It is to the absolute credit of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that they were able to take on the concerns of the community and be the adults in the conversation, going back to the government and asking for a new block of land.
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| File photo: ACT Ahmadiyya Muslim Community organized Quran Exhibition |
Source/Credit: The Sydney Morning Herald
By CT Editorial | January 31, 2015
Planning disputes around mosques have a long, ugly history in the ACT and they never end well.
That is, until this month.
In less than two months the dispute over the Rivett mosque, revealed by the Sunday Canberra Times in November, has been resolved with all parties reasonably satisfied.
The shopkeepers and residents won't have to worry about problems surrounding parking, noise and vandalism and the Muslim association has a new location for their mosque in an unnamed industrial area of Canberra.
Compare this to the Gungahlin mosque which was approved by the government in 2012 and led to ongoing court action in 2013, led by a controversial opposition group.
To see a planning dispute involving two different communities, parking issues and religious differences resolved so quickly and peacefully is a strong reminder of how strong Canberra's multicultural, interfaith community is.
It is to the absolute credit of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community that they were able to take on the concerns of the community and be the adults in the conversation, going back to the government and asking for a new block of land.
This is in spite of the fact they could have been left without a new option for their mosque, or a worse one than Rivett shops.
But where was the ACT government during this planning issue?
The opposition claims the government's handling was inadequate, highlighting its minimal involvement in its resolution.
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Association was given no option on the area of land allocated to them by the government to build a mosque.
Although the site had problems such as a lack of parking, a small size and far from where many of their members lived, they had no choice but to accept the proposed site.
When opposition flared up, the government reiterated it was the only place the mosque could be built but once the association took the step of asking for another location, they found a solution.
One thing that can't be disputed is the Rivett shops are still in dire need of attention.
Without the new mosque and inflow of customers it remains dishevelled and forgotten.
Territory and Municipal Services Minister Shane Rattenbury recently announced a slew of funding for shops at Charnwood, Theodore and Griffith, much to the delight of residents in the area.
The Canberra Times is a strong supporter of the benefits of our local shops, and while somewhat lacking at present in some areas, the investment in their upkeep is an investment in the community worth making.
But the question some Rivett residents must be asking themselves is whether the moving of the mosque represents a missed opportunity for the suburb?
Read original post here: Australia: Rivett Ahmadiyya mosque resolution is an example to us all
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