Ashgrove McDonald’s approved weeks before election, protest planned for Hendra outlet

A controversial McDonald’s has been approved in an upmarket suburb as angry locals plan to fight another in a ritzy northside area.

Artist's impression of the proposed Hendra McDonald's.

A controversial McDonald’s in Ashgrove has been approved despite fears about traffic on a busy arterial road, while angry Hendra residents are planning a rally for another outlet after lodging 300 objections.

The Ashgrove Maccas sparked a heated community meeting and more than 400 objections.

But despite Brisbane City Council officers raising concerns about traffic impacts on busy Waterworks Rd, which has featured in RACQ’s top 10 worst Brisbane roads every year for a decade, it was waved through just weeks before the state election campaign kicked off.

Meanwhile, public submissions have closed on a proposal to convert a Hertz car depot fronting Gerler and Nudgee roads in Hendra into a 24/7 drive-through Maccas.

The plan was so unpopular it has attracted bipartisan political opposition, with both local state LNP MP Tim Nicholls and federal Greens MP Stephen Bates lodging formal objections.

Residents met Hamilton ward LNP Councillor Julia Dixon last week to voice their concerns.

But they said Ms Dixon told them she could only pass on their objections to council officers and was not allowed to “take a position’’.

Denise Howard with son Jock, 7, who attends nearby Hendra State School, says a McDonald’s is a poor re-use of the Hertz depot site. Picture: John Gass

A Facebook page, Hendra Locals Against McDonald’s (HLAM), has attracted nearly 300 followers in a few weeks.

A large turnout was expected at the rally at T.C. Beirne Park at midday on November 30.

HLAM member Bill Moore said they were not against McDonald’s but were deeply concerned about this particular project because of traffic, crime, noise, odour and light pollution impacts on about 800 people who lived in the area.

“Hendra has the fifth highest car theft rate in Brisbane,’’ Mr Moore said.

“It is not credible to believe that attracting people, some of whom may have been drinking or taking drugs, at unsociable hours will not result in more crime.

“Gerler and Nudgee is also already a very difficult intersection.

“Cars trying to turn right into Nudgee Rd will be held up even more than they already are by people trying to get into the drive-through for a McFeast.’’

Artist's impression of the proposed Hendra McDonald's.

Mr Moore said one of their major concerns was that fast food outlets tended to cluster together.

If the McDonald’s was approved it would be almost impossible to object to other fast food proposals on adjacent sites.

There were already two within a short driving distance as well.

He said a housing unit development would be a far better use amid the current housing crisis.

Residents were also concerned about a fast food outlet so close to Hendra State School, 200m away, and litter at nearby T.C. Beirne Park from customers eating there.

The 2120 sqm site, which has been used for non-residential businesses since the 1960s, was surrounded on three sides by character housing. The median suburb price is nudging $1.8m.

Town planners Urbis said in the development application documents that major design changes had been made since two “prelodgement’’ meetings with council officers.

Aerial view of the site, which is surrounded by houses on three sides.

At the first meeting, in July 2022, McDonald’s proposed a full-scale restaurant spread over two lots.

“The proposed development underwent several design iterations in response to feedback received from council,’’ Urbis said.

“The primary changes involved reducing the scale of the built form and intensity of proposed operations.’’

After the second meeting in January last year McDonald’s agreed to scale the project back to a drive-through facility only, on one lot, with a smaller floor area and minimal parking.

It also axed plans for car access from Nudgee Rd, with all vehicle movements now planned to be only via Gerler Rd.

There would be more, tiered landscaping and soundproof fences along all boundaries.

Airconditioners and cooking emissions would be positioned as far as possible from five adjoining houses.

Town planners for McDonald's say the site has been a Hertz depot for a decade and used for other non-residential purposes since the 1960s.

The project would include a dual-lane drive-through with one waiting bay and queuing for up to 12 cars, plus eight staff and three delivery parking spaces.

“Unlike a typical McDonald’s restaurant, which features a 450 sqm floor plate with inside dining, takeaway and drive-through options, the scale of the proposed development has

been significantly reduced (to 65 per cent of the standard size),’’ Urbis said.

A traffic report by consultants Lambert & Rehbein said it would generate 180 trips in the weekday evening and weekend midday peak hours, but stated that the Nudgee/Gerler intersection would remain below capacity until at least 2035.

Urbis said there would be no net loss of housing and the usage was consistent with the area and similar to the Hertz depot, as cars frequently came and went from that business.

For more details go to council’s online development application portal developmenti. Search for 330 Nudgee Rd or application A006543699.