State planners have given the green light to a $9 million development featuring an Aldi supermarket and a McDonald's restaurant in Pinjarra, Western Australia. The Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel (DAP) approved the proposal at its May 12 meeting by a vote of three to two, despite opposition from local council representatives.
Council Members Vote Against
Shire of Murray president Douglas McLarty and deputy president Ange Rogers voted against the development, citing concerns over traffic and pedestrian safety. The decision came after 18 amendments were proposed, some of which were carried along the same voting lines.
Traffic Concerns Addressed
In January, the panel delayed a decision partly due to traffic worries. The latest proposal included modifications to signage, landscaping, pedestrian movements, and facade design. Conditions of approval include a $25,000 contribution to upgrade pedestrian infrastructure at the Pinjarra Road-George Street intersection.
Details of the Development
The Aldi supermarket will span 1,100 square metres and include a 55-square-metre liquor store. The McDonald's will feature a drive-through and seating for 46 diners. The 10,029-square-metre site is mostly vacant, except for an unused State heritage-listed Masonic hall.
Drive-Through Controversy
Drive-through facilities are prohibited in the Pinjarra town centre under the shire's precinct structure plan, but not mentioned in its planning scheme. The majority of the DAP did not believe a change to the scheme was imminent and argued a drive-through could be allowed under existing rules. The Shire of Murray supported the Aldi store but opposed the McDonald's, stating that while there was "technical discretion" to approve a drive-through, it went against "orderly and proper planning."
Local Concerns
Shire planning and environment services manager Greg Delahunty said the shire's planning rules were intended to protect Pinjarra's character and were near finalisation. He argued the McDonald's development "fails to provide sufficient activation for George Street, provides excessive freestanding signage, and prioritises car-based development in the town centre with a drive-through facility."
Cr McLarty noted he was not against takeaway outlets in the town centre—there are already about eight—but was concerned about the vehicle-centric nature of the proposal. "There are many, many other sites in Pinjarra on the outskirts that are much more appropriate sites for drive-through fast food," he said. "The road network currently is highly constrained and the impact of 1,700 vehicle movements a day primarily exiting in that vicinity is of major concern to me."
Cr Rogers highlighted that the McDonald's would be directly opposite a primary school and 200 metres from another. "One of the peak times for the McDonald's would be in the morning, which also coincides with the peak time of the adjacent schools," she said. "I am not comfortable that the safety of pedestrians, especially children from the adjacent schools competing with the fast turnaround of vehicles using this drive-through, have been adequately addressed."
Panel Members Defend Decision
Panel presiding member Karen Hyde said she did not support a part-approval and part-refusal, noting the drive-through was "clearly integral." She added, "Some other similar operations for McDonald's and other takeaway outlets in other town centres don't always have a drive-through for various reasons. I'm very familiar with Pinjarra and this location is a centre that I find a lot if not most people do actually drive to. I think the proposal for a restaurant takeaway outlet is not necessarily out of character with what we have there already."
Panel deputy presiding member Clayton Higham said the recommendation to not allow the McDonald's was invalid and flawed. He acknowledged it would bring more traffic but estimated about 600 additional vehicles, not the 1,700 claimed. "I know Pinjarra pretty well. I've been there many times ... it is a heavily trafficked location anyway," Mr Higham said. "I can't see that this is going to make a huge difference in terms of the traffic to the town. It may introduce vehicles, but that is the nature of the business and I guess any other use on that site in the future would attract more vehicles anyway."
Developer Perspectives
Earlier in the meeting, Aldi property director Radu Popescu said the development integrated Aldi and McDonald's, and removing one would make the entire project unviable. Todd Wood from McDonald's stated that the drive-through was not needed for viability but for customer service.
Public Submissions
The proposal received 364 submissions when advertised for comment: 330 supported the Aldi and 272 backed the McDonald's. In 2015, the Shire of Murray approved a commercial development of four buildings on the site, but it was not acted upon. An application for a drive-through liquor store in 2017 was refused.
