Rye's Up!

Tree Planting - Sun 11th October

2009-09-28T21:48:00.004-09:00

Well, our last tree planting was so successful, we are doing it again!

At our last event we planted well over 500 plants in under 90 minutes so we upped the challenge. Our goal this time is to plant 1,500 trees in one day, and for this we need your help.

Come along to the Whitecliffs Foreshore (at the end of Elgan Avenue) at 10am on Sunday 11th October and help us to get these plants in the ground. Bring along some gardening gloves and community spirit and the rest will be provided for you.

Hope to see you all there!

The Committee
Rye's Up!
Against Fast Food Giants

Image source

Rye residents on the alert

2009-09-28T21:44:00.002-09:00

Page 5, The Leader, Tues Sept 29th 2009

Rye residents are still keeping an eye on the fast food giants despite no applications coming before Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.

The shire has received 750 submissions to date opposing fast food restaurants in the Rye township.

Shire statutory planning teamleader Arthur Cooksley told a recent community council meeting at Rye Civic Hall that "preliminary discussions" have been held with Hungry Jack's representatives but there had been no further contact "from any restaurants or their consultants".

A McDonald's spokeswoman said the company remained "interested in the potential for a restaurant in Rye" and would continue to look at options.

Hungry Jacks development department national manager Bob Shergold said the company was "still interested in Rye and still looking for a site".

Council Meeting this Monday 14th Sept

2009-09-09T18:14:00.004-09:00

The upcoming Council Meeting, to be held on Monday 14th September at Rye Civic Hall at 6pm, has an agenda item of "Community Concern - Convenience Restaurants and Additional Supermarket in Rye". That's us!!

The full agenda and report can be found by clicking here. This council meeting is open to any member of the public and it would be great to have some support for our cause there. It is VERY important to note that this meeting covers many issues and it is essential that anyone who attends is quiet and respectful.

If anyone attending has any questions there will be a form that needs to be completed, this can be done on the night before the meeting. Alternatively any enquiries and questions can be lodged via custserv@mornpen.vic.gov.au. This facility can be used at any time for any issue.

For those planning to attend the council meeting there will be a buffet style meal available on completion of the meeting. To attend this you must RSVP to Kylie Osborne on 5950 1137 by Thursday Sept 10th. You DO NOT need to RSVP if you simply wish to attend the meeting and not partake of the buffet afterwards.

Apologies for the short notice but this matter has just come to our attention. We hope to see some of you there! We have heard that at least one of the local papers will be covering the issue so it would be great if they could say a "packed house"!

Regards,

Katrina Humphrey & Rye's Up!

Against Fast Food Giants.

NB: Pics courtesy of www.mornpen.vic.gov.au

Tree Planting this Saturday!

2009-09-02T22:38:00.005-09:00

We have 500 trees and ground covers to plant and we need your help! So come along to the Rye foreshore, opposite Elgan Ave, between 11am - 2pm and lend a hand! Bring along your community spirit and a pair of gardening gloves and help us improve the foreshore and reduce some of the carbon footprint of these fast food giants.

By the way, full credit needs to be given to Max Bainbridge (Grade 6, Rye Primary School) for the artwork in the poster above!

Rye Tree Planting - Sept 5th 2009

2009-07-29T00:43:00.005-09:00

Everyone knows that big businesses have an enormous effect on our environment, and fast food giants are no different. In fact it has been estimated that your average cheeseburger produces 3.6-6.1 kg of CO2-equivalent. That's an awful lot. Check out this website for some more details.

Rye's Up! has never wanted to be a group of just 'nay sayers', in fact our entire purpose is to improve our wonderful town, and to do that we need your help.

We are asking everyone to come down to the Whitecliffs foreshore, on Saturday 5th September between 11am and 2pm to adopt and plant a tree.

The shire has generously offered to donate as many trees as we require, so it would be incredibly helpful if we could get a rough idea of the number of people willing to get their hands dirty for an important cause and a bit of fun. Just a quick email back to me (dixonkatrina@hotmail.com) would be great. Let's not only help balance some of these enormous carbon footprints, but help our town out at the same time. I ask you, what could be better?

Rye's Up! Against Fast Food Giants

http://OurTownRye.blogspot.com/

And The Poster Winner Is....

2009-07-02T03:27:00.006-09:00

Congratulations to Paige for her wonderful poster below!

Paige wins a $20 Peninsula Surf Voucher and $50 cash!

***********************************

The following fantastic posters also deserve high praise! We'd like to thank all of the students that entered... we were so surprised by the ingenuity and talent!

Poster above by Coen.

Poster above by Max.

Poster above by Braden.

Poster above by Emma.

Poster above by Nick.

The Video Winner is...

2009-07-02T03:17:00.001-09:00

Congratulations to Ned for his wonderful 43 second video on Rye. We will feature it here as soon as possible. Ned wins a $20 Peninsula Surf voucher and $50 cash!

Poster & Video Competition!!

2009-06-07T13:54:00.000-09:00

Yes, there's a poster competition AND a video competition open to the following categories of school students:

A) Prep - Grade 3

B) Grade 3 - Grade 6

C) High School Students

All details can be found by clicking here. The competition is open until Friday 26th June. The prizes will be announced in the next couple of days but they'll include cash and vouchers for use in local stores!! And last, but not least, you'll get your name up in lights!

Katrina's speech - Town Meeting #2

2009-06-05T20:06:00.001-09:00

Hi, my name is Katrina Humphrey, I am a representative of the Rye’s Up! Campaign. I would like to say welcome to everyone and thank you for coming. A quick favour, could anyone who attended the last town meeting please advise those around you who couldn’t make it that I did insert several jokes at this stage last time, unfortunately I used up my entire bag of tricks then. And from that piece of good news – on to the rest.

There is a huge amount of information to pass onto you tonight and we must try to be as orderly and respectful to everyone as possible. There will be a designated time this evening for questions and discussions, I would greatly appreciate it if everyone could understand the difficulties and nerves that standing up here produces, and that any comments be left until the appropriate stage.

Now, a quick recap! McDonalds and Hungry Jacks are looking at coming to Rye. McDonalds looking at the site on the corner of Point Nepean Road and Dundas Street (Sorrento side), the location of two of Ryes oldest homes, Hungry Jacks looking at the land next to Peninsula Surf Centre, just passed Safeway.

Both businesses have confirmed they are planning on infiltrating Rye, however, neither have given final confirmation on locations.

So much has happened over the past six weeks. A committee has been formed, full of the most amazing people, local traders, mothers, retiree, professionals and this committee has been working flat out – and actually achieving things. Realistically that may have us needing to change our name – a committee doing things, who would have thought it?

Of course once the committee was formed we needed to do lots of things, and coming up with a name was one of our top priorities. I have to say, I had an absolute blast with this one.

A general call out for assistance was made and from that I had emails, people stopping me in the street – complete strangers walking up to me for a discussion and passing their vote – absolutely fabulous.

I was even doing a radio interview on RRR and someone called up with a suggestion. John, if you are here, ‘Support local traders, not corporate invaders’ was fantastic and really does some up a big part of our campaign. Things like ‘Don’t pillage our village’ and ‘Save Our Strip’ followed the same lines.

Then there were some wonderful play on words like ‘Sack Jack and Mack’ and ‘Hit the Road Jack and Mac’. More positive sounding names such as ‘Our Town – Our Choice’ and ‘Golden Sands NOT Golden Arches’ were suggested and even some of the adults only variety, that I can’t mention with children in the room, but certainly gave me a giggle on those long nights spent working at the computer.

Our name actually eventuated as a bit of a communal effort, the way many great things are created. Tim Richardson of Picknics Café came up with ‘Ryes against McDonalds’, a brilliant name, but we were hoping for something that would lead us into a positive future. From that Miranda Gillespie took it for a bit of a U turn and arrived at Rye’s Up! But then we needed a bit of an explanation, so the rather mundane, but essential ‘Against Fast Food Giants’ was added by the committee.

A big thank you to everyone for their ideas – it was lovely hearing all the thoughts and it also gave an insight into what was important for the people of our town. From that and a lot of other research we have developed the campaign goals “We oppose fast food giants setting up operation in Rye, whilst working to maintain and enhance a unique, inspiring and individual village that enhances all the wonderful natural and community built aspects of Rye“.

The next step was to become a legal entity and to create a united front to the town. Therefore we approached the Rye Beach Action Group to discuss the possibilities of becoming a sub committee. We were accepted and welcomed based on the fact that our overall goals were so similar and complimentary.

“To foster and promote the growth and development of Rye with responsible and sustainable care to the natural, social, cultural and historic environment. To lobby local State and Federal Government on matters affecting Rye. To represent the Community of Rye in an open and progressive manner.”

The Rye Beach Action Group is working on their own projects, such as a community directory website (a link for which can be found on our blog), foreshore plans and even being the umbrella organization for other sub-committees, investigating the roads and traffic problems in town, a friends of the foreshore group and a rubbish removal and beach clean up team.

Having all of these groups, some of them suggested and formed since the last town meeting, gathering under the incorporated Rye Beach Action Group means we can work closely together to ensure Rye becomes the great town we all want, while still being able to focus and achieve our original goals. I was and remain adamant that the only way to stop these fast food giants becoming our neighbours is by being focused and almost single minded on our goal. Joining the Rye Beach Action Group will only help us achieve this.

It is also one of the many ways that we are able to keep the community informed. Not just residents, but ANYONE who visits Rye.

Rye’s Up! Has its own blog site, we have information and links back to us on several other websites. The newly created Rye Beach Action Group site, Peninsula Speaks, Marvelous Melbourne, Our Community, Radio 3RPP to name just a few.

