MORE than 100 signatures have been collected on petitions raging against the proposed mosque in Green Street, Doveton.
The proposed Afghan mosque site is in an industrial area — chosen after consultation with Casey Council — to minimise any complaints from neighbours.
The mosque permit application stated complaints at its current Photinia Street mosque related to car parking, crowds and noise.
Cynthia Bernardo, who would see the proposed mosque tower over her back fence, fears the same problems will descend on her doorstep. She said the residents she had doorknocked “objected to this straight away”.
“It’ll be the full calling for prayer blared out on loudspeakers five times a day. Surely a building of this size with all these bells and whistles shouldn’t be built in a residential area — it’s taking up three lots. We just want the voice of the people heard.”
The application states the mosque would be attended by up to 600 during Easter, and seek to open as early as 4.30am and as late as 10pm in summer. It would also host funerals, with a morgue on site.
Margaret Monssen, who has lived behind the proposed site for 48 years, has collected 80 petition signatures.
She doesn’t like the mosque’s height, particularly of its minaret. “You’ll be able to see its steeples from Box Street,” she said. “If we want to sell our houses and buyers know there’s a mosque, we won’t have a hope of selling them.”
Casey councillor Wayne Smith said he had little objection to the choice of site, although he emphasised the council would not allow loudspeakers.
He said his family received death threats after he endorsed a mosque based in Hallam. “Would we be having these objections if it was a Catholic or Uniting church moving in? I don’t think so.”
— Cameron Lucadou-Wells
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