Renewed call to outlaw street prostitution

Violence, turf wars and streets littered with syringes and used condoms have led to the Manukau City Council calling on the Government to outlaw street prostitution - again.

At a meeting last night, the council approved recommendations to amend the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, including giving local councils more authority to regulate where street prostitution takes place and to ban street sex workers altogether.

Pakuranga councillor Dick Quax said community concerns were behind the move.

"[Prostitution has] certainly caused quite a few problems in the area, particularly on Hunters Corner in Papatoetoe, and Manurewa. There are ongoing issues - it relates to offensive behaviour, the noise late at night and early morning, and litter being left in the open - an ongoing nuisance."

In 2005, the council proposed legislation to give it the power to control and ban street prostitution.

However, conflicting laws within wider Auckland led to a parliamentary committee rejecting such a bill.

In February, Manukau City set up a working party made up of community board members and local councillors, after calls from the community to address issues of drug dealing, turf-war violence, and used condoms and syringes littering the streets.