The locals in Kaikoura probably won’t win this battle – more’s the pity.
McDonalds has revealed it bought a large block of land on the outskirts of this seaside town with the ultimate aim of erecting the Golden Arches.
Locals are upset about it, but the district plan will allow for the restaurant.
While I’d hate to see the culinary delights of Kaikoura blighted by the presence of a McDonalds restaurant the people petitioning against the development could be seen as a little hypocritical. SUBWAY have a restaurant in Kaikoura. While their footprint is smaller they are still a global brand selling anything but local produce.
According to the Marlborough Express “feedback from a forum held in 2002, A Kaikoura Celebration, indicated that the community did not want to see any large fast food chains in town and a similar scenario is being played out in Mosgiel, where residents have approached the council to try to stop the move.”
Seems it might be too late.
We don’t agree that McDonalds will necessarily be able to build a McDonalds restaurant anywhere. When they notified the application in Balmoral 2 years ago – in a business zone – everyone said we couldn’t stop them. We haven’t got the decision yet but we reckon we’ve got a good chance. The important thing is for the community to get together and try. If you don’t try, you’ll never know. If you do, you might win. McDonalds buys sites right beside people’s houses – this is not an appropriate neighbour. McDonalds doesn’t actually care about your community. They don’t comply with conditions of consent, they don’t pick up litter, they don’t manage rowdy patrons and they encourage people to buy and bugger off. McDonalds is a factory that operates on maximising throughput without any thought of the consequences. If this is beside someone’s house – then it shouldn’t be built.
Justine, I think what you are doing is great, and I wish you every success. Let’s hope Kaikoura can organise themselves the way you have. I hope you’ve been in touch with them to give them tips. I feel a national movement starting here.
Naturally we’re keen to help wherever possible. it’s a challenging process for locals – not many people are lawyers or noise experts or traffic experts or planners. Rather than a national movement, I like to see it as a national sharing of expertise. We can’t afford to pay for experts unlike the deep pockets of McDonalds so we just try our best to help.
I think that fact that McDonalds can be so arrogant about the erection of their ugly golden arches is appaling. I think it is such a shame they can come and take over any small town with their disgusting fatty poisen and untasteful commercial restaurants like they are planning to do in Kairoura. They are doing this too in Havelock North in the Hawkes bay. It’s location will be the first thing you see entering our small boutiquey village and gives the complete wrong impression. We have 80% at least against it, but we just dont stand a chance. 🙁
Hi Sarah
Don’t give up. The good folk in Balmoral have been fighting for years – they have had a partial win in that McDonalds can have a restaurant but can’t erect the arches. (I hate using the word McDonalds in association with ‘restaurant’ – it just doesn’t feel right).