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The controversial group that opposed the Gungahlin mosque has racked up huge court costs that significantly outweigh the security it stumped up last year to press on with its doomed bid to stop the development. It is understood Concerned Citizens of Canberra now owes the territory government a six-figure sum, which is much higher than the estimated $40,000 it paid in security during its ACT Supreme Court case. The group's leader, fundamentalist Christian Irwin Ross, declined to comment this week when asked whether he had approached the government seeking to have the costs waived. Attorney-General Simon Corbell also said it would be inappropriate to detail correspondence between the parties. Mr Corbell said the costs incurred by the ACT during the proceedings were still being assessed, but confirmed they will be "well in excess of the amount for which security has been given". "The territory routinely pursues its costs when successful, other than in exceptional circumstances," he said. Concerned Citizens has previously been found to have next to no assets, a pittance in its bank account, and only a handful of members. Its case, however, was estimated to have cost the builders of the mosque, Canberra Muslim Community Inc, about $190,000 by November last year. CMCI was not involved in the court proceedings. Concerned Citizens' fight against the Gungahlin mosque, purportedly on planning grounds, has been in the courts since August 2012. It launched action in the ACT Supreme Court against the ACT Planning and Land Authority's decision to approve the Gungahlin mosque. Early on, there were concerns about its ability to pay costs and the court ordered it to stump up $25,000 in security, and then another $15,000. In February last year, the government warned it had already incurred $93,143 in court costs and estimated a further $30,050 would be spent before the finalisation of the first hearing before then Master David Mossop. At that stage, Mr Ross told the court the group had 10 members and a bank balance of $3389 and no other substantive assets. The group's costs would have increased considerably since February last year, because Concerned Citizens of Canberra attempted to appeal Master Mossop's decision to Justice Richard Refshauge. Justice Refshauge found against it this month and ordered it pay the territory's costs. Concerned Citizens had argued against the mosque on several grounds, including traffic, parking, noise, and the mosque's use as a "funeral parlour". They also argued both of the planning authority's decisions were defective. Justice Refshauge found the group didn't have proper standing and wasn't directly affected by the decision, had no reasonable prospects for success, and didn't properly explain why it had lodged the appeal out of time. The group was described as having no greater interest in the decision to approve the mosque than an "intermeddler or busybody". Mr Ross has been described as having a "generalised hostility to the Muslim religion and concern about what he saw as its spread". He controversially used the Boko Haram kidnapping of Nigerian schoolgirls and the Boston Marathon bombing to explain why he opposed the mosque last year.

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