Council advice against sex trade bylaw angers locals
Principal apologises for poor teaching
AChristchurch City Council committee yesterday recommended the council does not pursue a bylaw to regulate street-based sex work in Manchester St despite angry residents saying the trade is ruining their lives.
At a full council meeting in May, staff were asked to investigate the feasibility of introducing such a bylaw and to report back, through the committee, on their findings.
Residents of the area of Manchester St north of Bealey Ave have complained about street-based sex workers in the area since the 2011 earthquake.
Resident Matt Bonis told the council’s Regulatory Performance Committee yesterday the council was “abdicating all responsibility” by not introducing a bylaw.
Sex workers who had traditionally frequented Manchester St south of Bealey Ave were forced out of that area when the city was cordoned after the 2011 earthquake.
They have been reluctant to return because of roadworks, they say.
Residents north of Bealey Ave say although some sex workers have moved closer to the CBD, some have not and they and their associates continue to cause problems.
Bonis and his neighbours have found syringes, human faeces, used condoms and litter on their properties. Vandalism to houses and cars have been reported, as well as thefts. One elderly couple found a prostitute “servicing a client” on their lawn at 3am and when they asked them to leave, had their car vandalised.
Attempts to ask the prostitutes to move on are often met with threats and intimidation, locals say.
The residents have been campaigning for a bylaw to ban the sex workers from the residential area. Some have already sold up and left.
But yesterday, after considering the limited legal options available, staff recommended against a bylaw.
Instead, the report has recommended establishing a collaborative community working group comprising non-government organisations, police and affected residents to address the issues of concern and work on ways of encouraging the street-based sex workers to move.
The council will consider the committee’s guidance next month.
Bonis is now engaged with lawyers and exploring possible legal avenues. The principal of an Auckland school for foreign students has apologised to his 500 students for poor teaching.
James Zhu, principal of the International College of Auckland (ICA), which operates out of two office blocks in Queen St, said he apologised to all his students yesterday after the Qualifications Authority (NZQA) said the college had voluntarily withdrawn its accreditation to teach four business and management courses.
The move affects 82 students, including 80 from India. But the college continues to teach engineering, information technology and English to its remaining 420 or so students.
Zhu, who came to New Zealand in 1995 and founded the college in 2001, said he agreed with the NZQA action.
“We have our problems and we haven’t offered the students proper teaching,” he said. “Passing was too easy. “We haven’t supervised our team well, so it’s our school’s mistake.”
He said the three other departments were all headed by people with doctoral degrees and included teachers with NZ experience.
“Our engineering department, we have got seven PhDs from Auckland University and AUT.
“In business and management some have NZ experience, some don’t . . . Some low- or no-NZ-experience staff, they have made a mistake, but we had to find it. We haven’t given the right staff training for them.
“That’s why I totally agree with their decision.”
He said he would like to introduce business and management courses again, but not next year.
“Next year is too fast. We need to do things properly,” he said. “For us, it’s a good experience. We would like to improve ourselves, but slowly.”
NZQA deputy chief executive Dr Grant Klinkum said the authority would “be assisting the International College of Auckland to transfer around 80 international students to a high-quality tertiary provider, after a voluntary withdrawal of accreditation by ICA”.
The accreditation relates to four programmes offered by ICA: NZIM Diploma in Management (Level 5), NZIM Diploma in Management (Advanced) (Level 6), National Diploma in Business (Level 5) and New Zealand Diploma in Business (Level 6).
“Routine monitoring by NZQA identified quality assurance issues in relation to ICA’s assessment and moderation of these programmes,” Klinkum said.
“As a result of these issues, ICA has opted to undertake a voluntary withdrawal of its accreditation of these courses with the assistance of NZQA.”