Conservative lobby group Family First is pleading with the Queenstown Lakes District Council to scrap a draft bylaw, adopted yesterday, that would allow brothels in central Queenstown and Wanaka.
"The intent of the Prostitution Reform Act was never to allow brothels and prostitution in family and residential areas, yet this has been the tragic outcome of a flawed and badly written law," Family First national director Bob McCoskrie said yesterday.
The modified bylaw was recommended because Queenstown's current Brothel Control Bylaw could breach the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, which legalised commercial sex.
The "brothel zone" encompasses a rectangular area bounded by Shotover St, Camp St, Earl St, Marine Pde and Rees St.
The existing bylaw bans brothels from being within 100m of homes, schools, preschools, churches, community facilities or reserves.
"It is one thing to have the prostitution industry in red-light areas that families can choose to avoid, but to allow brothels in family shopping areas, tourist areas frequented by families holidaying and near sensitive sites such as schools, playgrounds or churches is unacceptable," Mr McCoskrie said.
In Wanaka the zone is bound by Ardmore, Dungarvon and Dunmore Sts, and the southwestern boundary of the Wanaka Hotel.
"The decriminalisation of prostitution has been a community disaster, harming families, businesses and the welfare of workers caught in the industry.
Cities throughout New Zealand have been trying to deal with the hospital pass given by the politicians when they passed this law," Mr McCoskrie said.
The motion to go ahead with public submissions on the bylaw was briefly questioned by QLDC deputy mayor John S.
Wilson at yesterday's council meeting.
"I live 3km from the area and I pay for it quite dearly at home. Can you just assure me I'm not breaking the law?" Cr Wilson joked to council regulatory and corporate services manager Roger Taylor.
The quip earned the deputy mayor a loud burst of laughter from around chambers.
Cr Cath Gilmour had more serious concerns about the bylaw, questioning the use of the definition of the term "premises" - which in the draft included all types of land, sea and air vessels.
Cr Gilmour noted under the draft as it was written a boat or a plane could "potentially be parked in the red-light zone, and used as a brothel".
The matter was rectified by removing the words vessel, boat, craft, raft and motor vehicle from the definition of what premises could be used for brothels.
Unlike other resorts around the world, Queenstown was unlikely to be overrun with brothels, mayor Clive Geddes said.
"There's been very strong comments among landlords that they will not lease premises for this purpose," he said.
