Toowoomba councillor wants legislation around ‘public health’ to stop fast food outlets near schools, poorer communities

A councillor and former MP wants changes to state legislation in a bid to curb fast food outlets being built near schools and low socio-economic areas.

A Toowoomba councillor and former state Attorney-General wants the Queensland government to help councils curb the spread of fast food outlets, arguing they should be banned from being built near schools or low socio-economic areas.

First-term Toowoomba councillor and ex-Toowoomba North member Kerry Shine’s motion at the annual Local Government Association of Queensland conference was endorsed by delegates on Wednesday.

The motion urged the state government to “review planning or other instruments for their suitability to incorporate public health implications as a consideration for Local Government when determining a planning application”.

Kerry Shine.

It comes just a couple of months after the Toowoomba council voted down a proposal for a new McDonald’s drive-through restaurant directly opposite a school in Harlaxton.

McDonald’s has appealed the decision in the planning and environment court.

Harlaxton is one of the most disadvantaged communities in Toowoomba, with a median weekly income of $1156.

Mr Shine said his proposal was based on legislation already in practice in the United Kingdom.

A map of the "school exclusion zones" for fast food outlets in the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in England.

“At the moment, we can only consider the aspects that there have traditionally been ones that councils have to determine, like if it is in the correct zone, what will be the noise or traffic implications,” he said.

“We don’t have the ability to take into account things that will affect public health.

“About 50 per cent of (local British) authorities (are) using this power — it wouldn’t ban them but put a condition that they can’t be within a distance of a school or lower socio-economic people, who are prone to attractions like fast-food outlets.

“The studies show it’s more prevalent in lower socio-economic areas.”

When asked whether it was council’s role to dictate people’s eating habits, Mr Shine said it was about the wellbeing of the community.

“If it’s the council’s role to be concerned about noise or the safety aspect of traffic or worried about the visual interference, I would think the public health of a community would be a high criteria for council to take into consideration,” he said.

“Some people put up that the council should not be the food police, but personally I think if we have power to take into consideration the wellbeing of our community we should.

“The feedback from the community that I’ve raised it with, it has been very positive and there is a feeling we have too many of these things.

“I’m not adverse to going to McDonald’s, I’m not a food nazi myself, but I don’t think it’s wise to have that temptation so close to kids.”