Fear of unknown blamed

Fear of the unknown causes neighbours to turn their noses up at brothels, religious movements and retail centres, a University of Otago sociologist says.

In Auckland, Ponsonby residents have been up in arms over a brothel operating out of an apartment block beside a primary school. Firecats Escorts has applied for resource consent to operate in the mixed business zone in the Brown St apartment block which borders Richmond Road Primary School.

Associate professor of sociology at Otago Chris Brickell said it was understandable that people had concerns about what children were exposed to but there was also a universal drive to maintain a ‘‘keen sense of neighbourhood and what’s in it’’.

‘‘People are interested in what’s going on and are wary if they think something doesn’t fit in the pattern of what belongs there,’’ Dr Brickell said.

‘‘Schools are symbolic of the community.’’

Two years ago, residents in south Auckland suburb Papakura became concerned over the Exclusive Brethren’s plans to set up a church in their neighbourhood. Among the comments of residents who opposed consent was that the church ‘‘seemed an odd fit in an urban residential area and could negatively impact on property values’’. The church gained its consent. Dr Brickell said there were other parts of Auckland ‘‘where no-one would bat an eyelid’’ about such plans. ‘‘It’s about the way people understand their neighbourhood.’’

In a mixed-business zone on the North Shore last year, people voiced concerns about a pay-bythe-hour ‘‘love motel’’ because of its proximity to their homes and businesses. Residents of innercity boarding-houses, or apartments and flats on the fringes, were less likely to complain about the types of businesses in their neighbourhood, Dr Brickell said.

‘‘They’re used to all sorts of transactions on street corners and loud music. But that’s not accepted in suburbs which are meant to be quieter and more predictable,’’ he said.

Even supermarkets could generate traffic and parking issues, upsetting suburban residents, he said.

‘‘And with brothels there’s comings and goings at various times.’’

Victoria University urban geographer Philip Morrison said a lot of attitudes reflected people’s ‘‘fear of the unknown’’.

‘‘The question is, how wellinformed are the locals? It raises the question about how much the teachers and children [in Ponsonby] understand and how much the community wants them to understand.’’

Victoria’s Institute of Criminology associate professor Jan Jordan said that since the passing of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003, attitudes were changing slowly.

‘‘Sex workers have said they have noticed some changed attitudes and they’ve felt more empowered.’’