Arabic version: مجلس كيسي يعارض خطة معبد هندوسي في كرانبورن ساوث

According to ABC News, Casey Council has objected to a proposed $209 million Hindu Mahā-Mandir in Cranbourne South, saying the development raises planning concerns in Melbourne’s Western Port Green Wedge.

BAPS Australia has applied to build the place of worship on Western Port Highway. If approved, the 64-metre building could become Australia’s largest Hindu temple. Its economic benefits assessment says the project would create 143 ongoing jobs, contribute more than $12 million a year to the Victorian economy and attract up to 1,200 visitors on a typical weekday. Special events, held up to nine times a year, could draw three times that number.

Casey mayor Michelle Crowther said the council’s concerns included traffic and road capacity, vegetation removal, and effects on residents from traffic, noise, lighting and visual amenity. She also cited what the council considers inconsistency with the purpose and planning objectives of the green-wedge area, which is outside urban growth boundaries and intended for low-density activities including farming and environmental purposes.

The application was lodged through Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program because of its projected economic value. The program means the planning minister, rather than the local council, will decide the proposal. The temple went to public notice in September, and the Victorian government said it would assess the plan on its merits.

BAPS volunteer Yash Patel said the Mahā-Mandir was intended as a spiritual home for Australian Hindus and a welcoming place for people from different backgrounds. Around one in 10 Casey residents identify as having Indian ancestry. However, the Western Port Green Wedge Protection Group and the Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association also plan or intend to oppose the development, citing concerns about its scale and whether existing infrastructure can support a major urban facility on green-wedge land.