For those not able to access us through the computer, two information centres have been set up, Whitecliffs General Store, just passed Elgan Avenue on the western end of Point Nepean Road and Picknics Café near Hunt Street the opposite end of town. These stores will be able to supply up to date information on events and the current situation, as well as petitions, letters, address details, posters and any other paperwork required.

Another way we are keeping the word out there is through the media. The local papers, Rye News, The Mail and The Leader have been following the story. Local radio station 3RPP has interviewed me on both their environmental programme ‘the Green Room’ and their health and food programme.

Reaching a more wide spread audience, radio RRR interviewed me on their Sunday morning show ‘Radio Marinara’ that focuses on issues relating to the bay, and the following day held a discussion entitled “Community control over our Main Streets” with Jason Black, President of the Victorian Branch, Planning Institute of Australia regarding the general issue of multinationals invading small town shopping strips. The Rye’s Up! Campaign was the inspiration and the main point of reference throughout the segment.

All of these media pieces are, or will be available on the blog. Hopefully there will be many more as I try to get our story in the more main stream, Melbourne based press – but it all takes time.

For all the components of the campaign that are seen by the town, the letter writing, the posters, marketing, media and events, there is also the very real and serious administrative and research work happening behind the scenes.

Members of the Rye’s Up! Committee are meeting with and lobbying councilors and creating a proposal to present to the shire and councilors regarding the concerns and precedents that allowing these inappropriate multinational developments will raise. Also, we are starting to undertake research into planning and legal matters if it arises that permits are submitted to council by any of these fast food giants. Basically, we are trying to be prepared for any eventuality - that certainly does take time.

In more visual terms, Rye’s Up! has now collected over 600 letters of objection and 500 petition signatures. We have been and will be attending Rye and Tootgarook markets and everyone has probably heard about our event ‘What A Load Of Rubbish’. It certainly seemed to be the talking point of the southern peninsula for a while.

For those of you unable to come to the foreshore to visit us, we attempted to demonstrate the amount of rubbish that one McDonalds restaurant produces in a day – 125kg. Not including the drive through and not including the second threatened multinational Hungry Jacks. I will also make note that these calculations stem from McDonalds themselves – make of that what you will.

Those driving along Point Nepean Road would have seen 100 of the large black garbage bags, many filled with balloons, because as a group, including businesses, we could not collect enough clean non-perishable rubbish. .

All of our ‘rubbish’ was handled responsibly, contained in strong bags, continually monitored while in situ in town and then mostly taken and recycled, although, their were a few happy children around about who got to take home big bags full of balloons. I know my house is still full of them. Even if McDonalds and Hungry Jacks deal with all of their rubbish so responsibly, and lets face it, its not likely, it is still an awful lot of pressure being placed on our tip and landfill.

I would like to make a very big and important point here. The Rye’s Up! Campaign is fundamentally about the love and improvement of Rye. At no time would we knowingly do anything that would harm or damage our environment or community. All of our activities are and will be carried out legally, responsibly and respectfully.

Now is the time that I take a deep breath, because it is the belief of the Rye’s Up committee that, drum role please, the Point Nepean Road and Dundas Street site – the location of the Palms house, is now SAFE from McDonalds.

Of course we are thrilled by this development, but there are some very important things to remember. First, things change, situations alter, basically nothing is guaranteed. It is my belief, the belief of the committee and also the belief of many of the community that McDonalds is not welcome ANYWHERE in our town! So the fight continues as before, with gusto, passion and professionalism. Rye’s Up! will not slow down, will not back off. But we will be saying, with smiles on our faces, that our voices are being heard. And THOSE are some words that can be spread!!!

We are aware that a lot of people are concerned about the future of those old homes, and although our campaign is about saving all of Rye from the fast food giants, we will also do our best to keep people informed of ANY planning developments that may arise for the Palms and its neighbour.

However, the only way to ensure you are kept informed is to register with the planning department at the shire requesting information on any developments for 2461 to 2465 Point Nepean Road. Fingers crossed that that will be the end of the controversy for those beautiful homes.

As much as it would have been lovely to keep the best news for last, I was never very good at secrets, so there you have it, but don’t all rush for the door yet, there is a lot more to come. But now that I have blurted out the big news, I can be a bit more orderly.

Who on earth could follow such an enormous announcement – some kids of course. Here is the opportunity for us to remember that not only do children live in our town, they will probably be here a lot longer than the rest of us, they have their own very specific needs and they certainly spend time thinking about what they want and need from their environment. I would like to welcome Sophie Armstrong and Taylah Hensle, both students in Grade 6 at Rye Primary School to enlighten all of us on the general views of the kids in Rye.

Speeches: Sophie (Rye Primary School) & Taylor (Rosebud High School)

How brilliant was that? Kids are the most amazing things, and not only are they important in the community, they should be consulted in regards to the way the town travels – they obviously think about it in an intelligent and responsible manner.

You will have noticed around the room some of the projects that have been carried out by children in Grade 5 and Grade 6 at Rye Primary School. These incredible children are studying the issue of development in Rye as part of their media studies component. It is a very local issue that affects them all, and the thing that impresses me most is that not only are all the issues being explored, but peoples varying opinions on the matter are being embraced and accepted. Let that be a lesson to us all.

We thought it would be wonderful to harness their passion and enthusiasm, as well as helping inspire the kids and show they do have a voice in our town, so we have created a competition for them.

Everyone will have noticed that ‘Spread the Word’ is a much repeated phrase by us at present. One of the ways we are currently doing this is with posters and flyers. We thought this is a great opportunity to invite the children to get involved and design and create their own. The posters will be judged by the Rye’s Up! Committee, and the winning poster will be distributed far and wide.

Similarly, we would like to invite children to create a short video for us, summing up want we do and don’t want for Rye to help explain our campaign. The winning video will be uploaded to You Tube and also sent to several media outlets, with the hope that one of the TV stations will run it. There will also be cash and prizes of course!

If you would like any further information on these competitions, it will be available at the end of the meeting and on the blog shortly.

I would now like to invite Martin Dixon, State Member for Nepean, Shadow Minister for Education to speak to us all in regards to his position on Rye’s development.

Speech: Martin Dixon MP (State Member for Nepean & Shadow Minister for Education)

With all the wonderful news and fantastic response we have received so far, we now need a future plan to lead us in the direction we wish this town to travel. Obviously we need to continue with the letter writing component. It is vitally important that the shire and the fast food businesses do not think that we have forgotten our goal. My question is, how often can we say ‘Hey, No McDonalds!’ before what people hear is ‘blah blah blah blah, whinger annoying blah’. I’d say at the minute we are getting pretty close to our limit. This of course does not mean that we forget our goals or step away from the cause, it just means that we approach it from a different angle. But, let me tell you, this is where the fun stuff starts.

No one wants to spend their time focusing on what we don’t want when there is so much available on our doorstep. What better way to get the town that we desire, and safeguard the lifestyle we love, than by living it, daily. Even better, lets encourage and allow others to do the same.

That leads me to two pretty radical yet amazing ideas.

How many of us have walked down the shopping strip of Rye and complained about the vacant shops, the fruit shop that doesn’t exist, the gift shop that is no longer there? Lets fix it. It really is so very simple. There is an American theory, that roughly translates to the Australian market, it is called Project 3/50. Basically, if half the employed people in a town spend $50 per month in 3 different locally owned, independent, bricks and mortar stores, then the town will be economically viable and thriving.

Not that hard really. Don’t drive to Rosebud for Maccas, grab a burger at the local fish and chips shop. Cancel the magazine subscription, pop into the local newsagent. Why travel to Melbourne for your clothes or shoes when you could visit your local shopping strip and get something to meet your needs. Get to know your local stores and believe me the benefits will work both ways.

American figures state that for every dollar spent in a locally owned independent store 68% stays in the community. Spend that same dollar at a multinational or franchise, that figure drops down to 43%. Our research suggests that the Australian translation of that will be even more impressive. The likely hood is even more of each locally spent dollar will stay at home, and even less for the multinational money.

But lets face it, McDonalds and Hungry Jacks make their decisions based entirely on the dollar figure, your local trader isn’t quite so narrow minded, but they still have families to feed and mortgages to pay.

Obviously they are going to grow and improve if their customer base does. If our village is seen as a vibrant and viable place to be, other stores of a similar ilk will start to arrive. ‘Build it and they will come’.

So next time you complain about the state of our town, I dare you to wonder down to your local cafe and buy a coffee (if you are planning a real whinge, I recommend you settle in, add a piece of cake to your order and then pick up a new pair of shoes on your way home).

OK, now that you are going to Donna's Deli instead of directly to Safeway, let's pick it up a notch. Rye’s Up! will now be spending a lot of its time around the town working on far more positive and concrete activities. Don’t worry, the anti-fast food giant lobbying will still be continuing, but there will be less of the protest, more of the productive. Nothing has been finalized as yet, and your suggestions are more than welcome, but lets have a bit of a look at some of the ideas so far.

Tree plantings on the foreshore, community garden, an open-air cinema at the carni site, a Beach Treasure Hunt using 'sat nav' to record the location of prizes – great events and great for the whole family.

How about increasing some of the cultural and gourmet parts of town, an Art Installation along the foreshore, Tasting Station or night market, a garden competition leading to an open garden event .

Maybe some sporting activities, or inter-generational challenges. Kids verses grown ups Petanque or Bocci, Chess games on the foreshore, orienteering competitions, beach volley ball, a marathon walk or run. The list is endless.

So not only will we be focusing on the permanent and long running changes for the town, such as tree planting and beautification, but also on some just really fun events that will help harness the town to one goal – Lets Be Great – basically.

