Dear Echo News,
Seeing the ‘McDonald’s coming soon’ signs in Kalamunda town centre is making me anything but McHungry.
The state planning system is failing us again and again; significant local community opposition, warnings from the Cancer Council and countless studies showing the linkage between fast food consumption and chronic disease are being disregarded in favour of development.
Recent approvals in Kalamunda, Cockburn and Kwinana mirror similar levels of vehement community rejection – yet all three fast food developments are proceeding.
Whilst on face value the planning system provides opportunity for input from both community and health professionals, in practice these are rarely given a look-in when it comes to final planning outcomes.
Political courage is needed to overhaul our planning framework, to halt this damaging trend allowing the interests of multinational, fast food corporations from being given precedence over the long-term health of our communities.
H Lill
Kalamunda
