Detailed plans for new Garden City Mosque go to council

A GRAND new-look mosque to replace the one destroyed by fire is a step closer with a development application lodged with Toowoomba Regional Council.

A GRAND new-look mosque to replace the one destroyed by fire is a step closer with a development application lodged with Toowoomba Regional Council.

The Garden City Mosque was left derelict and unusable after an arsonist gutted the building in April last year, the second attack in months.

Rebuilding has been delayed by issues with insurance claims.

Now plans have been officially lodged which outline a building with a mezzanine which will be limited to the existing height of 6.5m.

The mosque will be made of rendered concrete, aluminium framed glass windows and doors and laser cut metal screening.

Proponents say concerns about noise will be mitigated by double glazed glass windows and doors.

An indoor audio system will only be used during special prayer sessions and the remainder of the sessions will not use amplified sound.

The fire caused significant damage to the Garden City Mosque. Picture: Darren England

Founding president of the Toowoomba Islamic Society professor Shahjahan Khan said the glazing would also shield worshippers from traffic noise on busy West St.

A special congregational prayer session called Jumma is offered for about 30 minutes on each Friday which about 150 Muslims attend.

That could cause traffic issues around the mosque, but developers say the use of public transport and carpooling will mitigate that.

The development will include 1.8m high screen fencing along the side and rear boundaries of the property at 217 West Street, Harristown.

Professor Khan said the development included a small expansion of the old mosque to include necessary facilities.

"The whole idea of the expansion is to keep the building in harmony with the neighbourhood," he said.

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Prayer sessions will take place five times a day with a maximum of 20-25 people to attend each session.

There will be 21 car parks on site.

Professor Khan said the Muslim community had been in negotiations with council before the application was submitted to ensure the proposal fitted with council requirements.

The plans were drawn by professional architects and town planners and the application is code assessable.

The mosque has organised its third annual international food festival and open day on Sunday, April 10 from 11am-4pm at the Clive Berghofer Recreation Centre at the University of Southern Queensland.

Police commissioner Ian Stewart will be a guest speaker at the event.

The executive director of Multicultural Affairs Queensland Wayne Briscoe, Federal and State MPs, Vice Chancellor of USQ Professor Jan Thomas and Imam Akram Buksh will also attend the festival.

Originally published as Detailed plans for new Garden City Mosque go to council