One such event that we are in the early stages of organizing is the Community Picnic Day. Every year there is an international ‘Anti-McDonalds Day’, the 18^th of October. What better way to celebrate that than to completely ignore McDonalds. Instead lets focus on all the wonderful things we have at our doorstep, hence, a Community Picnic Day with great local bands, fantastic local produce, brilliant local traders and the positive and welcoming community spirit that encapsulates Rye. We will keep you posted, but be sure to save the date.

After all of this information has been thrown at you (I know it is a lot to take in), I thought it would be a good idea to invite people to ask any questions they have, or make comments. One thing I urge with the most heartfelt plea is BE NICE. Rye’s Up! is doing its very best to treat everyone, person and business, with respect and kindness, please endeavour to do the same. Healthy debate is encouraged, but be aware that there are children in the room and make your comments accordingly.

Questions and Discussion

We are almost at the end, but now comes the reminders and housekeeping. For anyone still wondering how best to help here you go. Buy local, write to both the shire and the media, attend events and spread the word. Easy? I think so.

Housekeeping – unlike at my house at the moment, that is easy too. Around the room you will see lots of different desks set up, each has a sign above it, just visit the ones that are appropriate to you. You will find letters to sign, petitions, volunteer lists, mailing lists, competition information forms and a Rye Beach Action Group and Friends of the Foreshore information desk.

Can I take this opportunity to thank all of the Mornington Peninsula Shire Councillors who have attended this evening, Martin Dixon and Sophie for speaking to us all, and everyone on the Rye’s Up! Committee who have been working oh so hard for many weeks now.

On a personal level, I would just like to take this time to send out an ENORMOUS thank you to McDonald's. Throughout this entire experience, and I’m sure still to come, I have been able to meet the most amazing people, think about things that are really important to me, find out about our community and its needs and most importantly I have been given a feeling of power. I feel empowered to voice my opinions and concerns, I feel empowered to make changes and improvements where necessary and I feel oh so powerful when I realize that my voice, along with so many in Rye can, does and will be heard and make a difference.

If there is anyone from McDonalds and Hungry Jacks present, please be aware you have done a great thing for the town of Rye. You have opened our eyes to the unique beauty of our community and motivated us to enhance and embrace that. Take your time to have an explore around this glorious part of the country, experience for yourself what it is we are lucky enough to live with every day. It would be greatly appreciated if on your return to your companies you pass on the message, ‘Thanks for all your help, but we can take it from here’.

For everyone else, have an explore right here around the information desks, stop and talk to your neighbours, introduce yourself to someone you haven’t had a chance to meet in the past and enjoy your evening.

Town Meeting tonight!

2009-06-04T04:26:00.000-09:00

Come along to TONIGHT'S Town Meeting to hear all the latest goings on, plans for the future and THE BIG NEWS!

Remember, spread the word and show your support! Help to shape the future of our wonderful town.

Click here and distribute the flyer far and wide!

Upcoming interview on 3RPP - The Voice of the Peninsula

2009-05-28T23:13:00.005-09:00

This Monday 1st June

11.30am

The spokesperson of Rye's Up!, Katrina Dixon, will be giving an interview on 3RPP 98.7 during the program "Your Health Your Choice". Be sure to listen in!

McDonald's Packaging

2009-05-28T03:51:00.001-09:00

Source: McDonald’s Australia Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2007

Take a good look at the figures in the table above and remember that packaging = rubbish.

Our peninsula is a fragile enough system without adding to its issues by dramatically increasing the amount of rubbish generated here.

So how did it go?

2009-05-26T21:07:00.005-09:00

The protest event held on Saturday 23rd May was a successful day - people are very happy with the way things are running in general.

A further 101 letters were signed to be sent to the Shire (on top of the 500 that have already been gathered) and we have over 500 signatures on the petitions.

2009-05-26T21:06:00.002-09:00

May 24th - Radio Marinara Interview!

2009-05-23T15:06:00.002-09:00

Were you tuned into Radio Marinara this morning? Our very own Katrina Humphrey was interviewed regarding the Rye's Up! Campaign and the event held yesterday in the main street.

Check out Radio Marinara's website for more details.

Katrina Humphrey lives in Rye and she's not happy about the fast food giants looking to extend their tendrils to her home town. Katrina speaks on behalf of her group 'Rye's Up!' and their campaign 'What a load of rubbish' to keep Rye just how they like it.

Event is on!!

2009-05-22T17:57:00.000-09:00

Don't forget, Rye's Up! is hosting an event on the main street of Rye! It's on from 10am - 4pm on Saturday so get down there, sign the petition, sign a protest letter, have a chat and enjoy Rye!

Comment Policy

2009-05-20T02:04:00.000-09:00

There have been an incredible amount of comments left on this blog today, many of which have been removed. Their deletion was directly related to the fact that they contained offensive language, offensive material or falsely claimed identities of positions (i.e. being aligned with, or part of, various businesses or even the Rye's Up committee when it is not the case). Some comments also contained incorrect information that could be hurtful to others, or have aligned other groups with Rye's Up! who have not formally done so - that right is only available to the official members of such groups.

Comments from people who do not agree with our campaign, for whatever reason, are NOT being removed, as long as they abide by our policy (see below) to ensure that no offensive material is posted. You may notice that there are several comments already listed that are from people who want fast food restaurants in our town, these were the ones that were deemed unoffensive.

We invite a healthy debate about this huge issue, however at no time have we intended on being offensive or rude towards any member of the public - we have also been very professional and courteous towards the fast food giants we are opposing. It would be greatly appreciated if others could give us the same courtesy.

All information that we are posting on this blog has been factually checked, or is clearly stated as opinion. This is NOT the case for all comments, and many of those that are still on the blog are factually incorrect.

Please remember that Rye's Up! is a campaign that enables a group of people to voice their opinion on this important issue. We are working to improve our wonderful town and to inform those that are a part of it. At no time are we attempting to force our opinions on anyone but, instead, assisting those people who want to object to these developments to do so.

The figure of 300 people being used by our opponents is incorrect and does not represent the true nature of those who are against fast food giants in Rye. At present we do not have a clear indication of numbers as there are still people who are unaware of the issue, however it can be guaranteed that the figure well exceeds 300.

The Rye's Up! committee is a very hard working and diverse group that includes professionals (teachers, legal advisors, consultants) as well as local traders, mothers and retired people. All are permanent residents of Rye, some long term, others new to our community.

From this date forward all comments will be treated as follows:

No anonomous comments will be accepted - you must have a blogger account;
All comments will be filtered before posting (to remove any offensive material);
Any comment containing offensive language will NOT be posted;
Any comment that claims alliance with a group will NOT be posted until verified;
Any comment that may be deemed hurtful or disrespectful to any member of the community will NOT be posted;
Genuine questions regarding this campaign will be answered to the best of our ability;
Comments both for and against will be treated equally.

Please remember that we are just a group of concerned residents who are standing up for what we believe in and trying to voice our opinions respectfully. In all of our actions we are ensuring that all legal requirements are met, such as informing the police and shire where necessary, holding the insurance policies necessary and keeping various federal, state and local representatives advised of our actions.

500 Letters!

2009-05-20T00:33:00.000-09:00

The total number of letters collected and being sent to council has reached 500!
Keep up the good work!

Event: What a Load of Rubbish!

2009-05-19T21:04:00.000-09:00

Rye's Up! is all about our love of the community. We love living in Rye. We love our natural environment. We love the local traders. We love the small town charm. We are passionate about keeping the beauty of Rye and even improving on our lovely town where we can.

'What A Load Of Rubbish' is a demonstration that takes all of that into account. We don't want rubbish flying around our streets and we certainly are not going to be creating it. Come down and see an estimate of just how many garbage bags just one fast food giant creates in a day. All of our bags are strong and secure and filled with recycling and leaf litter. All of the contents of our bags will remain within these bags. All of the contents of our bags will be disposed of responsibly and sensibly. All of our garbage bags will be supervised by concerned residents who DO NOT want rubbish blowing around on our streets and on our beaches at any time, for any reason.

This is a responsible event designed to inform the public of the proposed developments within our town. We invite you to wander by and see for yourself, not only a representation of the amount of rubbish one fast food giant can produce in a day, but also the amazing environment we live in.

Visit the beach, have a shop, sit down for a rest at one of the local cafes - enjoy yourself, this is Rye after all.

The Leader - Tues 19th May 2009

2009-05-18T02:33:00.001-09:00

Rubbish next step in protest

Rye residents will dump rubbish as part of their campaign against invading fast food chains. Under the banner "What a Load of Rubbish", protest leader Katrina Humphrey and her committee will dump 125kg of rubbish at the Napier St clock between 10am and 4pm this Saturday, May 23.

Protesters want to demonstrate how much rubbish they estimate just one fast food outlet would generate.

"McDonald's figures state on average about 125kg per restaurant per day, and 99 to 153kg per drive through," Mrs Humphrey said. "Our calculations have that at about 100 large garbage bags. The rubbish bags will pretty much bury the clock."

The protesters have also launched a letter writing campaign as part of their campaign against fast food giants opening in Rye. The rubbish has been collected by supporters.

Ray Webb, from Mornington Peninsula Shire Council, confirmed that the council had received more than 300 letters from residents.

For more details, visit OurTownRye.blogspot.com.

The Leader - Tues 12th May 2009

2009-05-10T21:38:00.000-09:00

Please grab a copy of tomorrow's Leader (Tues May 12th) for the following article. As soon as it appears online, we'll place a link here so that people can comment on the story.

*******************

McTime still hard to swallow

We don't want you in our town.

That's the message more than 350 people have sent to McDonald's. Residents are concerned fast food giants McDonald's and Hungry Jack's have got Rye in their sights.

