Brisbane Islamic Centre- construction progress history

The 10-acre parcel of land at 161 Underwood Road, Eight Mile Plains is freehold and has been donated by WAQF in the name of the Brisbane Islamic Centre (BIC).

BIC is registered with ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) as a not-for-profit entity. A board of directors manages the company, and NO director, family or person has ownership or controlling interest.

For further information contactsecretary@bic.org.au or Phone +61 468 825 786

The Mosque - part of Queensland’s history since 1909

Since the construction of the first Brisbane Mosque at Holland Park in 1909, this place of worship with its distinctive architecture has continued to provide a focal point and gathering place for Australian Muslims. Whilst the primary purpose of any place of worship is prayer, the Brisbane Islamic Centre to be built at Underwood Road, Eight Mile Plains is, we believe, a world first providing a community with an inclusive master planned development which also embraces retiring and aging Australians.

Here is not only a place to pray, but a place to learn, a place to share and a place for Muslims and non-Muslims to socialize and learn about each other, in order to create a harmonious society that we and future generations can benefit from.

Over the past 20 years, the population of Muslims entering Queensland and Brisbane in particular has increased. Together with providing such a facility for this growing community, a need also arose to educate Muslims and non-Muslims alike about Islam. It is intended that this all inclusive project’s objective is to meet this need.

Holland Park Mosque 1909. Third oldest mosque in Australia.

Vision: a place of understanding and harmony for all

The vision of the Brisbane Islamic Centre Board is to provide a place of worship for Muslims, and a place of learning and cultural awareness for both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Our fervent hope is to ensure that the teachings and message of Islam creates a spirit of understanding and harmony for the Muslim community in Brisbane in particular, but also in Australian society as a whole.

Our purpose is to work with other faiths and communities to inform, educate and bring about closer cooperation between different teachings, cultures and customs.

Our aim is to encourage integration not separation and understanding not ignorance about Islam and Muslims.

From the time of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) – the mosque has been the central focus of the Muslim community.

Indeed, the Prophet’s mosque in Medina was not just a prayer facility. It was a multipurpose familycentered institution that served as a school, a meeting place, a venue for sport events and other celebrations.

Our objective is to build on this powerful heritage and help shape the identity of future generations of proud Australian Muslims.

The journey

2008 Land was acquired.

2012 Development Application lodged with Brisbane City Council.

2014 Council refuses the development application.

2015

Brisbane Islamic Centre lodges an Appeal in the Planning and Environment Courts (P&E Court).

2016

Court approves the development of the Mosque project with land to the North for future development (Sukoon Village).

2017/2018 Tree clearing and earth works commence.

2018 Issues with the water table, limiting civil works.

Minor Change application lodged with the P&E Court to amend development approval.

Level of the excavation reduced from 8m to 4m.

2019 Minor Change approval granted by the P&E Court.

2021 Building Approval (BA) process with consultants.

Late 2021 Construction to commence.

2021-2025 Fundraising from community.

2025 Insha’Allah to complete the project (~4 years).

The project

The Centre will include the following:

• Masjid with modern male and female facilities

• Parking for 400 cars

• Community Hall

• Serviced offices for organisations, with common boardroom and reception

• Islamic Library and Resource Centre

• Auditorium with theatre seating for 150 and with state of the art audio visual facilities

• Islamic Museum documenting the history of Muslims in Australia and Queensland in particular

• Cafeteria and coffee shop

• Book shop

• Education services

• Interfaith and cross-cultural dialogue facilities

• Youth facilities

The Masjid block will consist of three levels:

• An underground car park, youth centre, gymnasium and a proposed ghusl facility

• Ground floor Masjid for men

• Upper level Masjid for women with drive up direct easy access, Dawah Centre, serviced offices and Community Hall

The Community Hall will accommodate approximately 800 people and will include a commercial kitchen.

January 2022 Earthworks complete. Site cleared ready for construction.

