2 May 2001 Media Statement

Kingslea redevelopment proposed

Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey today announced plans to redevelop the multi-purpose Kingslea Residential Centre facility into a smaller centre solely focused on the needs of children and young people in need of care and protection.

“Child, Youth and Family wants to redevelop the Kingslea Residential Centre in Shirley into a new centre that will cater solely for children and young people in need of care and protection," Mr Maharey said.

Currently Kingslea houses up to:
- 7 children and young people in need of care and protection;
- 20 young people remanded into residential care by the youth justice system; and,
- 6 young people sentenced to adult terms of imprisonment by the criminal justice system but who are considered to be too vulnerable because of their age to be in an adult prison.
Up to 20 residential places would be available in the new centre solely to provide care for vulnerable children and young people.

Child, Youth and Family is undertaking public consultation on shifting Kingslea’s youth justice operations to a site at Mandeville in North Canterbury, and it plans to transfer the criminal justice places to a new facility in Auckland.

“After careful consideration, Child, Youth and Family believes that Kingslea is the best place in the Christchurch area to run a new stand-alone care and protection centre.

“The department will now be consulting with the local community over its plans before beginning any formal Resource Management Act processes to establish the proposed new Care and Protection Residential Centre – South at Kingslea.

“Care and protection centres such as the one proposed allow Child, Youth and Family to work intensively with youngsters with a range of problems. The Government wants to see progress being made to increase the facilities Child, Youth and Family has available to help at-risk children and young people,” Steve Maharey said.

ENDS

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