SOOBs in Christchurch: go or whoa?

Boyd, Felicity

Abstract

Small owner-operated brothels (SOOBs) are a reality for any city in New Zealand. They are defined by the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 (PRA) as places where not more than four sex workers work and where each sex worker retains control over their own earnings (PRA, 2003). Gathering statistics on these establishments is nearly impossible due to their discreet nature. Many clients prefer the inconspicuous environment of a SOOB over the notorious, well-advertised brothels in the city centre. SOOBs have long been a controversial planning issue for the Christchurch City Council (CCC), but perhaps the period 2003-2009 has proved to be the most contentious.

Keywords

Small Owner-Operated Brothels (SOOBs); brothels; Local Government Act; Christchurch bylaw; controversial planning; central business district; prostitution; Christchurch

Fields of Research

Fields of Research::310000 Architecture, Urban Environment and Building::310100 Architecture and Urban Environment::310103 Urban and regional planning; Fields of Research::310000 Architecture, Urban Environment and Building::310100 Architecture and Urban Environment::310105 History of the built environment

Date

2010-02

Type

Journal Article