Locals have plenty to say, both good and bad, about McDonald’s proposal for a 24/7 restaurant and drive-through on Wānaka’s outskirts.

Twenty-seven submissions have been made to Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) since public feedback on the proposal opened last Friday (July 12).

Opinions range from saying McDonald’s would “change the face of Wānaka” for the worse, at one end, to commenting that “a bit of competition” on takeaway prices would do no harm, at the other.

More than a dozen submitters have opposed the proposal so far; around half a dozen support it; and another half a dozen-or-so say they are open to it if certain changes are made.

Key themes from the ‘No McDonald’s’ camp were concerns about litter and packaging, the financial impact on local food businesses, the nutritional value of McDonalds’ food, and the visual effect of the McDonald’s restaurant and signage at the ‘entrance’ to Wānaka.

Many submitters also referenced a view that a McDonald’s restaurant was at odds with the “core community values” of the town, as one person put it. Another said it was “not what our town represents”.

At the opposite end, one submitter said it was “ironic” to suggest McDonald’s would “spoil the community”.

“We already have takeaway burgers, chips and other fast foods here who use wrappers for their products. Are they a significant issue and would McDonald’s really be?”

Other submitters in support said a McDonald’s would provide employment opportunities, an affordable takeaway option, and a family-friendly, alcohol-free environment for events like children’s birthdays and post-sports gatherings.

Five of the six on-the-fence submitters said they were opposed to the proposed location (near the intersection of SH6/SH84) rather than the McDonald’s, which they said would be better suited at Three Parks.

All submissions so far have been made by individuals, aside from one by the Upper Clutha Environmental Society (UCES), which focuses mostly on the planning rules for the site.

The proposal - billed for rural-zoned land - “fails to meet a number of District Plan provisions when it is assessed against the Rural Zone objectives, policies, assessment matters and rules in the Proposed District Plan”, UCES said.

News of plans for a local McDonald’s restaurant in November last year attracted significant public attention and more than 1,500 people signing ‘Stop Wānaka McDonald’s’ petition within days.

The petition now has more than 5,500 signatories, but few of those people have gone on to make a formal submission so far.

Anyone who would like to make a submission on the proposed Wānaka McDonald’s has until August 9 to do so. Find information on how to submit here.

PHOTO: Supplied