Sex workers defiant over proposed law

Suburban Whangarei prostitutes say they will disregard a proposed law which aims to keep sex in the city.

The sex workers have found an unlikely ally in a top Northland health official, who fears restricting brothels to Whangarei's inner city will lead to health problems.

Whangarei District Council is proposing a bylaw which would restrict the location of brothels to the city's "business one" environment, which encompasses the central business district.

The council is to listen to 26 public submissions on its proposed Brothel Bylaw on Thursday.

Northland medical officer of health Jonathan Jarman, who is charged with protecting public health in Northland, made one of the submissions.

Dr Jarman noted there were two brothels in Whangarei's CBD and about 10 sex workers who operated from suburban addresses. He believed restricting brothels to the CBD would not be conducive to public health.

The council should keep bigger brothels in the CBD and only allow small owner-operated brothels to operate in residential areas, he said.

"These small, owner-operated brothels in the suburbs are discreet and usually the neighbours are unaware of the commercial sexual activities," Dr Jarman said.

"It is likely that many of the sex workers who are working in the suburbs will continue to work from the suburbs, even after the bylaw is passed, because of economic reasons.

"Because of the illicit nature of their business, clients may blackmail them in order to have high-risk sex without condoms."

This created a higher health risk for sex workers illegally working in the suburbs, and also put clients at risk of catching diseases.

Whangarei sex worker Amber said many workers could not, or did not want to, work in large brothels.

"Don't make us criminals because we don't want to give half of our money to the parlour owner or we don't want to put up with all the [rubbish] that happens in the parlours," she said.

Women working from home had more control over the clients they saw so were safer, she said.

The Prostitutes Collective, which has also made a submission on the proposed bylaw, supports Dr Jarman's stance.

Other submissions to the council include calls to have brothels kept away from schools, public areas and residential areas and that there be no signs advertising sex services.

- NZPA