A SECOND mosque will be built in Cairns after the council gave the nod for a new worship centre in Bungalow.
Cairns regional councillors yesterday voted unanimously to allow a 180sq m shed in the city’s industrial precinct to be turned into a mosque.
The proposed Indonesian Community Centre and accompanying caretaker’s residence will use an existing house and industrial shed on the Newell St property.
The centre is backed by the Association of Islamic Da’wah in Australia, which also has mosques in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Cr John Schilling, whose southern division includes a Sikh temple on the Bruce Highway, was concerned about potential parking issues if the mosque congregation grew.
But founder Laode Fasihun said the mosque was expected to attract only a small number of worshippers, predominantly made of up nine local families.
“As a community centre, we would welcome anyone who comes but at the moment it will be only a small group,” he said. “If there is future growth we’d look at buying a bigger place with more parking.”
A report to councillors showed the proposal included nine on-site parking spaces, several on-street parking spaces and a planned upgrade to the road reserve to allow for another space.
Peak usage will be on Wednesday and Friday nights between 6pm and 8pm and on Friday between 12.30pm and 1.30pm, when an estimated 20 people will be in attendance.
A comparison between the Dunn St Islamic mosque in Cairns North shows the planned Bungalow mosque will be on a bigger lot size and attract fewer worshippers during peak times.
Mr Fasihun said the group had worked closely with council to find a suitable location for the mosque.
The council received only one submission – in support of the project – during a 28-day public notification period.
Proposed Mosque for Cairns
