Residents of Gulvi, Australia, protested the opening of the first McDonald’s
Residents of the Australian coastal town of Goolwa, south of Adelaide, are opposing the possible opening of the town’s first McDonald’s fast-food restaurant. The volunteer organization Cittaslow Goolwa told ABC News Australia that a plot of land on Hutchinson Road is under contract with buyers who want to build a McDonald’s restaurant there.
Goolwa has held international accreditation from Cittaslow International as a “slow city” since March 2007—it was the first such city in Australia. The Cittaslow movement grew out of the slow food movement and focuses on local produce, cultural heritage, traditions, people, and public spaces. Currently, Cittaslow Goolwa has approximately 250 volunteers.
Olaf Hansen, founder of the Bombora On The River café and restaurant, stated that there are 38 dining establishments in Goolwa itself, not counting neighboring towns. According to him, local business owners are already having trouble finding employees, especially in the summer and during the tourist season. The town has restaurants serving Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, and German cuisine, as well as local spots offering burgers.
For more breaking news, follow the UA.News Telegram channel.
Alexandrina City Council President Kit Parks stated that the site, which previously housed an auto repair shop and now operates as a car wash, is located in a commercial zone. According to him, the application to change the property’s use will be reviewed not by the Alexandrina City Council, but by the Fleurieu Regional Assessment Panel.
Parks added that once the application is submitted, it will almost certainly be put out for public comment for at least two to three weeks. Residents, Cittaslow Goolwa, and the Alexandrina Council will be able to submit statements in support of or against the project. The McDonald’s in Victor Harbor is located approximately 17 kilometers west of Goolwa; there is another location in Olding.