Rye mother Katrina Humphrey has organised a committee to take on the fast food giants.

"Things are progressing along well with the campaign to stop the fast food giants appearing as our neighbours," Mrs Humphrey said.

She said they had received more than 350 letters of objection. Residents are concerned that the introduction of fast food giants would lead to an increase in rubbish, traffic and hoon behaviour in the town. They also fear local food businesses may be adversely affected. The group has named its campaign "Rye's Up Against Fast Food Giants".

The action group has targeted Mornington Peninsula Shire Council and McDonald's Corporate Affairs as part of its letter writing campaign. It is asking concerned residents to write one letter a week. The group has set up the website OurTownRye.blogspot.com.

A spokeswoman said council was yet to receive a development application for any fast food restaurant in Rye, but Hungry Jack's and McDonald's had both indicated they were keen to open outlets in the town.

McDonald's spokeswoman Amy Lawrence did not respond to calls and emails from the Leader.

Our Shire's Community Plan Snapshot

2009-05-08T18:56:00.000-09:00

Our Shire has a fantastic document on their website called the Community Plan Snapshot. You can download the full pdf here or take a look below.

The Community Plan:

1) Nurturing Our Local Character and Sense of Place

The Mornington Peninsula is not one place, but many. The Shire plays a number of important roles in preserving what we value about the ‘look, feel and function’ of each locality while ‘facing the future’, addressing challenges and embracing opportunities. Our steps include:

• Maintaining a peninsula that is 70% rural;
• Developing township plans that reflect community values and the preferred future character;
• Ensuring that new developments and public places recognise and enhance local character.

2) Protecting Our Environment and Tackling Climate Change

Our highly valued natural environment is of both local and international significance. To protect and enhance these special values, the Shire leads by example and facilitates community participation and education. We recognise our vulnerability to climate change and will pro-actively work with the broader community to understand and address the impacts. Our steps include:

• Managing and protecting coastal areas for our community and future generations;
• Improving biodiversity by increasing habitat, reducing weeds and protecting wildlife;
• A commitment to leading change on climate change within our community.

3) Creating Safe, Healthy and Engaged Communities

Empowered communities are those that are safe, well informed, connected and supported. The Shire promotes health and wellbeing for all and provides accessible and valued community facilities and services. Our steps include:

• Planning, developing and maintaining community assets;
• Providing and supporting a range of community projects, events and festivals;
• Increasing access to information and learning opportunities for all ages;
• Advocating for improved housing diversity and affordability for those in need.

4) Supporting a Sustainable Peninsula Economy

A sustainable economy is essential, providing meaningful employment for all who seek it, and services that reflect the community’s needs. The Shire works collaboratively with government, business and industry sectors to build and sustain a skilled, well informed and innovative business community, which is competitive and able to adapt to change. Our steps include:

• Assisting local businesses with training, information and support;
• Fostering and encouraging agriculture and promoting the Peninsula’s rural sector;
• Maintaining the Peninsula as a place to live, work and recreate;
• Focusing on year-round activities to support the local tourism industry.

5) Being Responsive, Accountable and Forward Looking

We embrace the principles of continuous improvement and best practice to ensure that we deliver reliable, efficient and effective services to the community. We achieve this through responsible financial management, effective advocacy and engagement, and by highly valuing our people. Our steps include:

• Regularly engaging the community in diverse and innovative ways;
• Persistently and effectively advocating on issues of community importance;
• Ensuring we do everything we do, the best way it can be done;
• Managing our finances and risk in a responsible (and responsive) way.

Keep the comments coming!

2009-05-06T16:59:00.000-09:00

Thanks to the following people who have commented on the articles that are popping up in The Leader. The more comments the articles receive, the more likely it is that our cause will keep featuring!

Please, keep commenting!!

*************************

From: Jessie

Posted: 7th May 2009 at 01:23pm

This is ridiculous. To think that the southern most tip of the beautiful Mornington Peninsula has to fight to stop the homogenisation of its seaside towns!! Can you imagine the outraged reaction if fast food giants were homing in on Sorrento or Portsea?

Someone that doesn’t live in Rye told me yesterday that Rye needs development and doesn’t believe that Rye is OUR TOWN. I think the town meeting held on 23rd April, where approx 300 people attended, demonstrates how passionate locals are about our community! Development does not have to include fast food giants! So many wonderful ideas were discussed, if you want to stay informed check out the campaign’s website: OurTownRye.blogspot.com.

*************************

From: James
Posted: 6th May 2009 at 05:01pm

I can not believe what McDonald's is spouting about job opportunites and giving back to the community. We all know that the cost of living with McDonald's on our foreshore will far outweigh any false claims of ‘benefits’ to the community. 80 jobs for local people? What about those already employed by local traders? How will their employment be affected because small independent business’ can’t compete with the giant monopoly that is McDonald's? And jobs for local tradies. “Potentially” is the key word here, I think! The idea of McDonald's sponsoring sporting and community events is ludicrous - it would make me stay away!!! And watch out local schools in the area, McDonald's will be keen to offer you bribes too for a bit of promotion, say its logo stamped on text books, newsletters, etc. McDonald's is not an altruistic company whose focus is to better the community. McDonald's say they give but only if they are getting a lot more in return. This really would be a disaster for Rye, just when the community is putting forward great ideas on how to improve the culture of our town.

*************************

From: Michelle
Posted: 6th May 2009 at 02:09pm

80 Jobs? This will not be fulltime jobs but casual jobs, poorly paid and peak season jobs. Let us weigh that up against those who will become unemployed in our cafes and food outlets when McDonald's drives these local, family-owned businesses out of town. How do you think Old McDonald's keep their dollar menu going by their employees breaking their backs working two or three positions at the same time just to keep the labour costs low. Is that what we want our local teens doing for part-time jobs? Serving up bad food under bad conditions, for low wages and abuse by non-caring, mostly one-off customers just passing through, and just imagine the clientele late night in the summer. Jobs for trades-persons? McDonald’s buildings are public buildings. How many local trades-persons are registered to build public buildings? I bet your bottom dollar McDonalds already have their preferred suppliers who churn out the pre-fab McBuildings (mostly out of china) at a very cheap price that many of our local building companies would find it difficult to compete with. Sponsorship opportunities? Don’t be fooled, it is all part of their marketing plan to get at our children.

*************************

From: Andrew Humphrey

Posted: 6th May 2009 at 09:19am

The article seems to have a lot of 'coulds', 'mights' and 'potentiallys' in it for the “benefits” McDonald's will bring. I prefer to focus on the concrete: we know a McDonald’s will greatly increase rubbish in the area, we know a McDonald’s in the area will lead to a decline in diversity of local traders, we know a McDonald’s in the area will lead to a decline in the quality of food consumed by our kids, we know a McDonald’s in the area will cause localised traffic problems, we know a McDonald’s on the foreshore would be an eyesore.

80 jobs? For whom? Teenagers looking for meagre pocket money? Or people looking to pay a mortgage? Interesting that they say they’ll consult with the council on community issues? I wonder why they don’t want to consult with the community on community issues? Thanks but no thanks McDonald’s.

*************************

From: Joy

Posted: 6th May 2009 at 08:20am

Oh McDonald's, you have not convinced me yet! I am filled with questions. What type of jobs are on offer here? Is it well paying employment that will help someone in our community provide for themselves and their family? Perhaps it is low paying, casual work for 15 year olds who will take their money out of town to spend it? As for local tradies getting more work, does this mean local contractors will get the bulk of the build or will that be given to your usual building suppliers who are experienced at piecing together pre-fab commercial buildings? I ask how much good quality, well paid and consistent work is really on offer? Of course, the next question to ask is ‘how much of this type of employment will be lost when our local traders have to close their doors’? You can not buy me with your offers of sporting sponsorship and the like. I wish to teach my children about a healthy lifestyle and a good work ethic. An enjoyable, community-minded fundraiser may take a bit of work but that doesn’t scare me. McDonald's offers do! This is OUR town, we should get to make the choice. We do NOT want your type of community support, but thanks for the offer!

*************************

From: Ben

Posted: 5th May 2009 at 11:48pm

What a load of rubbish! We don’t want McDonald's here and especially don’t want them offering money to schools and sporting events like bribes. “Giving back to the community” - yeah right, as long as they can see an advertising opportunity in it for them, somewhere to put their yellow arches. Keep them away from our town and our kids!

Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish!

2009-05-06T01:38:00.000-09:00

Thanks to Ray Beech of Rye who took the following photos and posted them on Facebook:

In Ray's words:

"SORRENTO: Welcome to Maccas! Nearest maccas is 15km away, yet 8.30am 30th April, you have it on the doorstep. Imagine what it will be like if a Macca opens at Rye! "Quick grab a Burger, coke and fries before the ferry; chuck the rubbish out on the way"

Opinions voiced in The Leader - 5th May 2009

2009-05-04T01:49:00.000-09:00

We don't need you
I am very concerned about the unhealthy (in every respect) changes that Rye is heading towards if the proposed McDonald's and Hungry Jack's are approved.

We do not need, nor want these restaurants in our town. Rye's beauty is in its fantastic beaches and wonderful lifestyle. We can say goodbye to both of those things if we receive these fast food giants and all the rubbish and other problems that go along with them. Rye does not need this inappropriate development anywhere in the town, but more certainly not on the foreshore.

- Andrew Humphrey, Rye

*****************************

Go elsewhere
We're deeply saddened and disturbed by the prospect of Maccas in Rye because we live here to get away from the infestation of fast food chains and all they bring with them.
Rye is a beautiful town comprising local food outlets and restaurants, which give the town its unique character.

