Nothing says Castlemaine like coming together on a deep winter night to share a cup of soup and voice opposition to fast food development in our town.
That’s exactly what was on the menu yesterday, when locals gathered opposite the proposed McDonald’s site to enjoy free soup and show support for a different vision for the proposed site.
The Healthy Food, Not Fast Food pop-up soup stall, organised by Serena Everill and the Salvos Wednesday Night Soup volunteers, was an invitation to be part of the growing community movement to stop McDonald’s development at the gateway of Castlemaine.
“There is so much amazing, nutritious food in this town to feed everyone. We don’t need multinational fast-food companies,” says Serena.
“Let’s look after each other instead.”
The soup gathering brought people from across the community together, including young people involved in the recent Kids Against Maccas rally, local businesses and residents who have been building momentum to protect Castlemaine’s unique character, local economy and thriving food culture.
The community has started to organise under the name Mac Off to protect Castlemaine’s strengths after learning in late May that McDonald’s had purchased the vacant block on the corner of Forest and Hargraves Streets, the town’s key arrival point.
Many residents believe a McDonald’s on the site would have significant negative environmental, social and economic impacts, and say any future planning application should be carefully assessed against those considerations.
For more read next Tuesday’s Midland Express.