Prostitutes 'soliciting parents' by schools

Offensive rubbish and parents being solicited as they walk their children to school are being cited as reasons to ban street prostitution. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Offensive rubbish and parents being solicited as they walk their children to school are being cited as reasons to empower Auckland Council to ban street prostitution from anywhere in the Super City region.

But in a submission to Parliament's local government select committee, Auckland Council says it wants to limit its ability to apply the bylaw that would ban prostitution.

The council is seeking to adopt the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill, which had its first reading in Parliament before the local authorities were merged.

The bill would empower the council to ban prostitution from specified areas - rather than a blanket ban - and breaking a bylaw would be met with a $2000 fine.

The bill is supported by Auckland Mayor Len Brown, but the Prostitutes Collective believes it will undo the improvements for sex workers that came about from the 2003 law legalising prostitution.

The council's submission is supported by the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board and the Manurewa Local Board, which both cite a number of issues supporting the need for the bill, including:

Prostitutes soliciting parents as they take children to local public facilities or schools, including primary schools.

Prostitutes propositioning unaccompanied women, "who have nothing to do with prostitution".

Offensive and hazardous rubbish in the area, understood to be used condoms and syringes left on footpaths, carparks and reserves.

Businesses relocating outside the area because of this.

The Manurewa Board has a particularly strong objection to street prostitution in Northcrest carpark, within 100m of Manurewa Central School and St Andrews Christian School.

But the council is also wary of abusing the power.

"Auckland Council acknowledges that the issues arising from street prostitution are confined to a few specific areas and that the excessive use of bylaws to limit street prostitution would be contrary to the intent of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003," the council's submission says.

The bill as currently drafted would mean a bylaw could be passed to prevent activities in a public place "that are likely to cause a nuisance or serious offence ... or are incompatible with the existing character or use of that area".

The council proposes toughening this provision so a bylaw could only be passed if it meets both - instead of either - of those tests.

The vote to support the bill split the council in January.

It voted 11-7 in favour of making a submission on the bill, which was originally put forward by Manurewa MP George Hawkins.

The bill is due to be reported back from the committee in September.