Adam Bandt (Melbourne, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This year, I along with Victorian Greens leader, Samantha Ratnam, and member for Richmond, Gabrielle de Vietri, attended the Greens 10th annual Iftar at the Fitzroy Town Hall with about 250 members of the local Muslim community. It was a real privilege to be able to sit with so many old and new friends to celebrate Ramadan, the holiest month of the year for Muslims, as the community broke their fast for the day. As the sun set, we all ate a date, which I've learned along the way allows people to feel closer to their spirituality and is a sacred experience for Muslims. The date was followed by soup and a delicious Lebanese feast with Middle Eastern deserts and Eritrean coffee and tea.

It's safe to say that the Iftar is one of the events my daughters and I look forward to the most each year. It's always special to sit side by side with our Muslim sisters and brothers, who come from so many different walks of life. The Australian Muslim community is vibrant and diverse, and it's wonderful to see so many people come together to share such an important meal. The evening was full of important conversations where we discussed pressing issues like the rise of Islamophobia, the housing crisis and how we can best support our community. It's always an honour to share a meal with so many people in the Muslim community, and I cherish the friendships that I've made with so many over the years.

The Australian Muslim Social Services Agency, or AMSSA, is a community organisation and mosque located in my electorate in North Melbourne. It has been at the heart of the North Melbourne and broader Islamic community for the past 13 years. AMSSA run important educational programs and a number of supports to members of our communities, including residents living on the North Melbourne and Flemington public housing estates. In 2020, AMSSA played a critical role during the 2020 hard lockdown, organising and distributing food and other essential supplies for residents because the state government had failed to do so. During those weeks, I witnessed how quickly AMSSA leapt into action to provide culturally appropriate care packages for families and individuals who were understandably highly distressed by the situation.

For over three years, AMSSA has been fighting a David and Goliath battle with big developers who have deep pockets. These developers are trying to quash AMSSA's proposal to build a community meeting hall and a basketball court for Muslim kids and for kids who live at the nearby public housing towers. They have opposed AMSSA's application every step of the way. While AMSSA were successful at VCAT, who affirmed that the proposal 'provides a demonstrable benefit in improving facilities at a valued community service', I understand the developers are seeking to take the matter to the Supreme Court. Unlike these developers, who have unlimited resources to thwart the proposal, AMSSA is a community organisation. The state member for Melbourne, Ellen Sandell, and I have called on the state planning minister to intervene in any way possible to support this plan, which will provide better services to the local community. We stand in solidarity with, and fully support, AMSSA all the way in this fight between the community and private developers.