With fast-food outlets selling highly marketed, highly processed unhealthy food and drinks continuing to be approved in residential areas including next to Perth schools, despite hundreds of objections, a petition to amend the state’s fast-food outlet approval process will be submitted to the Legislative Assembly of State Parliament today by Chris Tallentire MLA, Member for Thornlie.
Cancer Council WA Cancer Prevention and Research Director, Melissa Ledger, said more than 500 members of the community signed the petition sending a clear message to the WA Government that the community has had enough.
“There is an urgent need to make community health a priority in the way we plan and design our suburbs,” Ms Ledger said.
“Fast-food outlets in our suburbs and next to schools are in complete opposition to community expectations.”
Ms Ledger said the Two Rocks community is the latest to be devastated after learning the City of Wanneroo will support a 24/7 McDonalds restaurant being built on the oceanfront.
“We understand more than 400 submissions were received with only 18 in support of the development, but still the Council has chosen to support the development, despite the strong arguments against it,” she said.
“Currently Local Councils do not have planning schemes that allow them to oppose these developments if the development proposal meets a handful of planning requirements, so health concerns cannot play a role in these decisions. Councils are hamstrung.
“Evidence shows the number of these outlets impacts our diets and undermines our best intentions to eat well. Children eat more of the unhealthy food from these outlets when attending schools with fast-food outlets close by.
“Unhealthy diets and living with overweight and obesity are the greatest risk factors for death and disease in Australia including 13 different types of cancer.”
Ms Ledger said Data from their new report We don’t need another Maccas”: How our local communities are taking on fast-food outlets in WA, reveals 74 per cent of the WA community agree it is important that councils control the number and location of fast-food outlets locally and near schools, to help improve community health.
“We urge the Legislative Assembly to call on the Cook Government to implement changes to planning laws recommended in the Sustainable Health Review,” she said.
“In addition, we urge the government to make legislative amendments, state policies and guidelines for local planning strategies and plans so that health and community considerations prevail over profit interests of land developers and fast-food companies.”
