The organisation plans to establish a rehabilitation centre for Tasmanian women and children. A motion to rescind the original decision was discussed by councillors at the meeting on Tuesday, after council heard the thoughts of five interested parties.

Director of Teen Challenge Peter Ferrall urged the council to uphold the June motion. “I believe it was fair and just, and for nearly two years we have been approaching this, and we have made ourselves available at public meetings and to answer questions,” he said. 

Speaking for the motion, Bronte Booth of Timber World acknowledged the strong support Teen Challenge had, but said it was not representative of the entire community.

“It doesn't seem like council can thoroughly assess this proposal for the things the community actually cares about, which is risk assessments and security,” Mr Booth said. “That’s largely what the problem is, it’s that a lot of Meander residents don't feel that it has been assessed properly and that it should be.”

After moving the motion, Councillor Deb White said she too was concerned about the process council had followed in making the decision.

“The recommendation to receive the survey report was completely ignored,” she said. “I am not convinced [the original motion] would have been passed had there been adequate opportunity for discussion to have taken place. It is a very poor outcome if the best decision we think the council can make is rush through a decision that half the community is deeply unhappy about.”

The motion was defeated, but councillor Rodney Synfield moved an amended motion with more detail than the first.

"I want to have a process that we might take the community on a journey and establish whether or not the concerns that have been aired here today have any validity, and if they do, what can be done to address those concerns,” Cr Synfield said.

Deputy Mayor Michael Kelly said he believed the first decision was the right one. “We have an organisation that wants to help women and children out and deliver positive outcomes,” he said. The motion needed an absolute majority and only received four of nine votes.