Council offloads women’s centre to religious group
A Sydney council has handed over the keys to a women’s rest centre to one of the largest Islamic organisations in the country.
NSW
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One of Sydney’s most popular women’s rest centres will now offer mediation services facilitated by a “sheikh” after a council handed the centre’s operations over to an “all male’’ Islamic organisation.
Lakemba Women’s Rest Centre has provided a safe space for women and mothers to meet, relax and care for their babies since the 1960s, with more than 170 women using it each week.
But, The Daily Telegraph can reveal Canterbury-Bankstown Council recently offloaded the centre to the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA), along with tens of thousands of dollars in yearly funding, after an expression of interest process.
The plans were laid out in a recent council meeting showing the LMA aims to move away from the idea of a women’s rest centre and towards a service based operation.
“They (LMA) offer a Targeted Early Intervention Casework program to young people aged 12-18. Family support services to enhance family functioning and culturally appropriate mediation facilitated by a sheikh”, according to the tender documents.
Canterbury Bankstown Councillor Barbara Coorey has called for clarity over the plan and urged Mayor Bilal El-Hayek to be upfront about the circumstances of the handing over of the rest centre.
“I think the mayor needs to be completely transparent with the residents and ratepayers with such an outrageous plan to offload this service,” she told The Daily Telegraph.
“This council is hurtling down the road of administration by offloading such services in this fashion, particularly to an all male religious organisation. It’s the sign of a council in a deep financial crisis”.
The LMA said the centre would continue to focus on women. However, it did not answer questions about the gender of the volunteers and staff who will work there.
“The centre is specifically designed for women and their children,’’ LMA administration manager Elena Julca said.
“It is a safe space intended to empower women and support their families, particularly those facing hardship or isolation.”
The LMA will take control of the centre five days a week, “with the possibility of extending hours to weekends based on community demand and feedback”, the tender documents states.
Councillor Khal Asfour said the LMA was “exploring ways to revitalise the centre and encourage greater use by offering inclusive services that reflect the needs of local women”, adding: “The LMA looks forward to commencing operations at the Rest Centre shortly. Final preparations are underway to ensure the space is safe, accessible, and welcoming to all women in the community”.
During the meeting where the tenders were awarded, Mayor El-Hayek declared a non-pecuniary conflict of interest and left the chamber over his association with the LMA. Mr El-Hayek did not vote in the tender process.
The projected cost of the handover is estimated to be $30,000 a year, however, sources within the council suggest funding would result in more than $100,000 in ratepayer cash handed over each year for the external management of two women’s centres.
According to council documents a “full year of operational costs including staffing, and on costs, is approximately around $220,000 per year”.
Originally published as Council offloads women’s centre to religious group
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