Glenhaven Mosque: 1000 submissions against development sparks call for conciliation meeting
MORE than 1000 submissions against a development application for a mosque at Glenhaven have been received by the Hills Shire Council — sparking another community meeting by the Friends of Glenhaven residents’ group.
Hills Shire
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- Glenhaven residents hit out over plans for large-scale mosque
- Glenhaven mosque has MP Ray Williams juggling residents and multiculturalism
MORE than 1000 submissions against a development application for a mosque at Glenhaven have been received by the Hills Shire Council — sparking another community meeting by the Friends of Glenhaven residents’ group.
The Hills District Muslim Society has lodged an application for a mosque at the corner of Larapinta Pl and Glenhaven Rd.
The council received just two submissions supporting the development and 1030 submissions against it. A council staff member said the number of submissions is most likely “the highest number of submissions the council has received on a DA over the past six years”.
Friends of Glenhaven spokesman Mitchell Blue said residents raised concerns about noncompliance around height limits, set backs and a lack of details in the application.
“The DA also failed to provide a waste water report, details of the acoustic barrier, accessible access arrangements, traffic and parking surveys for similar types of developments, a plan of management, tree removal details and external lighting details,” Mr Blue said.
The group said Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne and Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams would attend a community meeting at Glenhaven Community Hall on Wednesday, June 13, at 7.30pm.
“Given this is a place of public worship with a capital investment greater than $5 million, the determining authority will be the regional planning panel,” Mr Blue said. “So we look forward to the mayor and Ray Williams providing an update … on the process which is to follow.”
The record number of submissions comes as Hills resident, Pal Yusaf, argued there was a growing need for community facilities “to accommodate a growing Muslim population in the Hills”.
Ms Yusaf pointed to significant changes in Hills Shire census data between 2011 and 2016, with a 19.81 per cent increase in the population of people recognised as followers of Islam.
“Looking at the data on religion alone, it is clear that a demand for places of worship will continue to grow, supporting that growing population data,” Ms Yusaf said.
“Besides transport and housing, it will be increasingly important to consider what community infrastructure will be needed to support hills resident in living full and meaningful lives.
“This will mean that the needs of its residents will also reflect that diversity.”
Ms Yusaf said the Mosque, also known as a Masjid, will play an important role in providing social support, integration and social cohesion for local Muslim families.
“As communities undergo changes, building trust becomes an important issue,” she said.
“Policymakers can have a clear role to play in ensuring that community harmony remains a priority, and that means being sensitive to changing community infrastructure needs.”
The council has called for the Hills District Muslim Society to take part in a conciliation conference between residents, councillors and council staff.
Conciliation conferences are not mandatory and the HDMS has not indicated if a representative will participate in the talks.
WHAT IS A MASJID
AID worker and Hills resident Pal Yusaf is determined to set the record straight on what a Masjid in the Hills would look like, following calls for conciliation over plans for a large-scale development in Glenhaven.
Mr Yusaf told the Times the mosque, or masjid, provides communal schooling, a community hub and sanctuary space.
“Like all places of worship, mosques at a minimum provide a space where people can gather on a regular basis and see each other face-to-face,” Ms Yusaf said.
“The benefits of this are enormous, from reducing isolation to building a sense of belonging.
For minority groups, particularly those that may be experiencing marginalisation as the Muslim community in Australia has, gathering in a safe and comfortable place together can feel like a sanctuary.”
Ms Yusaf said masjid’s play a number of roles, aside from being a place of worship.
“They are often used to provide charity, where members of the community who are ill, experiencing hardship or difficulties can be supported financially by other members of the
congregation,” she said.
“They provide a space for young people to network, to share experiences of what it is to be young and Muslim in a climate of fear and hostility and where friendships are formed and maintained.
“They can be places of learning, debate and contradiction.”
Masjids are commonly a location of prayer once a week, however others use the place several times a day, according to Ms Yusaf.
“Beyond the benefits they provide the immediate community of worshippers, there is a long history of Australian mosques providing services to the wider community,” she said. They can be places where ideas are formed and collective action taken.
“When people are supported with space to gather collectively around shared issues or values, it is not uncommon to see other civic projects flourish.”
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