Independent commissioners have declined the application to build Wānaka’s first McDonald’s restaurant.
“We consider that the adverse effects on the environment are more than minor…on the approach to Wānaka, the landscape character, and the visual amenity values of Mt. Iron,” the Commissioners said in a statement released today.
“The [application] by McDonald’s Restaurants (New Zealand) Ltd is therefore declined.”
McDonald’s has applied for consent to build a 455 square meter restaurant with a drive-thru and parking at the Wānaka-Luggate Highway, near Mt. Iron.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council sought public input on the application, receiving more than 360 submissions, with most expressing opposition.
Residents voiced concerns that the establishment would negatively affect the town’s visual appeal and aesthetics, increase litter, and conflict with the community’s commitment to protecting the natural environment.
Wao Aotearoa Charitable Trust, among others, strongly opposed the proposal. In a statement released last year, the Trust said, “The proposed site is highly visible at the entrance of Wānaka and is adjacent to significant landscape features such as Mount Iron.”
Moreover, the proposed mitigation measures, such as planting and mounding, would not adequately address the negative impacts stemming from the building itself, its signage, lighting, and parking areas.
One local also expressed concerns about the “potential for excessive traffic movements, unsafe driving, and anti-social behaviour by McDonald’s customers speeding along Aubrey Road at night, disturbing sleeping residents.”
While supportive of the restaurant project, the said local resident suggested that its impact could be lessened by imposing certain conditions, such as limiting its operating hours.
Meanwhile, another resident supporting the proposal believed it would be “a positive addition to take away food outlets in the town,” arguing that “it is appropriate for people to have food choices.”
McDonald’s submitted its application to build a restaurant and drive-through in Wānaka in November 2023, with the intention of opening by 2026. Wānaka currently has a Subway and a Domino’s but has largely avoided other fast-food chains.