Risque Adult Boutique on Railway Parade is unaffected by the policy change. Photo: Commercial Real Estate.
Griffith Council has voted in favour of extending the distance any new sex service, strip club or adult shop in town must be from homes, schools or churches to half a kilometre.
Under its current ‘Restricted services and sex services policy’, businesses offering ‘adult’ services or selling sex toys must not be located within 200 metres walking distance of any home or “place of worship, school, community facility, child care centre, hospital, or any place likely to be visited by children for recreational or other pursuits; or in arcades or other thoroughfares open to the public”.
This is too close for Deputy Mayor Anne Napoli’s liking.
“I would like to see [it extended] to at least 500 metres; we have had issues in the past where a children’s dentist school was too close or just missed out, so if we could make it up to 500 metres it would make it safer for these students,” Cr Napoli said at the recent meeting.
Councillor Jenny Ellis expressed concern about the business Risque Adult Boutique located on Railway Parade, which sells items such as erotic toys and pornographic videos and has been advertised for sale.
“While I like the idea of a larger distance, I have a question around our current sex shop being close to Hunky Dorys [indoor children’s play centre], so if we make a rule around this would it affect them?” she asked.
Mayor Doug Curran said any change to the policy would only apply to any new developments and not to existing businesses.
A majority of councillors voted in favour of Cr Napoli’s motion, with only Mayor Curran and Cr Shari Blumer voting against it. This means the proposal will be presented for public exhibition before it is formally adopted by council.
Anne Napoli has long fought to have sex services a ‘safe’ distance from homes. Photo: Griffith City Council.
The only legal brothel in Griffith – Vickie’s Vixens – is located in the industrial area and also not affected by the policy change.
In 2017, Cr Napoli proposed changing the policy such that sex services and shops would have had to be 1 km away from residential areas and schools. That was voted down at the time, when other councillors argued the small size of Griffith meant it would make it impossible for such businesses to operate at all.
At the time, Vickie of Vickie’s Vixens said such a policy would be a threat to her business and would only encourage freelance prostitution.
In 2010, Griffith Council rejected a development application for the town’s first brothel, but was overruled by the Land and Environment Court, who decided there was no legal reason to prevent it.
Under council’s present policy, no internal rooms or spaces of a restricted premises or sex services premises, other than an access corridor, are to be visible from a public place, street or adjoining premises.
This will remain unchanged.
