Committee recommends to revoke the Christchurch City Brothels (Location and Signage) Bylaw 2004

The Regulation and Planning Committee of the Christchurch City Council has recommended that the bylaw governing brothel signage in the city be revoked.

The Committee’s initial position was to review the Brothels (Location and Signage) Bylaw 2004 but, after considering the possible options, it became apparent that other controls were available to deal with signage that was offensive.

The controls include the requirements of the Advertising Standards Authority Code of Practice relating to criteria for offensiveness and decency of advertising, and the provisions under the Resource Management Act 1991 enabling enforcement orders or abatement notices to be made to control offensive signs.

“We believed initially we would be able to use the Prostitution Reform Act to regulate all signs which appeared to be clearly advertising commercial sexual services. What we have since found is that such signs would have to be more than just unambiguous. They would also have to be offensive,” says chairperson, Cr Sue Wells. “Other regulations already control offensive signage.”

“And to prosecute a bylaw made through the Prostitution Reform Act the Council would need to have proof that commercial sexual services were actually being provided. The implications of that are quite significant.”

“Complaints about offensive signage will be dealt with on a case by case basis and we don't need a bylaw to do that,” says Cr Wells.

The revocation recommendation, reached after the Committee voted that a bylaw was not necessary to control the potential offensiveness of such signs, will now go before the Council for an approval of a Special Consultative Procedure to gather public reaction.