The City of Casey – known for its firebrand politics which often veers to the far-right – voted in favour of trying to extend chaplaincy, or Christian teaching, into shopping malls, sporting clubs and community groups.

It used to be that Melbourne's bible belt had its buckle – or centre - in the east, around Blackburn, Box Hill and Nunawading. But that is changing. The belt now runs like a fault line through the south-east from Narre Warren to Cranbourne, taking in Berwick, Pakenham, Endeavour Hills, Hampton Park and Hallam.

There are 90 Christian churches in Casey, perhaps as many as 100. Some – the megachurches – have congregations of 2000. The Faith Christian Church has two 'campuses' in Casey. The huge Berwick Church of Christ, according to corporate records, earned nearly $1 million last year with $760,000 of that from donations, or 'tithes.'

"There's certainly a high percentage of churches," says Graeme Shand, senior pastor at Casey Life Church, which attracts about 500 people a week to its "charismatic" evangelical services in a converted factory in Hampton Park. Congregation members are baptised, and believe in miraculous healing. "The bible belt now extends into the south-east, without a doubt," he said. "People say the church is dying. From what I have seen here it is the opposite."

Some are worried, however, that the line between church and state is being blurred and that the council is stacked with Christians running conservative agendas. Religious groups already run chaplaincy programs in many of the area's state schools. Casey's most far-right councillor, Rosalie Crestani, is deputy leader of the anti-immigration, nationalist Rise Up Australia party.

These concerns come as sources confirmed a state government taskforce, set up last year in response to terrorism and radicalisation fears, has identified Casey as a "hotspot" for potential idealogically driven violence – not from Muslims, but from far-right supporters. A mosque planned for Narre Warren North was refused by the council this year.

The motion to boost chaplaincy – in response to the spectre of  'disengaged' youth - was put by fellow councillor Amanda Stapledon, a Christian who attends an Anglican church in Cranbourne led by influential minister David Powys​. Ms Stapledon has stood as Liberal candidate in state elections. The next step is councillors will meet the head of Korus Connect, formerly known as Access Ministries, the controversial chaplaincy group that has been accused of using under-qualified 'chaplains' and following a creationist agenda.

The head of Casey's Neighbourhood Watch network is Rob Ward, who once held a senior position with Access Ministries and was the Victorian head of the Australian Christian Lobby. He says chaplaincy is "misunderstood", and in areas like Cranbourne East, with very high unemployment, any form of "pastoral support" is badly needed.

Cr Crestani was an Access volunteer for three years. She worships at Catch The Fire church, led by fundamentalist Islamophobic preacher Danny Nalliah, who said the Black Saturday bushfires were caused by liberal attitudes towards abortion. When Ms Crestani was voted into the council, he went with her to a mayoral dinner.

Casey's mayor, Sam Aziz, is a devout Coptic Christian, born in Egypt. His children go to Hillcrest Christian College, a private school in Clyde that highlight its "conservative stance" on moral issues to prospective parents and teaches a literal interpretation of the Bible. One of their 'foundational faith statements' on the school website reads: "We believe in the actual existence of Satan."

Aziz himself rails against political correctness, Islam, Safe Schools, marriage equality, the ALP and what he calls the "loony left" most days on his Facebook page. Ex-mayor Shar Balmes is a Mormon.

"I don't think religion should play any part in how elected representatives vote on issues," said councillor Rex Flannery, an independent. "But that's their conscience, not mine."

Fellow independent Steve Beardon said: "Chaplains can be good but they do not have the same qualifications or expertise to deal with issues such as abortion or same-sex relationships. My preference would be for trained psychologists not affiliated with any religion."

Inside the local branches of the ALP, which is managing to still hold two state seats in Narre Warren, one in Cranbourne and the federal seat of Holt, a senior figure told The Age: "There's a level of audacity. They think they can get away with anything. And mostly they are not interested in doing anything in the multicultural space. It is deeply unsettling."

Mayor Aziz recently refused to let the state's minister for multicultural affairs and the chairperson of the state's multicultural commission, Robin Scott,  visit his patch, after a request from new councillors grappling with the cultural complexities of Casey's 156 nationalities.

ALP sources said Casey was set to be tough for the party heading into the 2018 state election, with emerging proof of votes swinging toward minor parties such as Rise Up, One Nation and Derryn Hinch's Justice Party.

It was revealed last week that the Victorian Liberal Party is arguing about how far to the right to drag itself in order to stave off these minor parties. "We are in for a tough two years," said the ALP source.