Australia residents "declared war on" McDonald's: Why protest against new establishments

Despite the fact that the network already has more than 1 thousand 50 establishments in the country, new projects are increasingly resistance. In Sydney, the company has applied for the construction of a 24/7-restaurant in the restored Victorian building in New Town-near a popular local restaurant. This has caused a new wave of protests due to fears of loss of local color. In Redfern, McDonald's failed to implement the project due to the denial of the local community, police and indigenous people.

In Bolgoul, the statement was rejected by the local planned commission due to fears of congestion and the growth of antisocial behavior. In Melbourne, in the Darebin area, residents also opposed a new restaurant that was supposed to appear in an empty area. The reason is anxiety about preserving the nature of the residential area. In the suburbs of Brisbane - Hendri - the project, despite its previous approval by the city council, is now appealed in court.

The local community has raised about $ 100,000 for legal struggle. A similar situation is in Kalaamund, near Pertta, where McDonald's wants to build an institution less than a kilometer from schools and kindergartens. In response to criticism, Luke Hammond development manager said new restaurants are creating jobs, in particular for young people, and McDonald's invests more than $ 1 billion in Australia in local suppliers' products. "We have been working in the country for over 50 years.

Although we are an American company, we support Australian business," he said. Marketing expert Barry Urkhart believes that the opposition of expansion is due to the fact that McDonald's is not perceived as part of the local culture. "The brand is not authentic or unique to Australia, and attempts to adapt the design to the local landscape are blocked by rigid corporate policy," he explained. The expert also stressed: "McDonald's is primarily a business of real estate.

Their success is based not on the number of burgers sold, but on the ownership of land they rent. " McDonald's resistance in Australia has existed since the 1970s, when the company has been difficult to open restaurants in Pertue. The first establishment in the country opened in 1971 in Sydney.