A render of the proposed mosque from the DA. It will hold 300 worshippers.
The city’s Ahmadiyya Muslim community has lodged plans for a mosque to be built on land in Narrabundah behind the Ball Park.
The community has been working towards its own place of worship for years and in 2017 the ACT Government offered it a 4000 square metre block in Narupai Street as a direct sale.
The $1,288,000 proposal, designed by AMC Architecture, consists of a two-storey, 700 square metre mosque for 300 worshippers, 150 square metre Imam’s residence with double garage, VIP and general car parks, and landscaping.
The site is behind the Narrabundah Ball Park and an access road will need to connect with it.
The site, which is zoned CZ6 Leisure and Accommodation, was used as an informal maintenance road to the Narrabundah Ball Park, and a sale condition was that the community provide a formal road to ensure continued access.
The Traffic Report says that access to the VIP car park is proposed from the Narupai Street turning circle, while others would go to the main car park via a road along the northern boundary that will continue on to the Ball Park.
The Imam’s residence.
The VIP carpark will have 14 spaces, including one for people with a disability, while the main car park will have 56, including one disabled space.
The traffic generated is not expected to have much impact on Jerrabomberra Avenue.
Peak parking demand at the mosque is not expected to coincide with the peak attendances at adjacent venues, including the Ball Park, hotels and the Spanish Australian Club.
The women’s entrance.
The Ahmadiyya community in the ACT is small, with only 150 members. The movement is an offshoot of Islam, with some beliefs considered to be heretical. Members face persecution in countries such as Pakistan.
It had originally looked at land near the Rivett shops in March 2014 but the site was abandoned before a DA could be submitted due to concerns from residents and store owners about possible parking and vandalism issues.
The community has had to worship in temporary facilities such as the Griffin Centre in Civic.
The mosque will be Canberra’s fourth Islamic place of worship after those at Yarralumla, Gungahlin and Monash.
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