The Friends of Wirksworth group is angry about a proposed aged care facility at the Wirksworth Estate. Group members, from left, Chris McCormack, Mick Chalmers, Pam Chalmers, Jim Lockley and Cheryl Lockley. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

BELLERIVE residents are furious over plans for a $13 million aged care development on the Eastern Shore because they say the heritage site is not being respected.

Friends of Wirksworth convener Jim Lockley says residents are up in arms about the secrecy that surrounds the development and the Government’s handling of the process.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch has previously told the Mercury that “considerable consultation” had happened with the local community and that local residents provided “a significant amount of feedback, which has helped to inform the final plans that have been submitted to council”.

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But Mr Lockley said it had been promised that the design of the facility would be presented to the community for consultation prior to any development application being lodged.

“The DA has been lodged and we are still waiting,” he said.

Mr Lockley said the community was upset at the Government’s lack of appreciation for the heritage significance of the site and its importance to locals.

“In 2007, the Government spent $1.6 million of public money refurbishing Wirksworth to bring the estate up to a standard for community uses,” he said.

“The Government now proposes to lease Wirksworth to benefit a Victorian-based private aged care operator and exclude Tasmanian taxpayers who paid for it.”

An artist’s rendering of the proposed aged care facility at Wirksworth Park. Image: SUPPLIED

Friends of Wirksworth has been campaigning since 1993 for the appropriate development of the site and in 2010 supported a Government report promoting educational, sporting and recreational uses for Wirksworth.

“It’s frustrating to get to the point we did in 2010 and for it to all have been thrown out the window,” Mr Lockley said.

He said residents had been assured historic Wirksworth House, its stables, caretaker’s cottage and parklands would be excluded from the development and the whole area adjoining Wentworth St would remain as open space. He said he had since discovered that this would not be the case.

The Government says the existing Wirksworth House would be preserved in accordance with Heritage Council regulations and, subject to approval, the remainder of the site would undergo community consultation to determine what sort of use would provide the most value to local residents.