Upcoming interview on 3RPP - The Voice of the Peninsula

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

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?

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.

May 24th - Radio Marinara Interview!

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!!

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.

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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

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!

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!!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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

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

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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...

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?

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?

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?

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?

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

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.