The locals run these ventures and earn their livelihood here and we want it to stay that way.
Go somewhere else McDonald's; we already have two of them on the peninsula and we don't need more. We refuse to have the lovely homesteads on the proposed site destroyed to have Ronald McDonald's statue put there instead.

We want the foreshore character to stay as it is and let the locals and visitors enjoy our town. Fast food chains attract rubbish and pollution, create traffic problems and take away local business, forcing small businesses to shut down.

Go make your profits elsewhere McDonald's - not in Rye!

- Trish L'Henaff, Rye

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Pressure on mothers
I'm against the prospect of a McDonald's coming to Rye, simply because it makes it more difficult for mothers.

Sure, most of them take the darlings to the Rosebud McDonald's as an occasional treat, but if it happens to be right there in front of them the pressure to spend more will obviously increase.
On the other hand this constant reference to the effect on local traders is a nonsense, when considering that more of these objectors will welcome the prospect of another Aldi, which is also in the pipeline.

As for traffic congestion, well, you really will see congestion with Aldi.

- Cliff Ellen, Rye.

McDonald's campaign has started too...

2009-05-04T01:41:00.000-09:00

McDonalds campaign has also started. This is what has appeared in this week's Leader newspaper:

Jobs, cash for sport: food giant

A McDonald's in Rye would provide benefits for the community, says the burger giant.

Company spokeswoman Amy Lawrence said McDonald's would provide employment opportunities for about 80 people.

"A new restaurant would also create many more jobs during the build phase, potentially for local tradespeople," Ms Lawrence said.

She said one of the restaurants would 'likely lead to sponsorhip opportunities for local sporting.... and other events". She said the company had a philosophy of 'giving back to the communities in which we operate".

She confirmed McDonald's did not have a commercial agreement in place or development application before Mornington Peninsula Shire Council.

"If and when we lodge a development application for a site in Rye, we will obviously consult with council on community issues as appropriate," Ms Lawrence said.

McDonald's has previously indicated it was interested in setting up an outlet at Rye.

More than 200 residents recently attended a protest meeting called by Rye mother Katrina Humphrey after residents became concerned McDonald's and Hungry Jack's were eyeing off their seaside town.

The website OurTownRye.blogspot.com has been set up as part of their campaign.

- Lisa Habermann

What can YOU do?

2009-05-03T04:15:00.000-09:00

Rye's Up Against the Fast Food Giants!

Well, things are progressing along well with the campaign to stop the fast food giants appearing as our neighbours. We have already received over 350 letters of objections (!!) from an incredibly wide range of the community. Everyone from young children, families and retirees are passionate about this issue.The council is and will probably continue to respond to these letters. They state in their response that no planning application for a fast food restaurant has been received at council. We are aware of this fact and urge everyone to continue writing your letters. The goal is to have our objection heard (with an overwhelming roar) even before any plans are submitted. Ideally this matter will be finalised before the council does receive any plans. So keep writing. A letter a week would be fabulous!!

You will find template letters in the side bar on the left. Continue to spread the word, our campaign is only beginning and EVERYONE in our town (those who live here and those that visit) deserve to have their opinions heard. Watch out for many more things to come.

A campaign name will be decided by the end of the week, there will be another town meeting and many more events in the near future. Remember, we will be placing call outs for assistance right here on the blog and adding information regularly, so add it to your Google Reader!

Finally, keep up the letters to the newspapers - all of them. It is the best way to ensure that we continue to get our story out there, we don't have the advertising budget of McDonalds or Hungry Jacks (in fact we don't have an advertising budget at all) but we do have a town full of passionate people who can express our love for Rye in so many ways. Keep it up!

Thank you to everyone for getting involved, and thank you for your patience as we get things up and running.

Katrina Humphrey and Committee

FAQ: What can you do?

2009-05-01T22:22:00.002-09:00

You love living in Rye! You want to see it retain its seaside character! You want to be involved! Well, here's what you can get your teeth stuck into:

* LETTER WRITING! The goal is to have our objection heard (with an overwhelming roar) even before any plans are submitted. The best way of getting your voice heard is by writing a personal letter from your own personal view. If that's too daunting, feel free to use one of the many templates provided to the left.

* WRITING TO NEWSPAPERS! This can either be a letter to the editor or commenting on media articles online. We have provided links to various articles (on the left) that allow comments to be posted. The more people comment and write in, the more likely our campaign will continue to get coverage!

* VOLUNTEER! The committee is committed but, let's face it, sometimes the tasks are huge! If you'd like to be involved send an email to dixonkatrina@hotmail.com and volunteer. We often need help with envelope-stuffing, participating in community events, letter dropping, manning tables at markets. If you have an idea for an event, let us know!

* DONATE SERVICES! We desperately need access to a printer, photocopier, envelopes, postage stamps, paper. If you feel you could help out with any of these (and more!) send an email to dixonkatrina@hotmail.com and put your hand up!

* TELL EVERYONE! There are still people that don't know about this issue, including locals, holiday makers and tourists. We need everyone to know so that those concerned for the future of Rye can have a voice.

* ATTEND TOWN MEETINGS & EVENTS! Stay informed and get involved in your local community.

FAQ: What are we doing?

2009-05-01T22:11:00.002-09:00

Upon hearing rumours of fast food giants McDonald's and Hungry Jack's being interested in Rye a town meeting was called on 23rd April 2009 to alert as many locals as possible. Of the 300-odd people that turned up, 10 - 12 people expressed an interest to form a committee to tackle the issue head on.

The campaign was christened Rye's Up! and is focused on both keeping fast food giants out of Rye and actively promoting Rye's untapped potential.

Rye's Up! began with a strong campaign of letter-writing and petitions. Various letter templates were provided at the first Town Meeting and Rye Market and are now at various stores in Rye and on the blog for concerned citizens to sign in the knowledge that they'll be sent to the Mornington Peninsula Shire. As of late May 2009 more than 600 letters have been gathered.

Rye's Up! held its first event on 23rd May to demonstrate the amount of rubbish that one fast food giant would create each day! More events are in the pipeline, including live music on the foreshore, town meetings and community events that will encompass all age groups. We want everyone to get passionate about how wonderful Rye is and see its potential for greater things!

FAQ: Who Are We?

2009-05-01T22:03:00.001-09:00

Rye's Up! is the campaign run by a committee of 10 - 12 passionate locals that want to preserve Rye as a healthy seaside community and develop its potential. We meet weekly to discuss the campaign's direction and ways of developing community and culture in Rye.

HELP! Access to Photocopier Needed

2009-05-01T21:33:00.000-09:00

Well, we are doing amazingly well. I have approximately 300 letters registered through me so far. A great effort in just over a week. Now we need access to a photocopier so that as more letters come in (and I am sure they will) they can be photocopied and sent through to the appropriate addresses.

You don't need to sign up for the long term, anything will help.

Information Centres & Committee Formation

2009-04-26T19:49:00.000-09:00

Our latest development is the creation of 'Information Centres'. Both Tim at 'Picknics Cafe' and Jessie at 'Whitecliffs General Store' will be able to assist you with information regarding the campaign. You will be able to pick up and drop off letters, petitions and any other material at these stores.

Whitecliffs General Store
2507 Point Nepean Rd, Rye
Ph. 5985 5147

Picknic's Cafe
2285 Point Nepean Rd, Rye
Ph. 5985 6025

I have also emailed those people that indicated at the town meeting that they'd like to join the committee. (Edit: the first Committee Meeting was held on 30th April). If you have not received that email but would like to join us, please let me know.

Letter Writing Campaign

2009-04-26T01:26:00.000-09:00

We need to make sure that the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council receives as many letters of objection on this issue as possible. This aspect of the campaign is crucial. You will find various templates or letter suggestions in the sidebar on the left.
You can either send three copies (addresses below) or drop them into our Information Centres and we'll do the rest.

Everybody concerned needs to write to:

Mr Ray Webb
The Manager
Planning Department
Mornington Peninsula Shire
Locked Bag 1000
Rosebud 3939

CC - McDonalds Australia
Corporate Communications Dept
21–29 Central Avenue,
Thornleigh NSW 2120

CC - Hungry Jacks
State Head Office
1183 Toorak Road,
Camberwell VIC 3124

CC - Katrina Humphrey (via email) – dixonkatrina@hotmail.com

By keeping our Committee informed we can work to ensure that every letter is heard.

A Challenge - Name that Campaign

2009-04-24T05:11:00.000-09:00

Here is a challenge for you all.

Many a campaign, business or even person are remembered for their catchy name. We need to be among them.Our campaign is not only about stopping McDonalds and Hungry Jacks from entering our town, but it is about keeping Rye free of all the multinational fast food giants. We do not want any of them anywhere in our midst. However, this is not a group of nay sayers, but a positive and passionate collection of people who want to see the best for our town, our environment and our people. This battle is being fought to not only stop what we don't want, but to help us get what we do.

Go on, find a catchy name that says all that - I dare you.

Be bold with your suggestions and see your idea in lights (well ok, only on bumper stickers, signs, posters, emails, blogs etc - but that's pretty cool isn't it?)

Edit:
Here are the latest suggestions for the campaign name. Is our name in this list? If not, maybe use them as your inspiration.Rye's Up!

Rye, Our Town – Our Choice
Ryes Against McDonalds
Hit the road Jack and Mac - Keep Rye Macdonalds and Hungry Jacks free
Give Mac and Jack the sack
Sack Mac and Jack
Rye against Mac and Jack
The Rye Bunfight
Healthy Rye Beach
Rye Bans McFastfood
No Fat at Rye Beach
Rye Beach Bans Fat Patties
McFFFF (Fatty Fast Food Free)

Tell me your thoughts - which is your favourite?

