Bizarre twist in Safety Beach servo saga after fake emails claiming to be from McDonalds sent to media
A McScandal is cooking on the Mornington Peninsula in the wake of approval being granted for a 24 hour fast food outlet 100m from the beach.
Not everyone is against the idea of another Maccas opening on the Mornington Peninsula.
At least one fast food fan is rolling out the red carpet for Ronald, sending emails claiming to be from a senior McDonalds employee keen to highlight the benefits the golden arches would bring to Safety Beach.
The polite and professional email was sent to the Herald Sun just days after VCAT approved the redevelopment of a Safety Beach servo including a 24 hour fast food outlet.
Signed by “McDonalds chief restaurant officer Brad McMullen” the email asked for the chance to “provide clarity on our intentions” and the “positive role” the global chain was committed to play in the local community.
“We take our responsibilities seriously and have a clear plan to ensure the new restaurant delivers lasting benefits to Safety Beach, Dromana and the wider Peninsula – including local employment, youth training, and support for community initiatives,” the email says.
While McDonalds does have a chief restaurant officer called Brad McMullen, the company has confirmed he did not send the email.
A quick check by the Herald Sun revealed the email address was created recently via GoDaddy using McDonalds’ ABN number.
Neither McDonalds or the servo site owner AA Holdings have ever confirmed the redevelopment involved the fast food chain.
However, locals have been convinced the golden arches were coming to town since AA Holdings first applied to the local council for a planning permit for the project in 2019.
They have been fighting to keep Ronald out ever since, lodging more than 1500 objections with Mornington Peninsula Shire.
The concerns included fears it would create traffic congestion, increased litter on the beach and in Port Phillip Bay and noise and anti-social behaviour from patrons.
They also argued a residential area was inappropriate for a fast-food business.
The planning tribunal previously knocked back the proposal in 2021 following council’s refusal of the application in July 2020.
The plan involved demolishing an existing service station and building a new BP with a convenience restaurant.
VCAT ultimately upheld the council’s decision, finding the project failed to meet objectives related to traffic and circulation and was not of a net community benefit.
The council rejected a second planning application lodged by AA Holdings for a similar development on the same site in 2023.
However, the decision was successfully appealed last month and VCAT senior member Geoffrey Code and member Kate Partenio found AA Holdings had sufficiently addressed concerns about traffic and parking.
The tribunal also implemented a condition requiring AA Holdings to conduct daily litter patrols.
The council is now believed to be considering a Supreme Court appeal of VCAT’s July 18 decision.
An unscheduled meeting has been called for Thursday to discuss the “consideration of appeal to VCAT decision”.
Mornington Peninsula mayor Anthony Marsh, who alerted locals to the unscheduled meeting via social media, was unable to confirm if the Safety Beach servo plan was involved.
He said the Local Government Act dictated the need to close the meeting.
However, he said the council would likely reveal more once councillors had agreed on a course of action.