Toowoomba Regional Council votes to defer decision on two new drive-through fast food outlets in Wilsonton despite officer’s recommendation

A massive fast food precinct worth more than $55m a year could grow even larger, after the council declined to reject two new applications for drive-through outlets. All the details here.

Two new drive-through fast food outlets look set to be added to a massive Toowoomba food precinct, after the Toowoomba Regional Council deferred its decision instead of rejecting them.

Councillors voted at Wednesday’s special meeting to push back determination on two applications for drive-through restaurants on the same side of Bridge St in Wilsonton.

One application by Corkal Investments Pty Ltd was a 200sq m project slated to become a Mad Burger franchise on a site next to the Red Rooster, while the other by The Motel Unit Trust was a 300sq m restaurant set to fill two lots opposite the Wilsonton Shopping Centre and backing onto the Toowoomba Aerodrome.

The outlets would sit among a large collection of national franchises like McDonald’s, Hungry Jack’s, KFC, Super Rooster and Subway, in a precinct that generated $55m worth of sales in 2021 alone.

Concept art for a proposed fast food drive-through restaurant on both 360A and 360B Bridge Street in Wilsonton.

Both were managed by Andrew Hill of Alpha Planning Applications, and both were recommended for refusal by council officers.

The grounds for rejection of the applications, which were handled in separate matters, revolved around their position in low-medium density zoned land when there were nearby lots zoned for higher-impact commercial developments available.

Planning officer Jayden Forbes-Mitchell, who spoke for both at the meeting but only primarily handled the latter application’s assessment, said neither were designed to service the “day to day needs of the immediate local residential community and it would serve to contribute to undermine the viability of the nearby Wilsonton major centre”.

Aerial shot of a proposed Mad Burger fast food restaurant on 350 Bridge Street in Wilsonton.

But Mr Hill said he found this reasoning “perplexing”, considering the council officers had recommended the approval of a new Guzman Y Gomez on the corner of Bridge St and Richmond Dr back in October.

“This proposed use has non-residential uses on either side, the assessment showed it has an economic need and there are no adverse impacts on the shopping centre,” Mr Hill said in his address to the councillors, referring specifically to the Mad Burger application.

“Just back in October there was a development approved on the western side of the shopping centre.

“Locationally, they’re essentially exactly the same, except our development will not direct traffic into residential roads.

“To me I’m quite perplexed as to why this is being recommended for refusal, when the one was recommended for approval.”

In a response to questions from councillors as to this perceived inconsistency, council’s development services manager Danielle Fitzpatrick said both applications would lead to “strip development” along Bridge St.

“Here’s a perfect example of strip development and council has to make the decision whether they want to contribute to additional strip development,” she said.

Instead of voting with the officers’ recommendations, councillor Nancy Sommerfield moved to defer decisions on both applications until the New Year so officers could draft up a suite of conditions to ensure they could comply with issues around odour, noise, traffic and lighting impacts.