Clyde residents reject mosque application

By Alison Noonan
LOCALS have rejected a proposal to build a mosque on Manks Road in Clyde.
Residents say they would be extremely unhappy should Casey council approve an application by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Australia to develop a place of assembly on the rural road.
The news came as a surprise to many surrounding property owners, with most claiming a mosque would be ‘completely inappropriate’ for the area.
“We are in a rural area out in the sticks. Not to mention we are in a Green Wedge Zone,” Manks Road resident Jennifer Rowe said.
“I don’t have anything against the religion but I just don’t think this is the right place to have a church.
“We don’t want it here,” she said.
Mrs Rowe said residents were ‘up in arms’ about the Green Wedge Zone which limited what they could do with their properties and rendered much of their land useless.
“We have been crucified by the Green Wedge. We can’t do anything with our land.
“So if we can’t do anything how can they be allowed to build a church?” she asked.
Neighbouring resident Penny Crawford agreed, claiming a mosque would only add to the already chaotic traffic conditions on the rough gravel road.
“We wouldn’t be happy with it.
“Not on religious grounds but purely for the extra traffic it would create.
“The amount of traffic already using this road is unbelievable and I would hate to imagine what it would be like with miles of people going to church services.
“It would be an accident waiting to happen,” she said.
Casey council’s manager of planning Bob Baggio confirmed the council had received an application to build a mosque on the road but said the proposal was yet to go before the council.
He described the application as unusual for the area given the minority Muslim population in Casey.
“Council is ready to advertise the application and give notice to surrounding property owners.
“Council has to determine that the development will be an appropriate use in the zone and the fact that this application is in a Green Wedge Zone will be an important consideration in council’s determination of a permit,” he said.
Mr Baggio said the application indicated that the number of people attending the mosque would be relatively small, with 3040 visitors expected at weekly Friday sessions, 4050 people once a month and up to 120 people for festivities twice a year.
“Other considerations will include increased traffic, whether there is sufficient car parking and the potential nuisance to surrounding property owners.
“At this stage nothing has been determined by council,” he said.
The News was unable to contact the proposal’s applicants before it went to print.