Judge overturns planning appeal against northern Tasmanian drug rehabilitation centre

A CONTROVERSIAL proposal for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in northern Tasmania is back on track.

The former Meander Primary School in northern Tasmania is the proposed location for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre.

A CONTROVERSIAL proposal for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre at the former Meander Primary school is back on track after a Supreme Court judge set aside a decision by the Resource Management and Planning Appeal Tribunal.

Justice Michael Brett ordered that the application by Teen Challenge for the Home of Hope womens and children’s centre be remitted to a differently constituted tribunal.

“I uphold the appeal. The decision of the tribunal that it was without jurisdiction in respect of the appeal is set aside and the matter is remitted to the tribunal for determination according to law,” Justice Brett ruled.

Timber World Pty Ltd originally challenged the Meander Valley Council permission for the development claiming it was wrongly categorised as hospital services and should have been residential.

RMPAT chairman Greg Geason had ruled last June that the categorisation was incorrect and the permit invalid. The tribunal had also determined that it did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The Meander Valley Council appealed on several grounds to the Supreme Court.

Justice Brett’s decision comes a year after Meander Valley council originally gave the development the go-ahead.

The development was strenuously opposed by the Meander Residents and Ratepayers Association.

Association president Bodhi McSweeney has said the group was opposed to the siting of the centre and the fact it was a faith-based program rather than a medical model of rehabilitation.

But Teen Challenge Tasmania executive director Tanya Cavanagh said at the time that the organisation was in for the long haul if the ratepayers’ association appealed to planning authorities.

“If there are more delays that means it is longer until we can help women and children and that is very disappointing,” Ms Cavanagh said.

She said harassment and false statements had been thrown at the organisation, which had made Teen Challenge more determined to move forward.

“What I focus on is the women and kids and yes, there has been stuff happening, and some of it has been incredibly hurtful, but it drives us on to focus on what we do,’’ she said.