Planning laws prevent people power blocking fast-food outlets

COUNCILS and residents are powerless to oppose new fast-food outlets on health grounds, because the State Government has failed to act on its own report into planning laws. 

The Obesity Coalition - comprising health groups - wants the Napthine Government to introduce the recommendations from the parliamentary inquiry into environmental design and public health, which was tabled 14 months ago.

OPC executive manager Jane Martin said community protests in the Dandenong Ranges over a 24-hour McDonald's restaurant reinforced the need to make potential health implications part of planning laws.

Among the report's recommendations were: a mechanism that allowed councils to limit fast-food outlets, introduction of an objective to protect health under the Planning and Environment Act and more research on the health effect of fast-food outlets on communities.

Ms Martin said the dispute in Tecoma showed how little power communities had over protecting their health, which was concerning as 60 per cent of adults and a quarter of children were obese.

"Councils and communities should be allowed greater influence over the density and location of local fast-food outlets to try and encourage and support their communities to eat less unhealthy food," Ms Martin said. As the Government dragged its heels on the recommendation the issue was getting worse, she said.

Ms Martin said fast-food outlets were often more attractive options for cash-strapped families because of the low cost of food.

Planning Minister Matthew Guy's spokeswoman, Rochelle Jackson, did not respond to questions on whether the Government would implement three specific aspects of the planning law relating to health.

She said it was taking a whole-of-Government response to addressing the issues identified in the report.

Planned demolition did not go ahead at McDonald's Tecoma construction site yesterday, as rooftop protester continued to disrupt workers.

BR Demolition, contracted by McDonald's Australia, said it hoped to resume work today.

The company was yesterday scheduled to clear the site for the construction of the fast-food restaurant, but a protester who settled on a roof at midnight on Tuesday remained in the way.

A second protester who had been stationed on the roof since Sunday afternoon had climbed down.
Belgrave Senior-Sergeant Doug Berglund said police had no immediate plans to remove protesters, but they would have to eventually as the demonstrators were breaking the law.

Yesterday in Sydney, the protest group presented McDonald's Australia boss Catriona Noble with a 63,000-signature petition against the restaurant.

adelaidenow.com.au 31 July 2013

Laws are created for the sole benefit of corporations, and NOT the general populous at large.

Cancer houses like McDonald's are the bane of society.

Under Occupational Health and Safety, products that are produced by corporations that are detrimental to the consumer are 'banned', but not in this case?

Bribery is the key factor.