Kingston Council approves new brothel for Braeside industrial estate

A COUNCIL in Melbourne’s south has approved a brothel in a suburb near where another one is operating 160m away.

Heidi Petrani is against the proposed Braeside brothel, which has just won council approval. Picture: Valeriu Campan

THE new Braeside brothel will be going ahead, despite objections from local business owners and the fact that a similar sex industry service operates just 160m away.

Kingston Council voted to approve the application at its planning meeting on Wednesday.

Mayor Tamsin Bearsley said she voted on the site objectively, based on its planning merits and officer recommendations.

“I’m not making a judgment call on the morality of a business, I expect all businesses to do their job in a fashion that is legal and respects their neighbours,” Cr Bearsley said.

“I will be looking at it from a planning perspective, but I expect everyone not to be affecting their neighbours.”

Heidi Petrani, who owns an entertainment rigging company next to the planned Downard St site, objected to the plan.

Ms Petrani and her co-owner husband said they often have young performers visiting their workshop for fitting and rigging training, and another brothel would not be appropriate when the Southern Comfort International brothel was located nearby.

“It worries me a little bit, it does,” Ms Petrani said.

Brothel manager Sharon Menzies spoke out in support of the application, and praised the applicants for their professionalism.

“The people who are running this business, Geoff and Sue Sugden, have been operating a bordello for in excess of 20 years, and they’ve never had an issue with law and order,” Ms Menzies said.

“They are reputable people — and just to give you a bit of background, I’m obviously a sex-change female, and it’s very difficult for people like myself to get work.”

Geoff and Sue were fantastic, they gave me this business opportunity to join them and to manage the brothel for them.”