City takes prostitute dilemma to the top

Manukau City Council is taking its fight to get prostitutes off the streets to Prime Minister John Key.

Issues associated with street sex workers - including turf wars and used condoms being littered on suburban streets - last month prompted the council to recommend to the Government to have the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 changed, making street prostitution illegal. It was the second time the council made the recommendation.

But a Ministry of Justice report released on Friday has recommended that the council work with police, residents and sex workers to address problems among the different groups.

The report also says a more localised approach to addressing the "very localised problem" would be more effective than a change of law.

Manukau City Council portfolio leader for community safety Dick Quax says he is disappointed with the government review, because Manukau City residents - specifically on Hunters Corner in Papatoetoe and in parts of Manurewa - have had to deal with the mess and violence for more than 10 years.

"[Street prostitution] has been an ongoing problem since 1998. We've been battling to get them out for a long time - we will continue to battle this," Pakuranga councillor Mr Quax said.

"We tried to bring in a local act, to get prostitutes off the streets in Manukau only - only to be told to that wouldn't work unless it was outlawed.

"And now we make a recommendation to have street prostitution illegal and we're told it's a local problem."

The council's Policy and Activities Committee will now seek an amendment to the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 to make street prostitution illegal, with mayor Len Brown, Mr Quax and Manurewa councillor Colleen Brown seeking to meet Prime Minister John Key.

Problems with used condoms, syringes and toilet paper littering the streets have been addressed in the report, which recommends that more rubbish bins be provided and public toilets are opened 24 hours a day.

Reducing the opening hours of pubs, enforcing a liquor ban and increasing community policing were also recommended to the council.

Mr Quax said: "I don't think there was anything new. Most things they are recommending are things that we are already doing."

Auckland City mayor John Banks said he could understand why Manukau City Council was seeking to have the law changed, saying it was unfair of the Government to let local councils deal with such a major issue.

"Most of this has been pushed down from government on to the communities, the cities and the local people to deal with."

Mr Banks acknowledged that Manukau City was not the only council battling street prostitution and illegal brothels popping up in various suburban streets throughout the city.

Although he knew of the many problems caused by prostitution - and the dangers prostitutes were inadvertently putting themselves in - he would not judge a person's chosen lifestyle.

"[Street prostitution] isn't going to go away - it will continue to grow and we will have to deal with it."