Sex workers protested against discrimination outside Ku-ring-gai Council chambers last night (February 6).

The demonstration was held just eight days after sex workers launched their first protest outside North Sydney Council.

The North Shore sex-workers say local councils have consistently discriminated against brothels through "de facto prohibitions."

Sex Workers Rights Action Coalition spokeswoman Joanne said news of private investigators being hired by Ku-ring-gai Council to have sex with the women to prove premises are operating illegally was "the last straw."

But the issue goes beyond the perceived violation of rights, Joanne said, with local brothel operators and private sex-workers also fed up with the high barriers councils set for brothels to comply with planning controls.

"Councillors take the opportunity to grandstand about moral issues to become vigilantes against the sex industry and grab votes on our backs while denying us rights," Joanne said.

"They set the barriers, refuse the development applications and then send out private investigators to shut places down."

Speaking before the demonstration, Joanne outlined the reason for targeting Ku-ring-gai: "Ku-ring-gai has been very vocal in lobbying the State Government for more powers to enter and prosecute brothels.

"Our efforts are to highlight the Sex Services Premises Planning Guidelines, as those guidelines recommend the opposite, that the councils work to help brothels comply. Brothels and sex workers on the North Shore are here to stay," she said.

Ku-ring-gai mayor Nick Ebbeck has called for a law which would allow councils to close down suspected illegal brothels within 48 hours of giving notice, and reverse the burden of proof so owners would have to prove they are not running an illegal brothel, rather than councils proving they are.

Responding to the protest, a North Sydney council spokesman said they have strict planning controls to protect residential amenity. "For instance, one of the illegal brothels we have closed in Crows Nest caused huge distress to the neighbours who had men knocking on their door through the night.

"In setting planning controls, councils seek to put compatible activities together and to protect residential amenity."

A local sex worker at the North Sydney protest, who said she also worked as a teacher, claimed brothels do not affect an area's amenity because its activities often go unnoticed.

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