Adjacent 3-4ha council land approved for sports and recreation

A place of worship

• Men’s and women’s extensive prayer areas

• Separate access and lifts dedicated to each area

• Madressa classes including Hifz courses

• Adult Quran and Islamic courses

• Itikaf sections for use during Ramadan

• Education facilities for new Muslims

• Dedicated Dawah (invitation) and information unit

• Janazah facilities (including cold room and ghusl areas)

• Facilities for travelling visitors

• Audio-visual theatre for lectures

A place for family

• A cafeteria with seating for family and friends

• A Youth Centre including a gymnasium with separate areas for males and females

• Social area around the water fountains for worshippers before and after prayer times

• Children’s playground facility

• Community Hall with seating for 800 to cater for functions

• Commercial kitchen to allow for ladies’ activities

• Visits to the elderly and frail residents in adjacent Sukoon Village

Rear view - Cafeteria with external dining area

A community place of learning

Place of Dawah (Invitation) and Information

• Informed and professional unit to disseminate message of Islam

• 150 Seat audio visual theatre for visitors

• Islamic Museum

• Library and Resource Centre

• Literature to visitors (free)

Dawah Reception

Dawah Office

Museum Library

Audio Visual Theatre

Construction breakdown of costs

Estimate

Minarets x 2

Domes x 3 (two small above minarets + Masjid)

Wudukana (Ablution) for both Men and Women

Other items (10% contingency)

For further detailed breakdown of above costs, please speak to staff and BIC Committee members

Entire 10 acres is freehold and valued at $12M in today’s market

This month marks a remarkable milestone for the Musjid slab - 675m2 of concrete was poured of an eventual 2000m2 of the men's Salaat area. In the early hours of the 3rd of August 2023 in drizzling rain, the dedicated TFA team poured and meticulously levelled over 300 cubic meters of concrete.

Construction activity as of 3rd August 2023

Total amount spend to date: $6,927,498.57

1. Part of Musjid (Total approx. 2000m2 concreted)

2. Car parking- columns in palace for next level.

3. Foundation bases for two minarets complete.

4. Parking on this floor and the completed floor below.

5. Parking on this level and two floors below with lift access - provision on top floor for bus turnaround concreting complete.

6. Commercial kitchen walls erected.

7. Community Hal walls and window openings erected.

8. Basement carpark, switch board, equipment rooms wall erected.

9. Top floor: Office, administration, reception, library, museum, audio visual theatre, meeting rooms.

Below floor: 2 Madressa classrooms, Female gym, male gym, Janazah facility - walls erected.

10. 200,000 litre underground rain water tank for garden irrigation and washing of building and other usage.

Entry road with car access ramps to parking areas 4 & 5

16th August 2023

Site works to be completed

Entry road, bridge, landscaping

Theatrette

Ladies and Mens liftsVehicle ramps, podium parking area and landscaping

Reception and offices

Community hall kitchen and cafeJanazah facility Museum

2 Minarets

Car parks-render and paint

2 Madressas Male and Female youth Centres

BIC reaching out to our diverse community

It has been reported that our Nabi Muhammad (May Allah SWT be pleased with him) said:

“ The Believers, in their mutual love, compassion and sympathy are like a single body; if one of its organs suffers, the whole body will respond to it with sleeplessness and fever”

In our endeavor to foster unity among Brisbane’s more than 70,000 Muslims (and growing daily) we are reaching out to the heart of our diverse community, catering to residents, new Muslims and migrants hailing from countries such as:

• Pakistan

• Bangladesh

• Gulf Countries

• Middle Eastern

• Somalia

• Indonesia

• Lebanon

• Turkey

• Egypt

• Bosnia

• India

• North and Central Africa

and more

And allowing them to host special on-site Open Day Cultural events.

The first of such an event was last month (July 2023) for the Bangladeshi Community and for the month of August 2023, it will be a Somali community event. Further monthly events planned for other communities.

Give A Helping Hand

Every

Honoured visitors endorse the Brisbane Islamic Centre

During the construction period over 18 months we have been graced by many Renown and Respected Ulema, Islamic Scholars and dignitaries both local and international that have pledged their support.

Sheik Habib Kadhim bin

Ja 'far bin Muhammad al-Saqqaf (Direct descendant of the Holy Prophet Muhammah, PBUH. Tarim Yemen)

Sheikha Dr Haifaa Younis Founder and Chairman of Jannah Institute (USA)

Mufti Mink (Zimbabwe)

Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeanette Young AC PCM

Governor of Queensland

Dr Shaykh Waleed Basyouni PHO President of ALMaghrib Institute and Head of Islamic Theology and Ethics Department (USA)

Sheikh Suliman Moola (South Africa)

Honourable Gary Hardgrave

Former Federal Minister of Immigration

The Most Eminent Imam Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari Grand Mufti of Australia

Zia Ahmad Editor of the Australasian Muslim Times (AMUST)

Inspector Wayne Clayton Queensland Police Services

Hassen Goss Gold Coast Muslim Leader

Moulana Suleman Khatani (South Africa)

