MAYOR WEIGHS IN ON MOSQUE
COUNCILLOR Glenn Tozer is on a collision course with a vocal consortium of his constituents – and the Mayor – after backing expansion plans for a Worongary mosque.
Up to 400 residents defied bad weather to attend a hastily convened community meeting at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds regarding a bid by the Islamic Multicultural Association Gold Coast to expand its Alkira Way mosque to cater for 200 worshippers, up from 40.
While Cr Tozer did not attend the meeting due to concerns of “anti-social behaviour” being aired on Facebook, he outlined his support for the expansion in a letter read on his behalf.
“The changes proposed for 2 Alkira Way are not significantly different for any other changes or conditions previously considered favourably for other places of worship in Division 9,” he wrote.
“I consider the proposed changes for Alkira Way as generally reasonable and have offered no personal objection to them.
“Council and other councillors may not share this view.”
That was confirmed when Mayor Tom Tate, who was at a family wedding, delegated his chief of staff to declare his ob- jection to any expansion. “Council decided to reject the (original) application for the mosque (in 2012) … I still support this decision,” Cr Tate said in a letter read by chief of staff and Mudgeeraba resident Wayne Moran.
“(I) see no reason to support any changes of conditions in regards to that Court-imposed approval.”
Meeting convener Sean Mann said residents rightly felt “utterly disappointed” at Cr Tozer’s failure to attend.
“If Tom Tate can send his chief of staff here, surely Tozer can turn up at the same doorstep,” he said.
“I don’t know his concerns (for not attending). MP Ros Bates is here. If he was here, at least he’d be listening to us too.
“This is a town planning issue and we want to be heard.”