Petition against McDonald's in Cowes nears 2000 signatures

A petition opposing a McDonald's on Phillip Island has attracted nearly 2000 signatures as community anger grows over the fast food giant's plans for Cowes.

The change.org petition says the fight is not about hating burgers but "protecting what makes this place globally significant and uniquely local".

It urges Bass Coast Shire Council to "protect Phillip Island from this inappropriate development and preserve the cherished character of Cowes for future generations".

Those signing the petition have raised concerns about the impact on local businesses, community health, the environment and increased traffic at the intersection of Thompson Avenue and Settlement Road.

Several pointed to the proximity of the proposed site to a primary school.

Others referenced the loss of the MotoGP from Phillip Island as reason to protect local traders rather than invite a multinational competitor.

"The need for more food outlets is now clearly reduced as the MotoGP is going," one person wrote.

"I think the race is a big loss. A Maccas is not a gain."

Another warned the proposal would set a precedent.

"Considering the effect McDonald's have had on surrounding regional locations like Wonthaggi and Leongatha where small hospitality businesses have been critically impacted this cannot be an option for Cowes."

A Facebook group titled No to Cowes McDonalds has also been established.

It is not the first time McDonald's has been proposed and opposed in Cowes with a 2011 proposal to include a McDonald's in a new Woolworths complex on Thompson Avenue drawing fierce opposition from traders who said they could not compete with the chain's prices. The proposal was ultimately abandoned.

A McDonald's spokesperson said the company had "recently identified a potential site in Cowes for a new restaurant including a McCafe".

The spokesperson said the proposed restaurant on the corner of Settlement Road and Thompson Avenue adjoining the existing Mobil service station would be locally owned and operated and create up to 200 local jobs.

McDonald's said it sources "beef, chicken, potatoes, eggs, flour, lettuce and milk from Victoria including Bass Coast and Gippsland".

No planning application has been lodged with Bass Coast Shire Council but McDonald's said this was expected "in the near future".

A Bass Coast Shire Council spokesperson told The Sentinel-Times there was "nothing to comment on at this stage".

"Once we receive a planning application, we will follow the process in accordance with the planning scheme," the spokesperson said.

"Community will be able to submit objections at this point, not before."

The multinational has long gone into battle with local communities who have opposed its presence in towns across Australia.

The petition states local businesses reinvest a "higher percentage of their earnings into the community compared to large multinational corporations".