Brothel trade in decline
Licensed prostitution premises suffer as sole traders grab bigger piece of market
IF sex really does sell, it appears Far Northern men and women aren’t buying it – at least not in brothels.
The Prostitution Licensing Authority’s 2015-16 annual report reveals brothel numbers have hit a 10-year low after five closed last financial year, including one in Cairns.
“The state’s sex industry continues to be highly competitive with challenging economic conditions,” wrote PLA chairman Marshall Irwin.
“This has been reflected by a contraction of the licensed brothel sector in 2015-16.”
The PLA conceded most prostitution in the state occurs outside of licensed brothels, which the Australian Christian Lobby claims is evidence of a proliferation of illegal brothels and human trafficking.
“Prostitution and trafficking go hand-in-hand,” said Queensland director Wendy Francis.
But Respect Inc chairwoman Jenny King believes the licensing system is to blame for declining brothel numbers.
“Respect Inc believes that the licensing requirements in Queensland are extremely restrictive and don’t allow for these operators to establish their businesses to respond to demand from the client mar- ket,” she said. “Most sex workers choose to work as sole traders, which is lawful in Queensland although it does mean that many sex workers are working in vulnerable and isolated businesses.”
Respect Inc wants all forms of sex work to be decriminalised in Queensland as is the case in New Zealand and New South Wales.
Ms King said the current legal framework was the biggest challenge facing Cairns sex workers.
“Discrimination and stigma cause barriers to sex workers speaking up and standing up for a legal framework that will improve their workplace and industrial rights,” she said.
The ACL is also in favour of decriminalising sex work but believes people who use prostitutes should face sanctions to reduce demand – an approach called the Nordic model.