Anger as community centre is closed for hosting prayer space

A community centre on the NSW Far South Coast has been ordered to stop operating after being classified as a place of worship by the local council.Earlier this year, a user of the Merimbula Ummah Community Centre, Qayyum Shah, received a letter from Bega Valley Shire Council advising him of the ruling and warning that any further use of the space could lead to compliance or enforcement action."This is a community centre, not a mosque," he said."Its closure has had a negative impact on how the community sees Australia, because there has been no common sense used in this decision."MerQayyum Shah says the closure has made many Muslims in south-east NSW feel isolated. (ABC South East NSW: Alasdair McDonald)Mr Shah said the prayer area was ancillary to the centre, similar to the prayer rooms found in airports, libraries and schools."Now we don't have any place to meet," he said.The council's letter defines a place of public worship as "a building or place used for the purpose of religious worship by a congregation or religious group, whether or not the building or place is also used for counselling, social events, instruction or religious training".The community centre is in the centre of town next to Merimbula's information centre. (ABC South East NSW: Lisa Markham)The letter said that while the centre's broader activities could fit within the "community facility" land-use category, "the recurring religious worship component is captured separately under planning legislation", which would require a development application.It also referred to the centre's website advertising regular prayer sessions.But Mr Shah said the site listed the five daily prayer times observed by Muslims worldwide, rather than advertised gatherings at the centre, and members used the space for prayers for less than 20 minutes each week.He said it was likely the council had acted after complaints that a mosque had been established beside Merimbula's visitor information centre without planning approval."It has complicated things, when we should all be supporting each other to make this world a better place," Mr Shah said.Confusion around post-Bondi powersIn May, the NSW government increased the legal powers of councils to close spaces deemed places of worship, following last year's Bondi mass shooting.But members of the south-east NSW Muslim community said there was little clarity about how the new laws applied to spaces like theirs, which had non-Muslim users and organisers.Qayyum Shah says Muslim community members now have nowhere to meet and socialise. (ABC South East NSW: Alasdair McDonald)Mr Shah said they operated primarily as a secular, multi-faith social hub for local doctors, business owners and families, including workers on the multi-billion-dollar Snowy 2.0 project.Sydney-born Muslim convert Nathan Munro-Donohue, secretary of the community centre, said the decision had created uncertainty."My wife is Christian, and these policies could be extended to a Christian home group if say a Bible study group met at the same time every week," he said.Nathan Munro-Donohue says the closure has created uncertainty in the community. (Supplied: Nathan Munro-Donohue)President of the community centre Marwa Hudson said the closure had left many local Muslims feeling "dejected"."They have been banished from their space, they are unsure how the community feels about them, and they are feeling more isolated than they were before," she said."It's not like there are Korans scattered everywhere and you are not welcome unless you believe in our faith; it is literally just a community centre."When we have gatherings there, we bring all our non-Muslim friends because it's all about social cohesion and bringing people together."Bega Valley Shire Council's acting director of community, environment and planning, Alan Gundrill, said the council did not comment on individual matters."Our approach is to work constructively with landowners and occupiers, providing advice and guidance to help people understand planning requirements and find the best way forward," he said.A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure declined to comment on the council's decision.