Councillor fights for better brothel regulations

City of Sydney councillor Shayne Mallard has called for a review to Council’s sex industry policies.
The Liberal councillor criticised the inefficiency of Council regulations in dealing with applications for “mega-brothels” and restricting unregistered brothels.
Cr Mallard said the recently failed application for Australia’s largest brothel highlighted a need to review Council policy and restrict future applications of this scale.
“Other cities like Brisbane and Melbourne have restrictions on the size of the brothels as well as well as different types of zoning for them,” he said. These cities have restricted the number of rooms to between six and eight. “I suggest that we do review this as part of the city plan,” he said. “I don’t think this is the first mega-brothel application we’ve had in the city and we need to be better prepared.”
Councillor John McInerney said he thought Council’s policy preventing clusters of brothels from appearing were inefficient.
Sydney’s Development Control Plan stipulates each adult entertainment or sex industry premises must be at least 75 metres apart.
But this policy does not restrict the expansion of a single brothel from doubling in size.
Cr Mallard said most residents can accept a small brothel.
“I don’t think anyone has envisaged a 40-room brothel in their residential neighbourhood,” he said. People are concerned with safety, increased traffic and the over-development of sites.
“While we do have anti-cluster policies. . . the anti-cluster policy doesn’t work because they are all in one spot,” Cr McInerney said.
Long term resident of Camperdown Tim Barrett said Stiletto’s mega-brothel proposal would have the same effect on nearby residents as building several brothels in the area.
Cr Mallard said City of Sydney isn’t opposed to brothels when they are regulated, however despite this stance the City hasn’t been able to combat the operation of illegal brothels.
“We have a problem with our brothel legislation. . . It doesn’t prevent the illegal industry,” he said.
He said as part of the