Resistance in Tecoma is Fertile. Tecoma is a suburb, that word is far from exotic, how about locale? OK so Tecoma is a locale found between Belgrave and Upwey in Melbourne, in an area known as ‘The Hills’ or the Dandenong Ranges.

The Village of Tecoma is a bit like Platform 9 and 3/4. Faith is needed to find Tecoma and if you are not concentrating and blink as you leave Upwey, you just might miss Tecoma before you find yourself in Belgrave.

No Maccas No!

9 out of 10 righteous residents of this mythic location clearly stated, when surveyed by door knockers who spoke to each person individually, that they did not want a McDonald’s Restaurant to be built in Tecoma – and yet, planning permission was granted by legal process, WTF!

The Yarra Ranges Council, local to denizens of Tecoma – represented community views and denied McDonald’s planning permission, so the Corporation took their case to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and the decision of Council was overturned – on legal grounds. Say what?

The battle confronting the residents of Tecoma is not the high sugar and fat content of McDonald’s food products or even that McDonald’s primarily attract business by marketing to children, securing life long customers with the lure of sugar or that the proposed site is near Tecoma Primary School or even the increase in crime and litter local to McDonald’s Car Parks… the outrage of the Tecoma residents relates to a failure of Democracy.

‘The Ballad of Tecoma’ that tells the story of their Mythic Village, the siege currently being waged against the community and their refusal to back down. They are claiming their inalienable rights as human beings to Democracy, Self Expression, Self Determination and they are claiming all these rights – in Peace.

Please send the Ballad on to whomever you feel needs a bit of more Democracy than they currently experience. Also, if you have a good joke, please visit the Burger Off Campaign Facebook page and post it for the tenacious Protesters camped on site.

But back to Today’s Story …

Today friends, some of their number went to Federation Square to communicate their concerns to VCAT regarding the failure of the process to represent or consider the concerns of an overwhelming majority of community members. This resulted in a Truck arriving at the Tecoma Macca’s site hoping to gain access to the sight, thinking, we assume – that their number were away.

Quickly SMS texts went out, Facebook was updated and The Hills of Tecoma emptied out with righteous residents racing up and down to the site to bolster the picket line. It was fun today. There was music on the cello and the drums. The Truck carried workers to the site for the purposes of turning off the Gas but the protesters communicated the Union’s Stop Work Order to them and they withdrew.

You can support their fight for freedom by downloading ‘The Ballad of Tecoma’ on i-tunes, go to link on the Burger-Off web page, or for an MP3 version go to Band Camp.

Tired now, must sleep. Don’t forget about the jokes – OK?

Last but not least, their Rebel Girl – can be seen on ‘The Ballad of Tecoma’ clip.