McDonald’s pushes ahead with Newtown store after years of opposition
McDonald’s is continuing with its inner Sydney expansion despite facing fierce backlash from locals.
The Australian arm of the fast-food giant is set to take over the Oporto restaurant on Enmore Road, Newtown, just a few doors down from the site it unsuccessfully tried to move into.
McDonald’s has taken a different approach for the $1.2 million project after its previous plans caused thousands of objections and were rejected by the City of Sydney.
Rather than going through a standard development application, McDonald’s lodged its latest plans through the fast-tracked complying development certificate (CDC) pathway.
The application for the Enmore Road site, which falls within the Inner West Council area, was lodged on September 21 and approved by a private certifier the following day, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Work on the restaurant fit-out began on September 25 and there are currently no plans for a drive-through.
The move came just after McDonald’s abandoned a Land and Environment Court fight over its rejected proposal for another restaurant on King Street, where two attempts to build on the site failed.
Its original application, lodged in July 2025, proposed a 24-hour restaurant and caused major backlash from locals.
About 1400 submissions were made, while more than 1000 people signed an online petition opposing the controversial plans.
Residents raised concerns about rubbish, food delivery riders and the impact another major fast-food chain could have on Newtown’s independent businesses. Police also raised concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour.
The City of Sydney rejected the application in October, but McDonald’s didn’t give up and lodged revised plans earlier this year.
The second proposal ditched the 24-hour operation and changed opening hours to 7am to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday and 7am to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.
However, the revised plans also failed to get approval and McDonald’s eventually took the matter to the Land and Environment Court before abandoning the case in September.
While locals celebrated, their success in keeping the fast-food chain out of their suburb was short-lived.
The new restaurant will mark McDonald’s return to Newtown after almost three decades.
The suburb’s former Macca’s opened in 1982 under rugby league great Ron Coote before closing its doors in 1998.
It is not the first time McDonald’s has turned to the CDC pathway after facing resistance to a new restaurant.
The company took a similar approach in Crows Nest after abandoning an earlier $2.6 million proposal amid complaints from residents.
A new version was then also approved through a CDC, which allowed the restaurant to bypass the usual council and public consultation process and begin construction.
City of Sydney councillor Jess Miller told The Herald that the fast-food chain’s use of the fast-tracked approval process could “really enrage people in the community”.
“It means an application doesn’t go on exhibition, it doesn’t go to a local planning panel, none of the issues are ventilated. Rather than going through a transparent assessment and consultation process, CDCs can be approved via a check-a-box exercise.”
A company spokesman also told the outlet that the Enmore Road location was due to open later this year and would be operated by a local licensee committed to supporting the community.
“McDonald’s Newtown was approved through a complying development certificate (CDC) as the restaurant met all necessary guidelines under relevant legislation.
“We look forward to becoming part of the Newtown community when the restaurant opens.”
