A major Sikh community redevelopment on Sayers Road has been approved by Wyndham City Council, marking a significant moment for the region’s fast-growing Indian Australian population after years of planning, consultation, and community pressure.
The decision — passed on 11 November despite 108 objections and strong debate — was celebrated by many in Wyndham’s Sikh and broader Indian Australian community, who say the upgraded facility is essential to supporting one of the city’s largest multicultural populations.
Cr Preet Singh leads advocacy, urging councillors to recognise community need
Among the strongest voices in favour of the redevelopment was Cr Preet Singh, the only Indian Australian councillor in Wyndham City Council.
Cr Singh spoke about the importance of formal community spaces for migrant families and urged fellow councillors to understand that facilities such as gurdwaras are not simply places of worship — they are social anchors for thousands of residents.
He emphasised that the existing site had long served the local Sikh community but required proper infrastructure, accessible facilities, and safe traffic arrangements to keep up with Wyndham’s rapid population growth.
Cr Singh argued that approving the redevelopment was not an act of favour, but of fairness.
“This facility serves a community that has contributed enormously to Wyndham — through volunteering, charity, small business, and frontline work,” he said.
“Supporting multicultural institutions is not optional. It is necessary for a city as diverse as ours.”
A vital space for Sikh families, youth and elders
The redevelopment will transform three residential lots into a modern Sikh community hub featuring:
- a prayer hall
- Punjabi language school classrooms
- community and counselling rooms
- dining and langar facilities
- youth spaces and recreation areas
For Sikh families in Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Truganina — suburbs with some of Victoria’s highest concentrations of Indian-origin residents — the centre is already an essential part of daily life.
Community members told councillors the Gurdwara is where:
- Children learn the Punjabi language and culture
- Women access support services
- Elders stay socially connected
- Families gather for weddings, funerals, and festivals
- Volunteers prepare thousands of free meals (langar) during crises
For many, the redevelopment represents dignity and recognition of their place in Wyndham’s multicultural landscape.
Community urges council not to normalise opposition to multicultural spaces
The debate leading up to the decision saw some residents raise concerns about noise, traffic and neighbourhood character.
Indian Australian community leaders say such concerns must be addressed — but also warn that objections can sometimes unintentionally echo the types of resistance multicultural communities face across Australia when establishing places of worship or cultural centres.
Several speakers at the meeting described the area as originally “quiet, low-density living,” a sentiment echoed in other parts of Melbourne where growing multicultural populations seek community infrastructure but encounter resistance.
Indian Australian families told councillors that multicultural growth is a defining feature of Wyndham — and that denying such facilities risks sending a message that new communities are welcome to live in the city but not to belong in it.
Council officers and VicRoads support the development
Council planners and VicRoads endorsed the proposal, confirming it meets the Wyndham Planning Scheme requirements, provides adequate parking, and incorporates traffic safety improvements, including a deceleration lane.
Officers also noted that formalising the site would address ongoing compliance issues — including informal parking, noise, and unregulated event use — by creating proper infrastructure suited to the scale of community needs.
Decision supported by the majority of councillors
The redevelopment was backed by Crs Josh Gilligan, Maria King, Jennie Barrera, Jasmine Hill, Peter Maynard, Robert Szatkowski, Mia Shaw, Larry Zhao and Preet Singh.
Crs Shannon McGuire and Susan McIntyre voted against it.
A Notice of Decision to Grant a Planning Permit has now been issued.
A milestone for Sikh and Indian Australians in Wyndham
For many Sikh residents, the approval symbolises something deeper — recognition, inclusion and respect.
Wyndham is home to one of Australia’s largest Indian-origin populations. Community leaders say supporting such projects is essential to ensuring multicultural families feel seen, valued and integrated into the identity of the city they call home.
As one community member told The Australia Today:
“We don’t just live here. We contribute here. This decision shows that Wyndham understands who its people truly are.”
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