Overwhelming Support at the Town Meeting

2009-04-24T04:57:00.000-09:00

I would like to thank everyone who attended the town meeting last night, and also those who have contacted me to voice your support. There was a huge response, with an estimated 300 attendees. Please peruse the site for the town meeting minutes. You'll also find suggestions for letters in the sidebar (in the top left).

Please be patient with us, there is a huge amount of paperwork to process and there was an incredible influx of people arriving at the sign in desk on the night. We all have done our best but if there are any errors that you notice, please just let us know and we will try to rectify them.
Thank you again to everyone for displaying such an amazing amount of enthusiasm, passion and generosity. I feel so overjoyed and grateful to our amazing town. If McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and the like aren't aware of the incredible spirit and positivity that Rye has by now they soon will.

P.S. Thank you to Cr Bill Goodrem who is organising the refund of the cost of the hall hire.

PPS: For all of those who donated money to the campaign, it will be spent on bigger and better things to enable us to win this battle. Thank you to you all!

Minutes - Town Meeting #1

2009-04-23T19:00:00.000-09:00

Town Meeting #1 - Say No! to McDonalds in Rye

23rd April 2009

Meeting opened 7.45pm

** Welcome **
Katrina’s speech (Campaign Organiser) - click here for full speech
Andrew’s speech (Rye Health Store) - click here for full speech
Pauline Powell’s speech - click here for full speech

Charles Davidson's speech: (Peninsula Hot Springs)

Charles pointed out he is already picking up rubbish along the road to Hot Springs, mainly cigarette boxes, McDonalds, KFC and Coca-Cola bottles - always big brand companies.
He spoke of a positive vision for Rye and the Peninsula, which the presence of big brand fast-food companies would negate, and the proposal to create a Wellness Peninsula. Whole Peninsula would be a ‘golden door’ including outdoor activities, walks etc. He is pushing Tourism Victoria on this already.

He outlined things that could be done:

1) create a night market on the foreshore;

2) outdoor shared pizza ovens also on the foreshore to encourage community and getting together;

3) a fresh produce market;

4) an international food court on the site earmarked for Hungry Jacks;

5) turn the old homes on the corner of Pt Nepean Rd and Dundas St into community-owned wellness houses – needs commitment to raise funds;

6) a self-sustaining green power bus network covering Red Hill to Point Nepean.

Katrina: So who are we fighting? Important to remember we are not fighting McDonalds per se, but the presence of any multinational fast-food chains in Rye.

Statement from Andrew Dixon (100 Waverley Rd Group) - click here for letter
Statement from Martin Dixon
Comments from Greg Hunt

Tim (from Picknics Cafe) – 100% of customers are fully against McDonalds in Rye. 50% of them think it’s hopeless. Tim came from Belgrave where a McDonalds was proposed but the community reacted so strongly they withdrew. It can be done.

Cr Bill Goodrem: This will be a battle, he can’t side one way or the other or is unable to vote on the issue, just observing at this stage. Residents of Torquay fought a major development and won. Other alternative is to buy the land and stop it that way. There is nothing at Council yet, no application at all. An application for Aldi has gone back to planning and Hungry Jacks have spoken to planners but have not submitted anything yet. Can’t confirm it is actually McDonalds looking at cnr Pt Nepean Rd and Dundas St but assume it is.

Katrina: Aldi is a separate battle if anyone wants to take that up, we are focusing on McDonalds and Hungry Jacks.

Comment from floor: "Today Tonight" showed the Manager of Hindley St, Adelaide McDonalds walked out due to massive rubbish problems inside the McDonalds.

Katrina: if they aren’t doing anything about the rubbish inside the store, imagine how little they will do about the rubbish outside.

Comment: Are there any statistics on how many letters are deemed effective?

Katrina: varies, town in Tasmania where every resident bar one wrote a letter, they won. In Malvern they wrote approx 700 letters. People should also write to The Leader and The Mail.

Comment: Have you thought about what happens if it goes through to VCAT? Speaker and Pauline Powell fought an ABC childcare centre in a nearby street and won, cost between $6000 and $10000. Very expensive and battle is likely to end up there.

Katrina: We're hoping to nip it in the bud before it reaches VCAT, has been done where McDonalds has decided it’s not worth it. However, we need to plan, need to fundraise, need to plan as if it will end up at VCAT.

Tim: Should be about awareness. No customers knew about it, need to tell as many people as possible.

Comment: Put pressure on Council - at the end of the day planners make the final decision.

Katrina: I believe it will be a taskforce rather than just planners as this affects more than one department. Keep track of letters, please send a copy to Katrina as well.

Comment: Will Bill Goodrem persuade councillors like he did on ABC childcare centre?

Comment: If Bill Goodrem declares support for fight he can’t vote.

Katrina: We need to focus on all fast food chains not being right for Rye, they are not why we moved here. Need to focus on all of Rye.

Comment: Is there anyone here from the papers?

Katrina: yes, there’s good support from papers, best way to get into papers is to write letters.

Comment: Not just McDonalds and Hungry Jacks but also KFC and all other fast food franchises will affect business.

Katrina: Yes, need to focus on all, we need to support our local traders.

Comment: in a recession at the moment, why lose 100 jobs to make 15.

Comment: We need traffic counts on the traffic at corner of Dundas St and Pt Nepean Rd in January, not June.

Comment: Will be a vigorous battle, need to have a positive image and a positive plan, need a positive attitude.

Katrina: This is not an anti-McDonalds fight, it’s for Rye. Looking at how Rye can develop in a really positive way, this will be hindered by McDonalds.

Comment: How much support is there for buying the site?

Katrina: This is certainly something to be looked at but not confirmed that is only site.

Comment: We need to inform holiday-house owners, those who’re not down here.

Comment: It's up to everyone to network and spread the word to part-timers.

Katrina: It's not just residents, out-of-towners don’t want to travel all the way from the city to find fast food outlet next door.

Comment: What happens now? Write letters, tell everyone. But is it okay to email or do they get deleted?

Comment: In speaker’s experience all letters and emails to council have to be answered.

Comment: What about door-knocking?

Katrina: Everything helps but letters are best as they have the most impact.

Comment: What about generic letters?

Katrina: Everything is of value but individual letter-writing is most effective.

Katrina:

1) Traders cannot directly complain about loss of business, urge everyone to write that they are concerned about local traders’ loss of business.

2) Need to be really careful of legal responsibility. Anecdotally McDonalds side-tracks the fight with legal details and slips something else in while everyone's attention is focused elsewhere.

3) Apathy is the biggest hurdle. Need:

letters – can use templates
volunteers – for letter box drops etc.
a committee
financial support

Thank you to all who attended, all who spoke, to everyone who emailed and to Michelle Muter in particular.

Meeting closed: 9.30pm

Support from Similar Campaigns

2009-04-23T16:55:00.000-09:00

From Andrew Dixon
100 Waverley Road Action Group

“Could I ask you to pass on our best wishes and support to the meeting tonight.

Our 100 Waverley Rd Action Group was formed to oppose an application by McDonalds Australia for a family restaurant at the corner of Waverley Rd and Burke Rd in East Malvern.

We had 700 initial objectors and about 200 people gave donations (some of $500 or so) that supported our representation and a traffic expert witness at VCAT for 5 days in December 2008 and late January 2009. (We originally budgeted for $9,500.00.)

We are hoping that the VCAT decision will be announced by next week.

Please let the meeting and your new Working Group know I am happy to support your group with documents and advice.”

Pauline Powell - Speech at Town Meeting

2009-04-23T16:45:00.000-09:00

One of my aims is to preserve Rye’s history, and so it was with alarm I learned of the ‘For Sale’ signs on three properties on the western corner of Point Nepean Road and Dundas Street, all owned by the same family. I have no objection of course to these people selling these properties – after all they have been owned by them for many years – 2463 for 46 years and The Palms for 35 years.

This area is prime residential land and the disappearance of these two houses in any circumstance would continue the loss of Rye’s remaining character and charm as a seaside town.

Both houses have a long history, over 90 years. Built around 1914 when Point Nepean Road was still known as The Esplanade, the first house at 2463 was for over 60 years the school headmaster’s residence. Built by an early Rye builder Ted Baker, it was originally on the corner block, and moved back many years ago to where it is today. It was rented by different families including the Tylers who came in 1915. The owner of the Pier Store, Stephen Beecher, bought it in 1919 then sold to the Education Department in 1921 when the residence beside the school became unfit for habitation. These two blocks were sold to the present owner in 1983.

The department sold the back sections of the two blocks in 1962 to ‘The Queen’ for the Rye Police Station and residence. This residence is the one sold recently as No 2 Dundas Street.
‘The Palms’ property originally went through to Maori Street. This house with its palms has a character all of its own. James Rowley of the old Rye family owned it from 1923 and rented it to the Hall family in the 1920s. One of their daughters was a teacher at the school, and a son wrote about the early history of Rye. Jim Rowley sold to Mr and Mrs Palmer in 1930 – they had The Palm Mattress factory. The frontage to Maori Street sold in 1937. Visitors to this house included a nephew – Graham Kennedy. Jim Gerald the comedian and the ‘dame’ in the pantomimes, a brother in law of Mrs Palmer lived there for a time. The present owners bought it in 1973.

These well maintained and attractive properties formed the eastern end of the Crown Grant of 67 acres in 1869 to Thomas Monahan of St Kilda for 14 pds 19/8. Extending to White Cliffs and back to Melbourne Road, it was transferred to John Wallace in 1901. In 1904 the Danish Anders Andersen, Rye Storekeeper, bought the whole area, selling to William L Thompson in 1912. He then proceeded to subdivide and sell off the various blocks. His family still owns ‘Bimblehurst’ at the western end of this original grant.

