A religious organisation planning to set up a controversial drug rehabilitation centre in the Meander Valley will push through with its plans, despite ongoing legal setbacks.
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Teen Challenge Tasmania proposed a women and children's centre could be established at the former Meander Primary School site, after they leased the property in 2016.
While the development application was approved by the council, a number of appeals against the proposal has seen the project delayed.
But those behind the planned Home of Hope said they would continue to fight for the "desperately needed service".
"During this COVID-19 period we received multiple calls of help from individuals and family members," Teen Challenge executive director Tanya Cavanagh said
"There are simply no other options for Tassie women and kids wanting to turn their lives around from addiction in a safe, residential setting."
The matter was initially before the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal, with arguments against the centre by Meander business Timber World and the Meander Area Residents and Ratepayers Association.
There were claims the development was incorrectly advertised as a hospital service, and RMPAT ordered the Meander Valley Council to re-advertise the application.
But the council appealed that decision in the Supreme Court in 2017, where Justice Michael Brett ordered the matter back before the tribunal.
The legal disputes did not end there.
A hearing was held before the tribunal last year, where it was argued the proposal did not meet planning requirements for a vulnerable service within a bushfire-prone area.
The appeal was dismissed, the matter was taken back to the Supreme Court, and ultimately ordered back to the tribunal - again.
Making the new order last week, Chief Justice Alan Blow said the next hearing should include tribunal members who did not sit in on the original hearing.
Ms Cavanagh said it was "disappointing" the project remained on hold.
"The Tassie mums and their kids that need this program are foremost in our hearts and minds as we continue with the process, it's for them we continue to do our best to bring about Home of Hope," she said.
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The fresh decision by Chief Justice Blow was welcomed, however, by the ratepayers arguing against the development.
Meander Area Residents and Ratepayers Association president Bodhi McSweeney said the planned rehabilitation program was "faith based, not medically based, unregulated and has no trained health or mental health workers employed".
"We have always been concerned about the lack of due process and community consultation in the granting of the lease to Teen Challenge Tasmania," she said.
"Why has the Meander Valley Council used so much of ratepayer's money to argue for this dubious organisation to lease the Meander Primary School site for $1 per year?
"It's not over yet, but what ever happens we will never give up."
Meander Valley mayor Wayne Johnston said the council was taking advice, after only receiving the latest decision documents on Monday.
"We haven't met as a council on it yet, but we will," he said
"We will make a decision within the next week on whether we appeal or we don't appeal."
Melissa Mobbs
A journalist with more than a decade of experience, Melissa Mobbs currently works as the Deputy Editor for The Examiner Newspaper in Launceston, and has a strong background in reporting on crime and the justice system. Send tips to Melissa.Mobbs@examiner.com.au or on Twitter via @melissamobbs.
A journalist with more than a decade of experience, Melissa Mobbs currently works as the Deputy Editor for The Examiner Newspaper in Launceston, and has a strong background in reporting on crime and the justice system. Send tips to Melissa.Mobbs@examiner.com.au or on Twitter via @melissamobbs.
