six and in the foreground view of those on top of Mount Iron.

Mount Iron is an outstanding natural feature (ONF) in the council's proposed district plan, and it will have adverse effects on such views, the society submission says.

The society reckons that the development goes against proposed district plan policy which says adverse effects should be avoided from development when the development forms the foreground of an ONF when viewed from public roads. 

It says it's not appropriate for the area because it not been setback far enough from State Highway Six, not of modest scale, does not have low-key rural character and does not maintain the impression of expansive rural views.

"The proposed subdivision and development is inappropriate in that it fails to meet a number of District Plan provisions when it is assessed against the rural zone objectives, policies, assessment matters and rules."

The society notes that there is already a significant amount of consented development in the area with a number of two-storey apartments, worker accommodation and associated infrastructure.

The submission asks for a voluntary donation of up to $12,000 a year from McDonald's to the Queenstown Lakes District Council to control the litter that McDonald's (if built) could create, quoting a Spinoff article from 2023 saying McDonald's accounted for more than half of New Zealand's takeaway waste.

The society doesn't believe the proposed planting and mounding by McDonald's will be enough to meaningfully mitigate adverse effects.

Public submissions are open until August 9. The full McDonalds application and details of the submission process can be found here.