Construction begins on Mosque in Bendigo, Australia

Construction has begun on an Islamic community center in Bendigo, a city in Victoria, Australia, which will include the region’s first mosque.

 

Construction has begun on an Islamic community center in Bendigo, a city in Victoria, Australia, which will include the region’s first mosque.

The project also includes a multipurpose center capable of hosting sporting and cultural events. The Victorian government has made a contribution to this part of the project, with a $400,000 grant from its Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund.

Although the center was approved by the local council in 2014, the project has run up against sometimes violent opposition. Opponents of the mosque appealed the council decision to approve the building but the appeal was rejected by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the Supreme Court of Victoria. In June 2016, the High Court of Australia rejected the appeal based on “insufficient prospect of success.”

The City of Greater Bendigo received the 2016 Planning Institute of Australia Victorian President’s Award for its handling of what it called “the mosque crisis.”

Maree Edwards, member for Bendigo West, said “Bendigo is proudly multicultural – our great city would not be what it is today without the contribution of so many different cultures. Today’s milestone is a significant moment for the ongoing development of Bendigo.”