Controls recommended for location and signage of Chch brothels
16 December 2003
New rules are needed to regulate the location of brothels and control signs
relating to sexual services, according to the Christchurch City Council’s
Prostitution Reform Act Subcommittee.
At this Friday’s (19 December) Council meeting, the Subcommittee will
recommend that new bylaws be introduced, limiting the location of Christchurch
brothels to certain parts of the central city, with restrictions on their
signage. The Subcommittee will advise that brothels be permitted in most
parts of the Central Business District except for the area
between Hereford Street and Gloucester St including Worcester St and
Cathedral
Square. “
If we limited the location of brothels to a small area of the central
city, we would create a very visible red light district. We want our city
to be a place where you can take your family anywhere and feel good,” Cr
Wells said. “Brothels would not be allowed along Worcester St because
it is the city’s heritage precinct and where the Cathedral sits. Cathedral
Square is the city’s living room – its most important public
space. ” Suggested restrictions on signage include only one sign per premises,
no flashing lights visible from the street, no pictorial images
and no sandwich-board style advertisements. Signs advertising brothels
and sexual services would
only be permitted in areas where brothels were permitted. Any new bylaws introduced by the Council would not affect street
workers. The Prostitution Reform Act only gave Councils new powers
to address the location and signage of brothels. “We are going to have a look
at other ways of dealing with perceived problems but it is not entirely
within the Council ’s sphere of influence,” Cr Wells said. Similarly, prostitutes who work from home would not be affected
by the proposed new bylaws unless they wanted to advertise their
services using signage. To reach its recommendations, the Prostitution Reform Act Subcommittee
consulted with the public and learned about the local sex industry
by talking to prostitutes, owners of prostitution businesses, Community
and Public
Health workers, and the Police. Before implementing any new bylaws the Council would need to
consult again with the public and key stakeholders. If the Council agrees
to the
bylaw process, a draft bylaw is likely to be available for public
consultation in March next year. A bylaw would not be implemented before
May 2004.
Any brothels established before a bylaw was introduced would have to comply
with the new bylaw requirements.
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