Sydney council REJECTS mosque’s loudspeaker prayer proposal
Plans to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer in Lakemba face major opposition from the local community.

A plan to broadcast the Islamic call to prayer from Sydney’s largest mosque has been knocked back after sparking strong objections from residents.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Council has recommended rejecting the Lebanese Muslim Association’s $22,690 proposal to mount four loudspeakers on the 20-metre minaret of Lakemba Mosque. The plan aimed to project the call to prayer every Friday for up to 15 minutes.
The Local Planning Panel met on Monday night to consider the recommendation, after the proposal drew a flood of public submissions.
NSW Premier Chris Minns weighed in on the debate, saying, "I don't know the ins and outs of it. That'll have to be assessed via the local council.
"I'm not sure how loud it is, I'm not sure the frequency of it. My understanding was that it was reasonably limited on a Friday afternoon.
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Lakemba mosque has application to to have loudspeakers blaring the call to prayer REFUSED!! pic.twitter.com/lLKIKgP0x5
"Perhaps there's some kind of compromise that can be reached where the call to prayer can take place in a reasonably limited way, but I'm not an expert on how long the call goes for or local government rules."
The public consultation period ran from March 19 to April 8. Of the 329 submissions received, all but one opposed the proposal.
Council cited concerns over noise, breaches of maximum building height limits, potential impacts on property values, the risk of setting a precedent, and religious objections.
The minutes from the Local Planning Panel meeting will be released in the coming days.
Despite the rejection, the Lebanese Muslim Association says it is reviewing feedback and plans to submit an amended application.