"OM... WE HAVE A PROBLEM HERE.."

NERANG is the wrong 'cultural' place for a 15m-high Thai Buddhist temple, say some Gold Coast councillors who asked if Buddhism was even a religion. Councillors were alarmed by the proposed design which features a traditional steep-pitched roof. Nerang councillor Peter Young, a devout Christian, led opposition to the proposal, one year after he opposed the Gold Coast's first Muslim school in Carrara. Cr Young said the Thai temple would become a regional Buddhism centre that could draw as many as 5000 people to major events, although the applicant expects a maximum of 300.

"I'd say it's culturally relevant in a Buddhist community, it's not culturally relevant in Nerang," he said. "What hasn't been taken into account is the cultural elements of the Nerang community." Cr Susie Douglas said the temple would make people believe Nerang may be a Buddhist community. "Is Buddhism actually a religion or is it a way of life?" she said. "It's going to become such a landmark and it will influence the way people think about the area, in that it will become a Buddhist community.This is a massive building ... to have this in the next-door paddock is beyond belief, this was never envisaged in this area."

Cr Young will move at Monday's council meeting to defer a decision on the development application to allow negotiations to reduce the height of the proposed building. The temple would be built at 133-137 Beaudesert-Nerang Road and five monks would live on the site. An enterprise named Wat Sangharatanaram Inc lodged the application at the council's request after operating at the address without a permit since 2005. Wat Sangharatanaram treasurer Robert Fraser said temple roofs were traditionally tall to remind worshippers to show reverence. He said the building would be set back and concealed by trees. "Anybody that's travelled to Thailand would understand that this is a symbol of Thai Buddhism and we would like people to recognise that," he said.