Council opposes $209 million Hindu temple in outer Melbourne green zone

A Hindu group wants to build a giant temple worth $209 million on the edge of Melbourne, Australia. The temple would stand 64 metres tall — about as high as a 20-storey building. It would sit in an area called a 'green-wedge zone,' which is land set aside for farming and nature. Local leaders have raised concerns, and the final decision will rest with the state's planning minister.

The group behind the plan is called Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS for short. They want to build what is called a Mahā-Mandir, a large Hindu place of worship, on Western Port Highway in Cranbourne South. This suburb sits on Melbourne's south-eastern edge. If approved, the temple could become the largest Hindu temple in all of Australia.

Supporters say the temple would bring big benefits to the local area. A report linked to the project says it would create 143 permanent jobs and add more than $12 million to Victoria's economy every year. On a regular weekday, up to 1,200 visitors could come to the site, and even more are expected during special events up to nine times a year. Supporters also say the temple could become a popular tourist destination for people on religious pilgrimages.

The area around Cranbourne South is home to many residents with Indian backgrounds. About one in every ten people in the City of Casey area have Indian ancestry, compared to about five in every hundred across greater Melbourne. BAPS volunteer Yash Patel said the temple would give Australian Hindus a spiritual home while also being open to everyone. He said the group wants the temple to be a place where people from all backgrounds can visit and learn.

However, the City of Casey council voted to object to the proposal. Mayor Michelle Crowther said the council had concerns about traffic, noise, lighting, and the removal of trees and plants. She also said the temple did not fit with the purpose of a green-wedge zone, which is meant for low-density uses like farming. The council has asked the state government to give clearer rules about what can be built in these zones.

Other groups in the area have also spoken out against the plan. David Cole from the Western Port Green Wedge Protection Group said large buildings like this one should be placed where roads and services already exist to support them. He encouraged governments to help religious communities find properly zoned land inside the urban growth boundary instead. Casey Residents and Ratepayers Association president Anthony Tassone also raised concerns about how big and tall the development would be.

Because the project is considered economically significant, it was submitted under a special state program called the Development Facilitation Program. This program allows large projects to skip the normal council decision process and be decided by the planning minister in a matter of months. The Victorian government said the proposal would be judged on its own merits. Officials also said they are working to strengthen protections for green-wedge zones and limit how far cities and towns can spread into natural areas.