Green light for red light expansion

Queenstown Lakes' red light zones - which contain no active brothels - have been expanded.

The new Brothel Bylaw 2024 was approved by councillors on Thursday, after a hearings panel sorted through polarised, fiery written and in-person submissions.

In Queenstown, the zone where brothels are permitted to operate now covers downtown from Camp St and Man St towards Lake Wakatipu, boarded by Lake St and Earl St. In Wānaka, the zone now covers four blocks of the CBD near the lake.

Other minor changes were also approved, including brothels now being able to operate below ground level. But they still must be 100m apart and signs are limited.

Concerns had been raised that the previous bylaw was too restrictive, and did not allow small owner-operated brothels (SOOBs) due to the high premises costs downtown, potentially opening it to a legal challenge under the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 (PRA).

Hearing panel chair Cr Cody Tucker said the panel "had to strike a balance between giving effect to the PRA... and the community sentiment", so chose the smaller of potential expansions.

"We are still one of the most restrictive districts in the country."

Mayor Glyn Lewers, however, questioned the idea of community sentiment, given 13 of the 20 submissions were from outside the district.