BendigoWeekly www.bendigoweekly.com.au
ISSUE 870 FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014
DECISION MADE: Councillors Peter Cox, Rod Campbell, Barry Lyons, Mark Weragoda and Lisa Ruffell at the planned mosque site. Photo: ANDREW PERRYMAN
NEW DAWN By CHRISTINE McGINN
COMMUNITY leaders have welcomed a new dawn for the city, with Bendigo’s first mosque now on the horizon. Greater Bendigo councillors, voted seven-to-two to approve the $3 million proposal on Wednesday night. Bendigo police and security
Go-ahead given to mosque plan
guards attended the public meeting to maintain safety among the 250-strong gallery. Council was told before the meeting a bus load of anti-Muslim protesters were coming from Melbourne. In the end, a rowdy and, at
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times, intimidating meeting, saw the East Bendigo plan given the green light. Bendigo Islamic Association committee member Heri Febriyanto said the vote was a new beginning for the Muslim and non-Muslim community.
“We really appreciate council’s decision to approve the permit and we thank the community who have, and are continuing to, support us,” he said. “This is a win for all the community in Bendigo.” The BIA was humbled by coun-
cil’s decision. Mr Febriyanto said they needed to source adequate funding before the mosque could be built. “We are going through this process gradually and we don’t have a certain timeframe for building,” he said.
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