UPDATED 7.49PM: Maungaraki residents are celebrating as Corrections moves a paedophile out of the area.

The repeat offender, who has convictions for offending against children, had been placed in a home close to both children and a local school, sparking outrage in the local community.

LISTEN ABOVE: Labour MP Trevor Mallard joins Larry Williams to discuss the offenders situation.

Community outrage forced Corrections to move the man from the Lower Hutt suburb to a house on the grounds of Christchurch Men's Prison temporarily while another home for him is found.

Hutt South MP Trevor Mallard said it is a relief for the community after weeks of outrage.

"I think it's fair to say that they are absolutely ecstatic. They are very very pleased. It's been a shadow over their lives and they have been worried about the safety of their kids."

But he said he won't be in full celebration mode until he knows the offender will be re-homed somewhere away from children.

"I'm saving my total celebrations until I know that he is placed somewhere where there are not young girls around for him to offend against again."

National Party List MP Chris Bishop said it's a big victory for local residents, who really stood up on the issue.

"What we have to do now is make sure that we find a new site for him that is not inappropriate like the the Maungaraki one was."

 

Resident Cushla O'Neil said she is ecstatic, but he should have never been moved to such an unsuitable area in the first place.

"Pleased doesn't cover it. The way our lives have been turned upside down for the last two weeks has been a nightmare. But I'm happy to go back to our day to day lives," she said.

O'Neil said she lives only four doors down from the man and the first she heard of it was from a neighbour, which was not good enough.

"I would just hope that this is a long-term solution for him and that it's not a short term fix and that Corrections are going to continue to place people without doing the right processes and due diligence beforehand because that has been our big issue."