By Brendan Rees
Opponents of a proposed mosque in Narre Warren North are taking their fight to the state’s planning umpire declaring they will “look at every possible avenue to stop this.“
Neighbour Terry Ryan says the mosque was inappropriate for the rural area with hundreds of residents looking at seeking legal advice before taking the matter to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
“We think council have made some errors … we’re going to take some advice and make sure our thinking’s correct,” he said.
It comes after Casey councillors approved plans for a mosque application behind a closed door meeting at Bunjil Place, leaving dozens of people stranded outside the council chamber on Tuesday 16 July.
The angry mob was forced to view a live broadcast of the meeting on a big screen in a room next door.
Protester Valentina Crnkovic said the decision by councillors was “predetermined” with members of the gallery threatened by security “so we can’t speak our minds.“
“They weren’t making a decision in there – that was already made, we’re not dumb,” she said.
“This is all tactics that they’re using, it stinks; they’re not taking the 773 people’s voices into account.”
Islamic Council of Victoria spokesman Adel Salman said the proposed mosque was a “very positive step forward” but added there was an “element of Islamophobia at play.”
“There are a lot of people who have genuine concerns which are legitimate and they should be heard,” he said.
“I definitely don’t want to generalise but I think it’s through the segment they are using these reasons as a cover for Islamophobia mindset.”
Casey deputy mayor Rosalie Crestani said the Islamic Council of Victoria was making comments in a “deliberate attempt to silence debate on genuine concerns of the residents.”
“Residents have said to me that regardless of the aesthetics, a large scale building is inappropriate for that site,“ the Rise Up Australia member said.
When asked if she had concerns about the safety issues that come from Islamic extremism, Cr Crestani said: “Many residents have expressed to me that migrating from overseas, even from the UK, and settling in Narre Warren North and other parts of Casey, was attempting to get away from Islamic extremism.”
She added: “If some residents feel concerned about Islam, they have a right to voice them.“
A prominent South East businessman, Adam Khan, said Cr Crestani needed to be held accountable due to her “fear mongering” and “pre-determined bias.”
“She has (been) documented as saying she will vote against any mosque. She cites terrorism as a possibility,” he said.
“The mosque had ticked all the boxes in terms of the law, both state and local. They complied over and beyond to what the expectations were – and those were the words of the mayor.
Mayor Amanda Stapledon said she respected the objections but considered the plans of the mosque based on its “planning merits.”
