By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
CASEY Councillor Rosalie Crestani and more than 50 residents have raised their concern that plans to build an Islamic school in Doveton were seemingly approved without their knowledge.
At this week’s council meeting Cr Crestani presented a 51-signature petition calling for a review of the process which saw the plans for the school – to be set up at the former Doveton North Primary School site in Rowan Drive – approved.
In May 2014 Star News reported how Ilim College of Australia bought the site for $4.2 million, with a spokesman for then Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips confirming at the time that the 20,420 square metre site had been purchased.
During Tuesday’s meeting Cr Crestani put several questions to City of Casey Director of Planning and Development Peter Fitchett in relation to the planning decision, before presenting the petition.
Cr Crestani, the deputy president of Pastor Danny Nalliah’s far-right Rise Up Australia Party (RUAP), questioned why councillors weren’t notified about the decision and why the term “Islamic” was left out of despatches.
But Mr Fitchett said councillors had been notified about the decision on 14 occasions via the Councillor Information Bulletin board.
It was also noted by the relevant officers that they were at risk of discrimination if they included the religion of the applicant, according to legal advice they had sought.
The only councillor willing to second the review motion, which was heavily amended and eventually carried, was Mayor Sam Aziz, citing Cr Crestani’s right to free speech.
