Majority, not minority: Six of the 18 volunteers who took part in the extensive No Maccas in the Hills survey in Tecoma. Picture: Wayne Hawkins
ALMOST nine in 10 Tecoma residents are against McDonald's opening in the town, according to a survey conducted by a protest group.
Frustrated at being labelled the 'vocal minority', No Maccas in the Hills knocked on every Tecoma door in a bid to dispel the tag.
From mid-November to early December, a group of 18 volunteers spoke with every resident aged 18 and over, asking if they were for, against, or not sure about the proposed Tecoma McDonald's development on Burwood Highway.
Their results showed that 88.2 per cent of residents were against the development, 4.8 per cent were for it and 7 per cent were not sure or did not care.
Co-ordinator Erin Downie said the group had set out to make the survey as unbiased as possible.
The door knockers did not wear anti-McDonald's clothing and ensured questions remained clear and simple to understand.
"For me, I was frustrated at hearing that we were a vocal minority. We are the majority," Ms Downie said.
"I don't believe this fight is over. There is no democracy in this decision right now."
In October, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal approved McDonald's application to build a restaurant in the town.
Ms Downie said all age groups were against the restaurant.
"It's not just hippies, and that really needs to be represented properly."
No Maccas in the Hills media adviser Garry Muratore said McDonald's name would be tarnished if it moved into Tecoma.
"It has the potential to be brand damaging for them," he said.
"Locals don't want this, so we're basically amplifying that upfront."
A McDonald's spokesman said this was not the case.
"We understand that McDonald's may not be for everyone, but we also know very clearly that there is support for McDonald's in Tecoma.
"We've seen supportive letters to the editor and comments on news stories as well as letters and emails sent directly to us on the matter," the spokesman said.
"It wouldn't make good business sense to open a restaurant in a location where we didn't think it would succeed."