By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
CASEY’S Mayor Sam Aziz denied the council caved in to Islamophobic elements as a proposed mosque in Narre Warren North was rejected amid vocal protests at a council meeting on 26 April.
A prominent police and security detail kept watch as an overflow of mosque supporters raised posters decrying fascism or with slogans such as “Mosque: Yes. Racism: No.”
After the council’s unanimous rejection of the 457-person mosque at 365-367 Belgrave-Hallam Road, a chant of “The mosque is welcome, racists are not” rang through the public gallery and out the door.
There was no hint of Bendigo-like violence between a staunch and largely-silent residents group who applauded the council’s decision and the protestors.
At the meeting, the council vowed to throw “every resource” at defending its decision at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the Supreme Court, if the proponent Saarban Islamic Trust appeals.
Cr Aziz told the meeting that this was “one of the most significant” planning decisions in recent Casey history because of the impact on resident amenity and the enivironment as well as more than 1000 “legitimate” objections from Casey residents.
He thanked Casey’s residents who objected respectfully and with “genuine concern” but was disappointed with the applicant for his “unfounded comments” in the media.
“For you to be shocked by the content of the report is at best mischievous or at worst malicious.
“You have not endeared yourself in making these comments.”
Cr Aziz took aim at the “rubbish” published by media that the council had bowed to pressure from fringe political and ideological groups.
He said those groups – both left and right – had been “wasting their time”. It was only Casey’s residents that had been heard.
Four Oaks Ward councillor Rafal Kaplon emphasised the planning reasons for the decision – the development’s scale and intensity in the rural foothills and green wedge area, as well as VicRoads’ objections to its traffic impact.
The 16-metre minaret would be an “overbearing” presence from various vantage points, Cr Kaplon said.
The significant non-urban Narre Warren North area should be regarded as a “finite resource” that would be “lost forever” if developed.
His message was undercut by fellow ward councillor and Rise Up Australia identity Rosalie Crestani, who held up posters to the gallery during the vote.
One of her posters stated: “Narre Warren North residents said to me: radicalisation and terrorism risks of Islamic mosques should be considering in decision making.”
Cr Crestani later told Star News she created the posters because she wasn’t allowed to raise these questions at the meeting.
She said chanting protesters didn’t know the meaning of racism.
“Racism doesn’t have anything to do with Islam. It’s not a race, it’s an ideology.”
Narre North residents later told Star News that their objections were based on conserving their town’s rural character and were offended with being branded as racists.
“It wouldn’t matter if it was a church or a mosque,” several told Star News.
A Casey resident who supported the mosque said she wanted peace and unity in Australia.
“I want my daughter to grow up in a faith where she’s not regarded as evil.
“We have the same values as anyone else.”
Saarban Islamic Trust spokesman Saeed Muhammad said Cr Aziz’s condemnation of the trust was “overly aggressive”.
“He seemed to stress the point that we will challenge you.”
The trust is expected to challenge the council’s decision at VCAT.
