A brothel bylaw review could loosen rules on where businesses can operate in Queenstown and Wānaka — but the suggested changes do not go far enough for some.
Queenstown Lakes District Council is taking formal submissions as part of a review of the Brothel Control Bylaw 2017.
The current bylaw banned brothels from within 100m of each other, lat or below ground level, or anywhere outside of the Queenstown and Wānaka CBDs.
These restrictions came under fire during an early consultation by the council with the New Zealand Sex Workers' Collective and Health New Zealand.
The proposed changes to the bylaw removed the ground or below ground level requirement and slightly increased the areas where brothels could be established.
The sex workers' collective said it was "deeply concerned" that it was nearly impossible for sex workers to operate within the rules.
"It’s 20 years since the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 and most councils with previously restrictive bylaws, have repealed these, and adopted a more realistic approach that doesn’t create outcomes where sex workers are forced to work in ways that compromise their safety and health."
The Queenstown Lakes District Council was one of seven councils that regulated the location of brothels through a bylaw.
"It’s extremely difficult for sex workers to find venues to work from that meet the distance requirements for the location of brothels," The collective said. It further warned that sex workers needing support could be less inclined to seek support if they were in breach of the bylaw
"It appears to be unreasonable."
Te Whatu Ora Health NZ said in a submission it did not support the current approach of limiting where brothels could operate.
"We believe this puts prostitution at risk of operating outside the law and in doing so gives rise to serious health and safety risks.
"We would support a permissive approach that has exclusions for sensitive areas or situations that have the potential to give rise to nuisance."
Health NZ recommended establishing minimum distances from sensitive sites such as schools and places of worship and the regulation of noise, disturbance, increased traffic and antisocial behaviour as part of a reviewed bylaw.
Formal submissions on the draft bylaw would close on June 5.
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