Sunbury will be home to a new multi-faith temple after tribunal overturn council decision

A multi-faith temple will be built in the Green Wedge Zone on Melbourne’s northwestern fringes despite fears it will cause traffic jams and cause a bushfire risk.

Despite fierce opposition from the local council and neighbours, the vacant land at 75 Mundy Rd in Sunbury will become home to a multi-faith temple.

A multi-faith temple that will hold gatherings of up to 100 people at a time will be built in the Green Wedge Zone in Melbourne’s northwest after winning the state’s tribunal’s blessing over the local council and neighbours.

In overturning Hume Councils decision — which had the strong support from members of the community — VCAT stated the temple, to be built at 75 Mundy Rd, Sunbury, would not impact the rural landscape and agriculture or cause conflict with neighbouring landowners.

The multi-faith temple will be built on a vacant plot of land at 75 Mundy Rd in Sunbury.

The council initially knocked back the proposal — inspired by multi-faith places of worship in Sydney, Santiago, New Delhi and Frankfurt — last year on the grounds it was inappropriate to build such a development in the Green Wedge Zone.

The design of the proposed place of worship, being highly geometric, modern building, together with its location on a cleared portion of the land that will be visible from adjoining properties and the public realm is not an acceptable design response,’’ the council said.

“The establishment of a place of worship on this land will drastically diminish its

ability for agricultural uses to be undertaken,”

Extracts of the multi-faith temple development submitted to the Hume Council. Photo: supplied.

Neighbours also objected the proposal on the grounds it would impact the amenity of the area,

increase traffic and be a bushfire risk.

There will be restrictions on the temple, however, with events on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to have no more than 100 people in attendance, including staff, between 9am and 5pm.