Sydney health officials oppose McDonald’s drive-through expansion due to obesity concerns

A plan to expand a McDonald’s drive-through to two lanes in an affluent Sydney suburb has been hit by “crazy” opposition.

McDonald’s at Cremorne. Picture: Adam Ward

Health bureaucrats in an affluent north Sydney suburb are being accused of nanny-state meddling after opposing a plan by a local McDonald’s to expand its drive-through as it may “undermine” efforts to tackle obesity.

McDonald’s Cremorne submitted a development application to the North Sydney Council in April seeking to expand its drive-through at 290 Military Road to two lanes.

The $548,620 proposal would reduce the number of parking spaces from 35 to 29, while increasing queuing capacity for drive-through customers from nine cars to 14.

In a traffic report submitted to council, McDonald’s said between 2019 and 2021 the restaurant had “experienced a change in operation”, with an 8.3 per cent increase in drive-through transactions and a 21.2 per cent reduction in over-the-counter transactions.

“This has resulted in longer queues in the drive through (with the queue extending into the car park),” McDonald’s said. “There is also some congestion at the exit onto Military Road, which causes queuing back into the drive through.”

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The proposed changes to the site.

McDonald’s said that since the reduction in parking spaces would mirror the reduction in over-the-counter transactions, “on-site parking conditions remain similar” under the plan.

“The proposed modifications are intended to cater for the shift towards to the drive through,” McDonald’s said.

“Traffic generation is in not anticipated to change as a result of the proposed modifications. Hence there will be no noticeable traffic effects on the surrounding road network.”

But in a submission to council last month, the Northern Sydney Local Health District said it opposed the development both for safety and health reasons.

“Northern Sydney Local Health District (NSLHD) is committed to ensuring the built environment fosters places and spaces that support the health and wellbeing of individuals and the wider community,” it began.

“Our Healthy Built Environments team, made up of population health and urban planning professionals, is well placed to comment on this Development Application and has considered potential impacts on liveability and health.”

According to the submission, signed by NSLHD property manager Mary McCafferty and Andrew Wheeler, head of the Healthy Built Environments team, McDonald’s development proposal did not provide adequate traffic analysis addressing pedestrian and road-user safety concerns arising from consolidating two separate entry and exit driveways into a single lane.

“There is also a concern that increasing accessibility to fast food, via an expanded drive-thru, may negatively influence the eating habits of children and adults, and undermine existing population health strategies to tackle obesity,” they wrote.

McDonald’s at Cremorne. Picture: Adam Ward

“Data from the Australian Urban Observatory shows that Cremorne already has more than adequate access to fast food, falling within the 11th percentile for proximity. Providing greater access to fast food via an expanded, dual lane drive-thru is unlikely to result in positive population health outcomes.”

They also argued that NSLHD’s Cremone Community Health Centre, located directly opposite the McDonald’s, may be affected by removing parking spaces.

“Street car parking spaces that would otherwise be available to Cremorne CHC’s vulnerable persons may be taken by the property’s customers, staff, visitors and contractors,” they wrote.

“Accordingly, Cremorne CHC’s vulnerable persons may not be able to park in the vicinity of Cremorne CHC to attend their health appointments. This may lead to vulnerable persons’ declining health.”

2GB host Ben Fordham spoke out about the “crazy” issue on Wednesday.

“Health bureaucrats are trying to interfere in our lives again,” he said.

“This has got nothing to do with coronavirus, nothing to do with the hospital system or waiting times, elective surgery – they’re trying to stop a McDonald’s from installing an extra drive-through lane. Are you serious? Do you think people make decisions on what to eat based on the number of drive-through lanes at McDonald’s?”

Fordham continued, “Who are you to tell us what to do? Talk about overreach. Here we have a local area health district trying to tell Ronald McDonald how to run their drive-through. Can someone please tell them to stay in their lane?”

NSLHD has been contacted for comment.

In a statement, a McDonald’s Australia spokeswoman said the fast-food chain “has been part of the Cremorne community for more than 40 years”.

“We are reinvesting into the restaurant to make it more accessible and convenient for our customers and crew,” she said.

“Throughout the pandemic, we experienced a considerable increase in Drive Thru numbers. An additional lane will improve efficiency and reduce traffic congestion for our customers.”

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