By Alesha Capone
RESIDENTS of a Keilor Downs street, worried about loud noise and parking, have objected to a church’s plans to extend its operating hours.
But the church’s minister said the parish offered community services such as a youth group, and needed the longer hours to continue operating these services.
At last week’s Brimbank City Council Planning Committee meeting, residents from Packard St argued against the Christian Life Fellowship’s application to expand its operating hours to 8am-10pm every day.
The church has also applied for a reduction in how many car parks they must provide, and for up to 100 people to be allowed in the building at a time, and 200 on special occasions.
The council receivedeight written objections tothe proposal.
Resident Peter Bodon said he had called the council about music from the church after 11pm.
“With the car noise and drumming away, yes, it does affect our sleep. I’ve put roller shutters on my house and we can still hear them,” he said.
He said some residents of nearby streets often could not access their own properties, because church visitors parked across driveways and on nature strips.
Fellow resident Gina Carabott said “no-one is happy with the noise in our street”.
“At first, we never complained. Only two people complained. Before we keep quiet, but not any more, especially with the long hours,” she said.
Another woman who lives close to the church, Elizabeth Baldounis, said “nearly every night there’s drums banging, singing, little kids running outside until 11 o’clock.”
“I have a daughter who goes to school and wants to study, which is very hard.”
However, one of the church’s ministers, Oscar Dudok, said parishioners did not park across driveways and the noise on Wednesday nights came from free music lessons for young people, which usually finished around 9.30pm.
“It’s done by volunteer workers. Music teachers can only come after hours when they’ve finished work,” he said.
He said the church’s Friday night youth group also ended no later than 9.30pm.
The council deferred their decision until the next planning meeting, but said the church’s existing conditions must be met and monitored until then.
