Mosque application rejected amid City and residents’ concerns

The City received an application for the mosque, which could see as many as 110 visitors per day, in November last year.

The main concern of the City was the proposed site for the mosque fell inside the Kwinana Industry Buffer.

A submission from the Department of Planning (DoP) cited potential health risks within the area due to industrial emissions, including bauxite residue from Alcoa’s Kwinana refinery.

The area is currently under ‘industrial investigation’ and therefore the DoP was not convinced the proposed mosque would be in an acceptable location; a view that was echoed by the City’s officers.

Residents also voiced concerns about the mosque, with one submission going as far as suggesting Muslims were ‘violent and sexually deviant’.

Other queries from residents included security fears, disruption to livestock and fears of religious conflict with a nearby Hindu temple – all of which were dismissed.

Councillors debated the proposal at Wednesday night’s |council meeting and unanimously voted to reject the application.