‘You will still have money for roads if my sex work bill allowed’

A POLITICIAN who wants to decriminalise sex work says her bill wouldn’t put local councils under extra pressure financially or impact on planned works.

LIBERAL MP Michelle Lensink has moved to quell concerns councils will be forced to divert resources to monitor brothels, if her bill to decriminalise sex work is passed.

Port Adelaide Enfield Councillor Michel Iammarone will this month call on the council to write to all State MPs, asking them to vote down Ms Lensink’s Private Members Bill.

He is worried that under the change, councils and their ratepayers would have to foot the bill for monitoring and regulating brothels.

“I’ve made it clear sex work is not the council’s responsibility and we’ve got officers who go out to clear things like food production,” Cr Iammarone said.

“Clearly this is something that is outside the technical capabilities of our council officers and it is something that requires a lot more consultation with councils”.

But Ms Lensink said the bill would not mean added work for councils.

Hanson, Grand Junction, Main North and Churchill roads have long been haunts for sex workers.

Under the changes, they would be free to work the streets as well as at home, in brothels and escort agencies.

Councils would have the power to decide how close brothels could be to places such as schools and churches.

Brothel owners would also have to register their businesses with Consumer and Business Services.

The Bill would not require safe sex practices but would outlaw sex work by those aged under 18 or with child clients.

Ms Lensink is consulting with councils to work out potential complications which may arise and will take their concerns to the Legislative Council this month.

She said the only involvement councils would have was in the determining the planning approval of brothels.

“The industry in SA is such that people in the industry work quite discreetly as single operators or in pairs,” Ms Lensink said.

“Once workers feel confident to raise any issues with police, the incidents of street working will actually decrease.”