A previous push by McDonald's to open a restaurant at Mt Iron was turned down by the Queenstown Lakes District Council last year.
That plan resulted in 367 public submissions, most of which were opposed, along with pickets, a petition and a three-day council hearing.
The commissioners said the first proposal would have been contrary to the overall consideration of the objectives and policies of the Operative and Proposed District Plan, and the adverse effects on the environment would be more than a minor on the approach to Wānaka, the landscape character and the visual amenity values of Mt Iron.
Critics objected to the potential look of McDonald's in the lakeside town, along with concerns about rubbish, traffic and healthy eating.
However, the food giant’s second proposal — to open a 24-hour drive-through in the town's Three Parks area — has been approved.
The non-notified process, which disallowed public input, was in stark contrast to the previous application.
The approval grants a 450.4sqm McDonald’s restaurant and drive-through, located near the BP service station, at 1 Sir Tim Wallis Dr.
The decision to grant consent was considered by QLDC senior planner Ian Bayliss.
Impacts on the environment played a major part in the considerations, and included the effects of lighting, noise and waste generation.
A lighting report showed the proposed building would comply with all relevant lighting controls, including those generated by exterior down-lighting, pole lighting, and parking lighting.
Signs were also sized to be practical, but not excessive, and considered appropriate for the surrounds, zoning and activity.
Lighting impacts on the wider environment were considered to be no more than minor.
While the restaurant was expected to generate a non-compliance with noise standards within the High Density Residential Zoning adjacent to the site, the extent of the non-compliance would occur entirely within land where the owners had provided written approval.
The decision said regardless, an acoustic report was provided by SLR Consulting and was peer reviewed by AECOM, and found any noise effects were considered to be no more than minor.
The decision noted there may be an indirect association of fast-food business with incidents of littering and the generation of food waste and packaging waste generally.
However, waste generation from the site would be addressed by a dedicated waste management area, located to the rear of the proposed building, from which waste collection would occur.
Additionally, bins would be located externally within the site, and internally within the proposed building, to encourage appropriate waste disposal.
"It is acknowledged that the nature of a McDonald’s restaurant and the associated drive-through activity create waste. However, the proposal includes appropriate on-site measures to manage this, and customers who remove waste off-site are legally obligated to dispose of this appropriately, as is the case with any purchased food and packaging," the decision document said.
"Taking the above into account, any waste generation effects generated from the proposal on the wider environment are considered to be no more than minor."
The application was also approved because the restaurant would provide opportunities for commercial development, and would contribute to the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of the community.
