PHOTO: SUPPLIEDMcDonald's is "lovin’ it" after being granted consent to build a 24/7 restaurant with a drive-through in Wānaka, on its second attempt. A previous push by McDonald's to open a restaurant at Mt Iron was turned down by the Queenstown Lakes District Council last year. Critics objected to the potential look of McDonald's in the lakeside town, along with concerns about rubbish, traffic and healthy eating. The approval grants a 450.4sqm McDonald’s restaurant and drive-through, located near the BP service station, at 1 Sir Tim Wallis Dr. "It is acknowledged that the nature of a McDonald’s restaurant and the associated drive-through activity create waste.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 22, 2026 18:33 UTC