Although a takeaway food business can build in a residential area with access to a main road, the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council will determine if this multi national fast food company goes ahead with its plans. In the last edition of ‘Peninsula News’ there was an article ‘Demolition v Heritage – Keeping the best from our past’. It states that the planning system provides a means to identify and protect these special places.

Heritage checks are taken before a demolition permit is issued. Questions to be answered are: Is this house one of the oldest in the area, are there many places like this left in the town, was it once used by or lived in by someone well known?

Finally, the question we ask is: Does the commercial area of Rye need to be extended over Dundas Street. It is a very heavy traffic area already - another problem in the town.

This proposal makes me more determined to identify all the places in Rye which have historical significance.

Andrew Blease - Speech at Town Meeting

2009-04-23T02:50:00.000-09:00

It is an indisputable fact that chronic degenerative disease is lifestyle related. The single biggest cause is what we put in our mouths. The fast food outlets presently eyeing off our town are well known for producing mass-market, highly processed garbage that is high in fat, sugar and salt, whilst being additive laden, low fibre, low nutrient and devitalised!!! The regular consumption of such non-food leads to physical and mental decline.

Degenerative disease begins in childhood and is largely related to poor food choices in this easily influenced segment of our society. Big multi-national fast-food chains target our young and vulnerable. The resultant inferior nutrition and toxic build-up in a developing body are the side-effects which lead to chronic health challenges in the short and long term.

Image source

It is evident to me that as a society we are attempting to address some of the major influences affecting individual health through better education in order to encourage better-informed food choices. High profile, commercially aggressive and ruthlessly immoral fast food giants actively oppose such attempts. I, like many people I speak to who live on the Peninsula moved here to escape the high pressure environment and attitudes that prevail in our larger cities. We don’t want Rye to be just another outer suburb!

I would also like to mention another impact on health…. the health of our town. Rye boasts many small businesses run by locals for locals. These businesses feature hard-working owners trying to make a living in a town they love. These businesses offer employment to other locals and return much of their income to our community. Multi-national fast food outlets will financially bleed the town, adversely effecting its small business profile and the viability of many food premises.

Let’s stop this infestation before it begins and work together to foster a healthy community!!!

Katrina Humphrey - Speech at Town Meeting

2009-04-23T01:07:00.000-09:00

INFORMATION ABOUT MCDONALDS IN RYE
Firstly, let me pass on some of the information I have gathered through hours of research, phone calls, discussions and talking to people ‘in the know’. McDonalds and Hungry Jacks are both looking at opening restaurants in Rye. Hungry Jacks is proposing to open next to Peninsula Surf Centre, near the Safeway supermarket, and more disturbingly McDonalds is eyeing off the beautiful old houses on the cnr of Dundas Street and Point Nepean Road, the vacant block of land being sold with these properties and the house on Dundas next to the police station.

Now it is important to remember that these are just ‘proposed sites’, no plans have yet been lodged with council.

The site proposed for McDonalds is zoned Residential Zone 1. Which sounds promising, however, there is a clause in the zoning that states, basically, that for a ‘convenience restaurant’ if it borders a main road and commercial premises they do not need apply for planning amendments. This site meets all those requirements. There is a positive note to that. It does mean that WHEN, we win this battle with McDonalds, we are not likely to have to start again to save the homes from a petrol station or the like.

McDonalds HAS confirmed that they are ‘looking at Rye’, which in itself is a disturbing fact. They use a computer programme that calculates the next prime site for their restaurants, other businesses see that McDonalds is opening and join the fray. It is called ‘synergistic marketing’ and it could mean an influx of multinational fast food restaurants entering the Rye foreshore. Hungry Jacks is very close to submitting plans to council – possibly within the month.

WHY MEET NOW
Now I know it seems crazy to be meeting now, at such an early stage of the game before there have even been plans submitted, but there is logic to this. Most importantly we need to get organised. This is a HUGE fight, one we can win, but not without enormous effort. We need to be ready to go if plans hit the decision makers desk at the shire. But how fantastic would it be if we could nip this issue in the bud and stop it before it ever got that far. Advice I have received is that many a fight has been lost simply because it was begun too late.

McDonalds will and has been talking to the shire in regards to the opening of their stores. We should be doing the same. We need to be rallying the troops and letting the people elected to make decisions for us know exactly what we think.

REASONS FOR COMPLAINTS
As far as I can see, it will be far harder to find reasons to want a McDonalds, but we do need a logical approach. There are many reasons to be concerned such as the enormous amount of rubbish generated. On average a McDonalds Restaurant produces 125kg of rubbish per day. A drive thru produces 99kg – 153kg. How much of that ends up recycled? Less than 50% CAN be recycled – that figure is not how much WILL be – I cant find a statistic for that. I do know that in England a survey was done of the rubbish on the streets of their 10 largest cities, and 29% of it (the largest figure) was from McDonalds. Not only is that rubbish found directly around the restaurants, but a court case in America states complaints from residents who live over two blocks from the Maccas, but near convenient parking. McDonalds customers go through the drive thru, park their cars in the parking bays, eat their food on the front steps of the residents houses, even use these steps as bathrooms, then leave all the mess behind. So basically no one is immune from the rubbish. It WILL end up on our streets, on our beaches, in our front gardens and in our land fill. One place it is NOT likely is in our recycling.

Obviously the houses near by will be the greatest effected. The homes on Pt Nepean Road will certainly loose their prestige – I mean who wants to live next to a McDonalds. Think of the residents on Elgan Avenue, the first left off the foreshore from the proposed site. Here, as well as Maori Street will become a thorough fare for people coming out of the drive thru and wanting to return to either Dundas Street or Melbourne Road. These streets will be affected by the rubbish, noise, the traffic and most likely a drop in property prices as well.

Why do people live in Rye? Because they love the small town, beach lifestyle of the area. There are all the conveniences you need if you are willing to drive anywhere up to 20 minutes away, but we in Rye currently still exist as an escape from what the city has too offer. I personally want it to stay this way. Yes it has its problems, doesn’t everywhere, but a McDonalds or Hungry Jacks will only magnify them.

Another area of concern is the traffic on both Dundas and Pt Nepean Road, which lets face it, is cactus through most of summer anyway, without adding a busy restaurant on the corner. The historical signifigance of the site being proposed is immense. The health issues that having a McDonalds not only in our town, but so close to our school and kinder will raise, and the change to the general ambience of the area.

Lets also think of the Rye traders. Places that survive because of tradies support will be suffering greatly, as will the small family owned, local fast food restaurants along the strip. If they go, how will Rye survive at all?

Now the arguments ‘for’ seem to be about employment and bringing new people to the area. But having spoken to many townspeople, it is just more of the same kind of hospitality work that is on offer already (in fact probably not as good). We do need to take these arguments seriously though. They will need to be answered in far more detail and with research to back up the claims.

There is also talk that these fast food giants will bring people to the town. As far as tourists go, I don’t know of anyone who goes on a beachside holiday and makes the decision based on a Maccas on the corner. As for bringing locals to the foreshore township, well maybe it will, but will it bring them into the existing stores, or will it just have them moving away from the fish and chip shop and into the drive-thru, not even getting out of the car long enough to buy a paper.

These are just a few key points that we need to keep in mind when we are finalizing a protest campaign to stop this inappropriate development.

Now that we have heard a range of reasons to take on this fight, and the positive result we could have at the end, the question that begs to be asked is…

SO WHO ARE WE REALLY FIGHTING ANYWAY?
Now, as far as I see it, there are two battles we are having to face. The first, fairly obviously, is the inappropriate development and the fast food juggernaut heading our way. The other, possibly more sinister and certainly more confronting is the “No way can we win against McDonalds”, the “What can we do?” the “McDonalds has all the money – they always win” and of course the “Yeh, I support you, but I’m just too busy”. But my personal favourite – “Oh. Really. Good luck with that”. And that gem, “Hey, You need to….”.

It is easy to tell, simply by the fact that you are here, that there is no one of that persuasion in our midst, but believe me, we will run into it a lot.

This fight can be won, and we are certainly way ahead of the game because of tonight alone. Other towns have been the ‘David’ that have beaten the ‘Corporate’ Golliath, let Rye stand amongst them.

SO, WHAT CAN WE DO?
Well our first step is to rally the troops. A pretty good effort so far I’d say. There are well over 300 people receiving my emails, and those are just the ones I know about. Everyday I am receiving a response from someone who has seen one “forwarded from…and… through… to…and then etc etc”.

Our message is also being forwarded on to local environment groups, Melbourne development groups, has been picked up by the local Leader and Mail newspapers and radio stations. And this is just the beginning.

We have the support of Martin Dixon, State Member for Nepean, Shadow Minister for Education. He has sent through his apologies for being unable to attend tonight and this statement that he wished to be read out,

“As a resident of rye I share the concerns of those attending this meeting.
If either proposal of construction of Hungry Jacks or McDonalds goes ahead it will have a negative effect on local take away and food outlets. I am also concerned about the precedent of the retail strip being extended west of Dundas Streeet.

In the meantime, my role is to ensure that the proper planning processes take place, giving locals ample notice and opportunity to lodge their objection.

Congratulations to all those involved in organising this meeting and I repeat, my offer to assist in any way you would like assistance”

We have also received the support of Greg Hunt, Federal Minister for Flinders, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water. He has stated that he will happily follow up with approaches to the Shire and State indicating that he feels that major fast food outlets in the suburb of Rye would be an example of inappropriate development.

He recommends that there be community opposition to the opening of major fast food outlets in the town and, most importantly, that we urge council to make a formal objection and request to McDonalds and Hungry Jacks and other fast food outlets to re-think Rye as a suitable location.

