A controversial mosque planned for the Gold Coast has been knocked back by the city's council.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
At a full meeting of Gold Coast City Council on Tuesday, proposal for the mosque was rejected 10 votes to five.
The council had been asked to vote on a "material change of use" to allow the Salsabil Charitable Organisation to convert a warehouse in an industrial estate at Currumbin Waters into an Islamic place of worship.
The plans for the 4768 square metre site triggered several protests from residents, some of whom waved anti-Islamic signs outside the council chambers, throughout the approvals process.
A small number of anti-Islamic protesters gathered outside council chambers again on Tuesday.
About 10 police officers were also there, after councillors Cameron Caldwell and William Owen-Jones received death threats for their support of the development.
Another councillor, Chris Robbins, claimed she was threatened with gang rape and death from people opposed to the development, via social media.
Despite that, Cr Robbins led the call to reject the application, saying council had let down the community by not fully assessing the impact the development would have on them.
About 30 opponents of the planned mosque cheered and booed from the council chamber's public gallery, as councillors from both sides of the debate expressed concern.
Some councillors said the decision to refuse the application would result in a court appeal which could be costly for ratepayers.
More to come ...
EARLIER
The Gold Coast City Council will consider legal advice before making a decision about an application to build a mosque at Currumbin Waters.
The city planning committee section of Tuesday's council meeting had just begun when Councillor Lex Bell told Mayor Tom Tate he had received urgent legal advice about the application.
"And so I think we should go into closed session so I can share this legal advice with my fellow councillors," Cr Bell said.
The meeting voted to close, forcing those in the public gallery and media gallery to leave.
It is believed the legal advice relates to the financial records of the site's previous owner.
Salsabil Charitable Organisation, which lists its contact point as a Gold Coast town planning firm Taylor Willis Town Planners, is behind the proposal to build a mosque on the four hectare site.
Quick checks show Salsabil is a company registered in Florida. Requests for interviews with a representative on Monday were not returned.
Nearly 3700 people signed a petition opposing the development.
The council's city planning committee last week recommended the project be approved, but it suggested the mosque open at 7am, not 4am, and that a maximum of 114 people be allowed to use the facility at any one time.
Local councillor Chris Robbins, who recieved death threats via social media over the application, has opposed the development and criticised what she says has been a the lack of social and humanitarian research into the mosque application.