Senator Fathima Payman Australian Parliament

James Martin Queensland Labor Member of Parliament

Josh Unal Director of Sadaqa Welfare Foundation

Councilor John Raven Logan City Council

The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane Adrian Schrinner

Turgut Allahmanli Turkish Honorary Consulate General Qld

Sheik Bilal Ismal (South Africa)

Sheik Ala a Elsayed (Canada)

Kim Marx Councilor of Runcorn

Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman President of Australian National Islamic Council (ANIC)

Dr Rateb Jneid President of Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC)

Jim Chalmers MP Treasurer of Australia

Rami Ykmour Founder of Rashay's franchise

Brisbane City Councilor Steven Huang As'ad Ibn Siddique Layth WAHED Invest Inc (UK)

Mr Habib Jamal President of Queensland Muslims Incorporated (QMI)

Yasmin Mogahed American Educator (USA)

Mr Graham Perrett Federal Member of Parliament

Sukoon Village

The word ‘Sukoon’ means ‘peace’ which is what the Brisbane Islamic Centre team intend to bring to each of its residents who choose to reside at our Village.

The facilities at Sukoon Village include:

• Retirement Village

• Aged Care

• Dementia Care

• Child Care

• Medical Centre

• Library, Cafeteria and other ancillary facilities

The unique concept of an Islamic Centre with the adjacent Retirement and Aged Care Village will complement each other and be of a world class standard and possibly one of few of its kind in the world.

The Village will be the first with an Islamic ethos to cater for the growing and aging Muslim population in Queensland.

The Development has been approved October 2022. Consultants have been commissioned and final discussions with the builder prior to engagement are in process. Marketing will commence mid 2024 Insha'allah.

Why Sukoon Village?

The history of the first Muslim arriving in Queensland goes way back to the mid-1800s. Numbers gradually grew over the past century but the past few decades saw an increase in the number of arrivals.

Today, Muslims continue to come to Australia from many parts of the world, and in Queensland many of these migrants take up residence in southeast Queensland (SEQ) and more so on the southside of Brisbane where the new Brisbane Islamic Centre and Sukoon Village are to be located.

Australia has a significantly aging population and dementia is on the increase. Like the rest of the Australian community, we have realised the lack of adequate retirement and aged care availability, specifically catering to the needs of the Muslim community.

Sukoon Village will cater to our retirees, as well as those with higher needs and dementia, offering them a lifestyle in a relaxed and serene, modern state-of-the-art Village, all within a complex housing a medical centre, a child care centre and within walking distance to the adjacent Islamic Centre, with all its ancillary facilities.

Sukoon Village will also welcome residents from all communities, including our non-Muslim community and will have the ability for residents in the retirement village to ‘age in place’.

In other words, once residency is taken up in the retirement village apartment and when the time or need arise, they will not need to relocate to the aged care section. Their original retirement unit at the outset will be built and designed to cater for them in the latter years of their life.

Our masterplan concept includes a state-of-the art medical centre with specialised 24/7 care services that can be accessed by just a push of a button.

The Retirement Village

The complex will comprise 91 apartments to be built in four towers. Each tower will have its own dedicated lift from the basement parking to each resident’s level. Choose from two or three bedroom apartments, all well-appointed and designed to offer peace and privacy. With resort-style independent living, our range of facilities and services are designed to maintain your privacy and independence, so you can make the most of each day, and also choose to join in activities and groups. Take advantage of modern, quality amenities, and forge new and lasting friendships with other residents.

The 91 units consist of:

• 87 x 2 bedroom units - approximately 100m2

• 4 x 3 bedroom - from approximately 115m2 to 140m2

Medical Centre

• 250 sqm facility

• 24/7 support care

• Health care to Sukoon Village residents and surrounding community

• Specialised health care to aged care residents and dementia patients

• Specialist visits to the Medical Centre

• Pathology collection for blood samples, etc

Child Care

• 75 place child care centre

• Offering modern facilities for staff and children

• Unique concept for children to interact with the elderly and vice versa

Ancillary Facilities to the Retirement Village

• Cafeteria

• Grooming lounge

• Gymnasium

• Library

• Salaah facilities

• Lounge and reflection area

• Transport to nearby shopping centres

• Commercial kitchen

• Gardens and recreation

Zen garden Grooming lounge

Residents’ lounge and Salaat area

Sukoon Village –your lifetime investment

Moving into a retirement community is often described as a lifestyle investment and is very different to a typical residential investment. Units will be sold on a Freehold Title basis with Body Corporate fees payable.

Full financial details will be available from our Sukoon Retirement Village sales consultants, by early 2024. However, you can put your name down as an expression of interest to purchase a unit here.