Isle of Capri: Claims brothel is operating out of suburban street in exclusive Gold Coast suburb
The Gold Coast City Council is poised to investigate an alleged brothel which is reported to be operating in the heart of an exclusive suburb. But one thing is stopping it.
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The Gold Coast City Council is poised to investigate an alleged brothel which is reported to be operating in the heart of an exclusive suburb.
But area councillor Darren Taylor says the council cannot make a move until an official complaint is made by Isle of Capri residents who have raised the alarm.
Concerns have been raised by residents of La Scala Ct who have captured CCTV footage of both men and women leaving the gated property between midnight and 5am.
A man was recorded walking around the street nude just after 7pm on July 30
Mr Taylor said council had the power to step in but it could not take action until concerns about alleged activities in the house were made official.
“Council can investigate but we haven’t had an official complaint,” he said.
“If someone makes a complaint we can investigate and if it is deemed that they are operating outside the activities of that particular location we can issue a show-cause notice.
“There is a definition of what a brothel is and if there is any activity which doesn’t meet with the requirements of that property we can step in.”
Property records reveal no houses in La Scala Ct are zoned appropriately for such business.
The issue has been ongoing for more than four months according to residents.
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek blamed the potential for such a situation on the state government’s move earlier this year to decriminalise prostitution following recommendations made by the Queensland Law Reform Commission report released in March 2023.
The laws repealed existing sex worker offences, protected workers from discrimination and introduced new punishments to protect children.
It also removed the power of councils to write new laws restricting sex work.
Mr Langbroek said the LNP had voted against the measures but fell short of committing to changing the law if the party won the October state election.
It is understood police executed a warrant at the address in relation to another matter last month. No items of concern to police were found.
Sources told the Bulletin that in the absence of any complaints of criminal behaviour, there was nothing further police could do due to prostitution being decriminalised.
The change has caused concern among some police, who said organised crime often became involved in the sex trade, using standover tactics to extort a share of the takings.
In March, the former head of the Prostitution Licencing Authority, Colin Forrest SC, told a parliamentary inquiry the move would “open the doors” to bikies.
“My major concern is that this legislation will open the doors wide open and say ‘open for business’ for outlaw motorcycle gangs, particularly to legally get back involved in the sex industry,” he said.
“That will lead to employee exploitation … coercion, drug trafficking in the sex work industry and the like.”
There is no suggestion of any organised crime involvement in activities at the La Scala Ct property.
NUDE MEN AFTER DARK: BROTHEL CLAIMS INSIDE EXCLUSIVE SUBURB
A Gold Coast MP has claimed a house in one of the city’s most exclusive suburbs is being used as a brothel.
Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek says residents of La Scala Ct are living in fear, as people come and go from the house 24 hours a day.
CCTV footage captured by residents and given to Mr Langbroek shows both men and women leaving the gated property between midnight and 5am.
A man was recorded walking around the street nude just after 7pm on July 30.
Mr Langbroek said the situation had been ongoing for at least four months.
“People keep buzzing on other people’s doors because they have the wrong address and are appearing at all hours of the day,” he said.
“Having this happen means people do not want to leave the gates open because they are afraid of what will happen.
“It means they feel trapped in their houses.
“For all we know, (prostitutio) is the world’s oldest profession and we do not want our kids aspiring to it.”
Residents of the adjoining street, Rapallo Ave, said they hadn’t seen anything but had heard rumours.
“I’ve just a bit of neighbourhood gossip but I don’t really have anything to add,” one resident said.
“I’ve heard rumours, yeah, but I haven’t personally seen anything,” another said.
One resident said he does fly-in, fly-out work so hasn’t heard or seen anything.
“I only come back on weekends so I haven’t heard anything … my parents live with me but they wouldn’t have seen anything because they constantly stay in.”
Mr Langbroek blamed the situation on the state government’s move earlier this year to decriminalise prostitution following recommendations made by the Queensland Law Reform Commission report released in March 2023.
The laws repealed existing sex worker offences, protected workers from discrimination and introduced new punishments to protect children.
It also removed the power of councils to write new laws restricting sex work.
“Feedback from the industry has been that current laws criminalise safety strategies used by sex workers,” then-lawyer general Yvette D’Ath said earlier this year.
“The proposed reforms to decriminalise the sex work industry will put in place proper regulation, so the industry doesn’t have to choose between working safely or legally.
He said the LNP had voted against the measures but fell short of committing to changing the law if the party won the October state election.
“I would hate for it to be happening in my street, so I don’t understand why the state government brought in such weak legislation (regulating prostitution),” he said.
“We voted against this legislation when the laws came through and clearly, if something needs to be amended, we will.
“We oppose prostitution happening out of suburban houses in residential streets and in this circumstance you could end up with places like this opening near a childcare centre or a school.”
It’s understood the Gold Coast City Council will look into the situation, with property records revealing no houses in La Scala Ct are zoned appropriately for such business.
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Originally published as Isle of Capri: Claims brothel is operating out of suburban street in exclusive Gold Coast suburb
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