Locals buoyant in Maccas fight

A local movement to oppose the construction of a McDonald’s restaurant adjacent to a Dan Murphy’s alcohol outlet on a Botany Road site in Rosebery continues to grow in strength.

With a number of City of Sydney councillors echoing the concerns of local businesses and residents, McDonalds’ development application appears to be facing an uphill battle against staunch opposition.

Rosebery business owner and resident, Steve McDermott, who leads a committee to fight the proposed development says that the community and political leaders have taken the common sense view, that a combination of a late-trading McDonald’s and an alcohol supermarket would bring more problems than benefits to the area.

“There is no doubt we are gaining momentum and support,” he said. “Everyone is coming around to the fact that it simply doesn’t fit with the development of the area.”

So far the movement has received the public backing of most City councillors, including – most prominently – deputy Lord Mayor, Marcelle Hoff.

Mr McDermott told City News that NSW Premier and Member for Heffron, Kristina Keneally, has “put in an objection” and is also standing firmly behind the Rosebery locals.

“We feel that we are building quite a formidable case,” said Mr McDermott. “We have a number of preeminent individuals supporting us in the background and we are confident we can hit this on the head.”

He does not however, expect McDonald’s to go away without a fight.

“McDonald’s have a big investment in this site,” he said. “If you had $6 million invested in something, I don’t think you would lie down too easily.”

Residents Action Group comes to Hillsong’s defence

The Rosebery Residents Action Group (RRAG) has come to the defence of a one-time opponent.

While it had famously fought a long-running battle with the Hillsong Church over its plan to build a 2,700 seat mega-church in the suburb, RRAG has now extended their support to Hillsong’s latest application.

The proposal by the evangelical church, to move to a site in an industrial area of Alexandria, has “run into a bureaucratic obstacle” which the Action Group claims is “nonsensical”.

“It’s a ridiculous rule,” said RRAG spokesman Graeme Grace, in reference to new draft City of Sydney council rules prohibiting “places of worship” in industrial/commercial areas.

“Mega-churches generate a lot of noise and traffic in the evenings and weekends, so no residents anywhere are going to want them next door. If they can’t go into commercial or industrial areas, where can they go? The rule just doesn’t make sense.”

RRAG has lodged a submission of support with the local council, putting forth the case for mega-churches and entertainment centres to be allowed in industrial areas, such that they can avoid residential and commercial zones.

“It’s a natural fit,” said Mr Grace. “Generally, industrial areas shut down on weekends, with hundreds of on-street car spaces empty. Operations like Hillsong could make as much noise as they like and use that available car parking, all to no one’s detriment.”