It may be as far away as early February before a decision is issued on McDonald’s proposal for a restaurant and drive-through on the outskirts of Wānaka, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) says.

The controversial proposal has attracted significant attention - locally and nationally - since plans for a 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week McDonald’s restaurant were made public last year.

While the three-day hearing on the controversial proposal wrapped up on November 27, the McDonald’s team won’t provide its right-of-reply until December 19.

Wānaka’s Pierre Marasti speaking during the second day of the McDonald’s hearing, which took place in November. PHOTO: Wānaka App

From there, the commissioners will have 15 working days to make a decision, but a Resource Management Act (RMA) shutdown period from December 20-January 10 pushes the decision well into the New Year.

“Council is anticipating a decision at this stage mid to late January or early February,” a QLDC spokesperson told the Wānaka App.

The proposed McDonald’s site, at 237 Wānaka-Luggate Highway. PHOTO: Wānaka App

QLDC submitted its resource consent application for a 445m2 restaurant at 237 Wānaka-Luggate Highway (within the Mt Iron Junction subdivision and just off the SH6/SH84) last November.

In documents submitted to the Overseas Investment Office for the purchase of land, McDonald’s indicated it hoped to be operational by early 2026.

Locals shared their views on the proposal in novel ways ahead of the hearing. PHOTO: Supplied

Anyone who wants to watch the McDonald’s team’s right-of-reply being presented on December 19 (11am-2pm), can do so at QLDC’s council chambers in Queenstown or via live-stream at the QLDC Facebook page.

Read more: Protectiveness for town expressed as McDonald’s hearing concludes