Canterbury youth home plans scrapped

The Government has scrapped plans to build a new youth justice residence in North Canterbury.

Social Services Minister Steve Maharey said "legal issues" featured in the decision not to proceed with the facility at Mandeville.

"The decision not to proceed was influenced by a number of factors. In particular, there are potential legal issues regarding the availability of the proposed site which could significantly delay the building of the residence, or prevent the purchase of the land altogether," the minister said.

More than 1000 North Canterbury residents turned out at a rally this month to oppose the facility. They said they feared property values would plummet, their security would be threatened, and they would be robbed of their quiet rural lifestyle.