Media release
21 December 2003

Manukau City Confirms Brothel Bylaws

Manukau City Council has approved draft bylaws covering the location and operations of brothels in the city, as required by recent legislation decriminalising prostitution.

Final bylaws will be drawn up after public consultation in late January.

The draft bylaw restrict brothels to certain business zones in the city.
It bans brothels and home enterprises (buildings where four or fewer people offer commercial sex services) from all residential areas, rural areas and also from business zones 1,2 and 3.

Brothels may be allowed in business zones 4,5 and 6. In zone 6 areas, approval to establish a brothel will be discretionary only.

In these zones brothels may not be set up within 250 metres or in sight of the main entrance of childcare and daycare facilities, kindergartens, schools, libraries, recreation centres, cultural centres, public halls, scout and guide dens, marae, churches and places of worship.

There will be strict controls on signage. Signs may only display the name of the operator, the registered name of the company, phone number and other trading details.

No words or images or models which are sexually explicit, lewd or otherwise offensive will be allowed.

Mayor Sir Barry Curtis says Manukau’s draft bylaw is similar to Auckland City’s, and that is a good thing. “It is important that there are similar bylaws in each city because we do not want brothels to concentrate in just part of the region where it is easier to set up.

“I would prefer to have no brothels at all in Manukau, but prostitution is now a lawful activity. I would urge all residents with opinions on this issue to make their feelings known during the public consultation process early next year."

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