So, as a first step, we need to write letters, and lots of them!!!!!

So, onto the housekeeping. I have already mentioned that apathy is one of our big hurdles. I am certainly not pointing any fingers, no one has the time to do everything they plan to. So, as a group we need to make the letter writing campaign as easy for people as possible.

You will see around the room, and also in the entrance hallway tables set up and full of paperwork. Scary thought I know, but it is soooo easy.

On each of these tables you will find formal letters of complaint already written and addressed to the shire. Copies of these letters will also be sent to McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and Martin Dixon. There are several letters to choose from, some of them stating a general concern, others are based on more specific problems, such as rubbish, street appeal, traffic and so on. All we need you to do is write your name and address on the top right hand corner of the page and sign the bottom. Everything else will be done for you.

Now, many of you may still want to write your own letter of complaint, and that is strongly encouraged. It is the hope that 1000s of letters will be received by the shire in support of our campaign. I will ask that when you send your letter, also send a copy to me, preferably via email. I would then like to link it to the blog (name and addresses removed of course) so others can either use your letter as motivation, or for those that are not as comfortable at letter writing, simply attach their names and addresses to it and then they can send it. I think this is the only way we will receive the numbers we need.

The final piece of housekeeping is in regards to support you can offer. I am being inundated with offers of help. A big thank you to everyone for that, it really has been wonderful. But this is only the beginning of the battle. We need lots of support in lots of different ways. So please fill out your name and the things you think you can offer us. Everything from legal advice to photocopying and a myriad of things in between is needed. Please volunteer to help us as much as you can.

COMMITTEE
As I’m sure is pretty obvious, I can’t do this all on my own. “Pack lunches for the kids”. Tick. “Take on a multinational fast food giant and win”. Tick. “Return the books to the library”. Tick. It’s just not the way it is going to work. And that is why I am going to mention that swear word starting with ‘C’ – cover your ears kids. Committee.

Now I, just like everyone else starts to twitch at the thought of it, but I truly believe that a committee will be able to steer this campaign in the right direction, without me having a nervous breakdown and my children being removed by Department of Children Services.

So, if you are willing to join, please just let Lisa, Louise, Michelle, or myself know. We will all be behind the various information desks.

For those of you who don’t think you can make that commitment but still want to be involved, please do not fret, there will be plenty for you to do.

The troops will be rallied again soon!!!!

One final thing, as you can imagine, McDonalds and Hungry Jacks spare change is slightly more impressive than what I can find down the back of the couch. All ready expenses associated with this campaign are clogging up my credit card, which unfortunately, is NOT limitless. Beside the hire of the hall, there are all the printing, postage and administrative costs – and this is just the beginning

You will see tins at the various tables around the hall, you are invited, but by no means required, to give a small donation to the campaign. Please feel assured that all money will be spent on this campaign.

Thank you all for your support and good ideas. Thank you to all who have taken the time and effort to get involved already, those who dealt with the stage fright to stand up and talk and thank you for sharing your passionate opposition to this fast food juggernaut with others.

And the hugest thank you in the world to Michelle Muter (who, like me, I think has some serious ‘family time’ owing to her). Michelle jumped in and got her feet well and truly soaked (you will stop and think next time before you say “what can I do?” to me). Michelle you are a STAR!!!!!

And on that note, hang around, sign our letters, have a good night and safe trip home through our lovely town.

Town Meeting Tomorrow Night

2009-04-22T01:40:00.001-09:00

Our town meeting is coming up tomorrow at the Rye Civic Hall, 12 Napier Street in Rye, the corner of Napier and Nelson street in Rye at 7:30pm. Speakers on the night include: Andrew Blease from Govita Health Food store, Christos from Christos', Pauline Powell from the Rye Historical Society, Charles Davidson from Peninsula Hot Springs and a statement from our local state member of parliament Martin Dixon.

See you there.

New Media Coverage

2009-04-22T01:37:00.000-09:00

More articles in the paper, the Mornington and Southern Peninsula Mail this time. The link to the article is in the media coverage section to the right. Remember to read and comment.

Town Meeting Flyer

2009-04-18T16:25:00.000-09:00

Please distribute this as widely as possible.

Help! Keep us in the paper.

2009-04-16T02:17:00.001-09:00

One of the measures that newspapers use to determine how long a story is shown on their front page is the number of comments and views it receives.

Help us keep the story in the Leader front page news, by visiting the article and commenting on it.

The link is in the Media Coverage section in the sidebar (on the left). Comments can be made at the bottom of their story. Please remember it's a public forum so rude comments are likely to be simply deleted.

If you spot other articles about the fight online, let us know and we'll add them to the list and we can all view and comment on them too.

McDonalds cares! NOT!

2009-04-16T01:59:00.000-09:00

Above image from here.

On a recent visit to Adelaide we found the following article in the local paper. It seems that McDonalds doesn't care enough about rubbish to even bother cleaning up inside their own stores where their paying customers are. Imagine how little they care about what goes on outside if it gets in the way of profits..

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25322783-5006301,00.html

If the story has been archived from the site, then you can check out the video at the centre of the story. This video was taken in the Hindley Street store on the 5th April.

Well, it's official

2009-04-06T01:54:00.000-09:00

It is all but official. McDonalds is on the way. McDonalds has confirmed that they are 'looking at Rye', the council are aware of the plan and the real estate agents around town are convinced McDonalds will be in our neighbourhood soon.

McDonalds uses a computer programme to assess the population, demographics etc of a town. Once that town hits there targets, McDonalds arrives. After Maccas appears, all the other stores (Hungry Jacks, KFC etc etc) realise it is a prime market and start to cluster near by. Hungry Jacks is already at our door. Do we want to turn into that town? I think NOT!

We need to start the fight now and be prepared for anything that may arise. I can not do it alone (obviously) and I know so many people are keen to stop this, so we need some organisation.

First, we need to rally the troops. If you are receiving this email and don't want to get any more just let me know. If you know of anyone else that may want to help, or at least receive the information, just forward this message on, and send me the email address. We need as many people as possible.

Below are some suggested arguments to pursue and research.

* Health Issues
* Environmental Issues
* Traffic Problems
* Effect on Traders
* Change to the 'feel' of the town
* Historical significance of houses on proposed site
* Rebut the argument that McDonalds = employment
* Loss of amenity - McDonalds will affect our quiet enjoyment of our environment
* Decrease in house prices in surrounding areas

I propose a meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 23rd April.

Venue: Rye Civic Centre, Cnr Napier and Nelson Streets.

This will give everyone time to contact as many people as possible, conduct some research, think about a logical approach and get positive and passionate about saving our town. We need to start an organised approach of letter writing, phone calls, research and gathering community support. Please invite everyone you know.

There are a lot of issues brewing around Rye at the moment. Discussions of Aldi, changes to the two lane traffic past the shops, the general streetscape of the town etc., but I think that stopping McDonalds needs to be a stand alone issue - at least to begin with. Therefore I would ask that anyone attending the meeting be willing to talk about stopping the fast food infestation, and leaving all the other, all be it very important, issues for another time.

Thank you in advance for your time and assistance. Please feel free to contact me, especially if there is anyone willing to help me organise the meeting.

Stop McDonalds Infesting Rye

2009-03-24T01:57:00.000-09:00

STOP MCDONALDS INFESTING RYE

This is an URGENT call out to all those who wish to keep Rye the small, friendly and inviting beach town it currently is.

It has come to my attention that both McDonalds and Hungry Jacks are looking to infest our town with their 'restuarants'.

Although this is still only a 'rumour' I have spent hours trying to gather information, and every new piece I receive just substantiates my fears.

My research has informed me that Hungry Jacks is looking at the site next to Peninsula Surf and that McDonalds is purchasing the house at 2 Dundas Street and the 2 houses and 1 vacant block on the corner of Pt Nepean Road and Dundas St.

It is my opinion, and the opinion of EVERYONE that I have spoken to, that this is a horrific possibility for the entire town of Rye, especially the opening of a McDonalds in a residential zoned area which would involve knocking down some beautiful old homes.

I have spoken to the council and so far no planning permits have been submitted, however, I have also discovered that, although the Pt Nepean and Dundas St site is listed as Residential Zone 1, as it is bordering a commercial zoned area a convenience restaurant only needs the standard planning permits and does not need to go to a planning amendment.

WHAT CAN WE DO

We can not complain to the shire planning department until there is infact a planning application submitted. The shire should advertise the permit through various means, such as in the paper, notifying homes in the immediate area, erecting a 'yellow sign' etc etc, although they do not have to do all these things. A permit application will be advertised on the shire website http://www.mornpen.vic.gov.au/, try looking under 'on exhibition'. A permit may not have much details on it, it may only say 'take away restaurant' or 'restaurant for more than 60' etc.

We need to be vigilant and ensure that EVERYONE knows about the threat. I am concerned that this permit could simply slip through without anyones knowledge. So, if anyone sees or hears anything, can they please spread the word. I am desperate to receive any information I can get, so please keep me informed.

I will be continuing this fight. I will stay in contact with the shire, the community action group and anyone else I can think of.

Maybe letters to our councillors? Any other thoughts?

WHAT IS AT STAKE

A McDonalds in Rye will not only be a blight on the general feel and appearance of our town, but it will also increase the amount of rubbish in our area, increase the 'hoon drivers' that will be speeding through drivethru at all hours of day and night and most importantly, greatly affect the traders that already exist in our town. I believe, as do many of the local shop owners, that this will mean the end of more than one food outlet on the foreshore. Tourists are NOT going to support the local shop over the multinational!!!

Please help me gather information in the fight against a McDonalds or Hungry Jacks in Rye.