The usually quiet town was alive on Saturday with celebration and protest.

On one side of the fence, Teen Challenge, the group that is opening the centre, held a family music day to thank the community for its support. On the other side, peaceful protesters also enjoyed live music, while voicing their concerns about the use of the old Meander Valley Primary School, and the consultation process.

“We’re concerned that the school was handed over to the group without a decent consultation with the community,” Meander Area Residents and Ratepayers Association president Bodhi McSweeney said.

“We’ve organised a full proposal for proper use of the school. It’s a proposal that shows how the school could be used to benefit the community in a real way and grow the community. There could be spaces for playgroups to use, space for community groups to get together. It could be leased to people who maybe want to do fly fishing, or a natural history museum, market gardens – basically a place where people can come together and use the space in the way it should be used and grow the community.”

But Meander Valley Mayor Craig Perkins said the lease had been signed and Teen Challenge had a legal contract allowing them to be there.

“They still have to go through development and planning,” he said. “It’s not what we want as council to see the divide in the community. It’s really disappointing. It’s the first time I’ve seen a divide like this in Meander since I’ve been mayor of the council, so in the last seven years. I’d encourage the people who are against it to engage in communication with Teen Challenge.”

Teen Challenge Tasmania will establish the residential rehabilitation centre for women and children called Home of Hope at the former school. The group’s executive director Tanya Cavanagh said she hoped it would be open some time this year.

“We get calls every week from people, and particularly mums with kids that just need somewhere so I really needed it open yesterday because these conversations with women who are ready now to get help and you’ve got nowhere to put them, it’s just heartbreaking. I hate having those conversations.”

Ms Cavanagh said the family music day was intended to thank the community for its support.

“We put today on as a big thank you to the community because we’ve just had enormous support from the community here and we just wanted to give back and say thank you. It’s a bit of a celebration for all the hard work they’ve done as well.”

But Ms McSweeney said not everyone in the community did support the centre. “Teen Challenge have been working with a few people in the community and they maintain that they have the support of the whole community, which they don’t.”