Safety of Territory sex workers should be a priority, say NT business leaders

DARWIN residents don’t complain about CBD massage parlours which offer sexual services, according to Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis

NT business leaders say the safety of Territory sex workers should be a priority

DARWIN residents don’t complain about CBD massage parlours offering sexual services, Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said.

“It’s about the only thing we don’t receive complaints about,” he said.

Mr Vatskalis said he supported a proposal to regulate sex work in the NT, which would help bring the industry out of the shadows.

“The best way to address the issue is to regulate it,” he said.

Mr Vatskalis said if the industry was regulated, there could be restrictions on where brothels could operate within the city boundaries.

“It’s not only about where they put them, it’s about the safety of the workers,” he said.

“If they regulate, they can have regular checks on workers – make sure they are being treated fairly.”

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Darwin City and Waterfront Retailers Association committee member and restaurateur Jason Hanna said he supported the full decriminalisation of sex work.

“The most important thing to understand is that safety is paramount, and these women and men they deserve to be safe at all times,” he said.

“They should never feel uncomfortable calling the police.

“Occupational health and safety should come first.”

Mr Hanna said there were a lot of sex workers who lived in the NT, and contributed in a positive way to the economy.

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“These workers they make their money and they spend their money here,” he said.

“From an economic perspective, regulating the industry and changing tax could be a benefit.”

Mr Hanna said creating a ‘sex precinct’ where security guards could patrol would also help keep Territory sex workers safe from harm, and make sure families wanting to avoid the area could easily do so.

“Maybe we could have a bit of fun with it and call it ‘rub and tug alley’,” he said.

“It’s important to understand that prohibition has never worked in any case. The industry isn’t going anywhere. We need to look after the workers.”

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Greg Bicknell said none of its members had raised concerns with him either.

“We have not had any members raise concerns about massage parlours operating in the NT, either illegally or legally,” he said.