Brothels might be permitted to operate over a much larger area in the centre of Wānaka if the proposal for a new draft Brothel Control Bylaw goes ahead.

A review of the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Brothel Control Bylaw 2017 is underway and setting new parameters to permit brothels was raised at a full council meeting on Thursday (May 2).

Public feedback received last year at the start of the review process challenged the current bylaw as being too restrictive.

NZ Health Te Whatu Ora Southern and NZPC: Aotearoa New Zealand Sex Workers’ Collective opposed the current “too restrictive” bylaw saying its geographical parameters had “the potential to detrimentally affect sex workers in the district, specifically small owner-operated brothels that typically operate out of residential dwellings”.

They also said the bylaw should be repealed, which has occurred in many other districts, as the QLDC could regulate brothels as a commercial activity under its District Plan.

At Thursday’s meeting, councillors were presented with a proposed draft Brothel Control Bylaw 2024 which recommended a hugely expanded geographical area in the centres of Queenstown and Wānaka in which a brothel would be a permitted activity.

After discussion however, councillors decided to reduce the large area in each town centre to a smaller space, which would still more than double the current capacity as described in the present 2017 bylaw. 

For Wānaka that means expanding the area where brothels are permitted beyond the current two blocks closest to the lake (bounded by Ardmore, Dungarvon and Dunmore Streets) by adding two more blocks, extending a new proposed boundary through to Brownston Street.

Councillors also debated the new wording of the purpose of the bylaw. Councillor Niki Gladding questioned why the purpose of the draft bylaw had to “meet community demands for service” and councillor Matt Wong questioned why the bylaw did not address concerns about brothels operating near to “sensitive” community sites, such as schools and churches. 

Council staff said these were issues which could be raised through the current public submissions process.

The recommendation to endorse the draft Brothel Bylaw 2024 and take the draft bylaw to public consultation was approved by all but one councillor.

Voting against it, Wānaka councillor Lyal Cocks questioned why the QLDC was continuing with an archaic bylaw format especially as there were no registered brothels in the district since 2013.

“Why do we have a bylaw to control something which has no activity in the district. We should be managing brothels in the same way as we manage all other small businesses through the District Plan,” he said.

His motion to let the bylaw lapse and manage brothels via the District Plan received no support.

Councillors Cody Tucker, Melissa White, Craig Ferguson and Gavin Bartlett were appointed to form a hearings panel to consider public submissions of the new draft bylaw. Oral submissions will be heard on June 25.

Public submissions on the new draft bylaw can be made online here. Submissions close in a month at 5:00pm on June 5.

PHOTO: Supplied