A Hendra community group has been forced to abandon its legal challenge against a new McDonald’s drive-through on Nudgee Rd, stating the overwhelming cost of a court battle against the multinational corporation made their fight impossible to continue.
Community Abandons Appeal
The group, Hendra Locals Against McDonald’s (HLAM), recently dropped its Planning and Environment Court appeal over the restaurant proposed for 330 Nudgee Rd.
A spokesman for the group, Bill Moore, said it should not be up to local “mums and dads” to find money for expensive legal battles during an affordability crisis. He expressed frustration that residents had to withdraw their appeal in August after lodging it in March, simply because they ran out of money.
Mr Moore suggested the case shows the need for an independent planning tribunal, similar to one used in Sydney. He argued that local councils often lack the financial and human resources to fight large corporations and that new exclusion zones are needed to protect communities.
‘Unrealistic’ Traffic Claims at Centre of Dispute
The residents’ core concern centred on traffic safety, specifically the risk of cars queuing on Gerler Rd and backing up onto the busy Nudgee Rd intersection.
The developer’s application included a traffic report claiming the drive-through would be highly efficient, assuming an average service time of just 25 seconds per vehicle. This, the report claimed, would allow for 144 vehicles an hour and prevent queuing, noting the site has space for 13 cars.
However, Mr Moore challenged this figure as unrealistic. He said he timed patrons at the nearby Albion McDonald’s during an evening peak period and found the actual time from ordering to exiting was closer to 2.5 minutes. He noted that US studies put average wait times at four minutes.
The article noted that the developer’s traffic report conceded the data was “provided by the client” and was based on a desktop investigation conducted in January of last year.
Council Approved Scaled-Down Plan
The council approved the project in January despite receiving 436 formal objections from the community. Residents believe this decision set a dangerous precedent, fearing it could allow more fast-food outlets to be built in residential zones.
According to town planners for the site’s owner, the 2120-square-metre property had been used for non-residential businesses, such as a car rental storage area, since the 1960s.
The developer’s initial proposal in July 2022 was for a full-scale restaurant. After meetings with the council, the owner agreed to scale back the project. The approved plan is for a drive-through-only facility on one lot, which is about 65 per cent of the standard restaurant size, and has all vehicle access limited to Gerler Rd.
Published Date 30-October-2025
