New laws giving NSW councils greater powers to crack down on illegal brothels could lead to more corruption in the industry, sex workers claim.

Prostitutes, massage parlour workers and their supporters protested outside NSW Parliament as the Brothels Legislation Amendment Bill was introduced into the upper house.

The proposed laws passed the lower house last week.

The government says under the bill, council orders to close illegal brothels will become effective within five working days, local courts will be allowed to order that gas and water supplies be cut off, and a loophole allowing illegal brothel owners to possibly avoid prosecution by selling or transferring a lease will be closed.

But Australian Sex Workers Association manager Janelle Fawkes said the laws would lead to council officers taking advantage of smaller operators, particularly those who work from home.

"This legislation could take us back to the days before decriminalisation, where to operate as a sex worker you had to pay off somebody," Ms Fawkes said.

"At that stage it was the police. We're fearful that will move to council as the new regulators of the industry."

She said the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was already investigating Paramatta City Council over corruption allegations, and that should act as a warning to the state government.

Homeworkers see just five or six clients a week on average and should be exempted from the new laws, Ms Fawkes said.

The association argues such workers don't affect residential amenity and cannot get council development approval because the required advertising at the premises was indiscreet and would drive away clients.

"If this is truly about illegal brothels it should not cover individual sex workers," Ms Fawkes said.

AIDS Council of NSW sex work policy adviser Maria McMahon said the new laws would send many workers "underground".

"We're reversing the entire status quo in NSW from a decriminalised model to something that will criminalise some sectors of the industry," Ms McMahon said.

She said following decriminalisation in 1995, the state's sex workers had the best health and safety outcomes in the world.

"We don't have STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and HIV in our industry to any extent and we want to keep it that way," she said.

"These laws will reverse that trend."

Comment was being sought from Planning Minister Frank Sartor.

© 2007 AAP

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Brothel-laws-will-lead-to-corruption/2007/06/26/1182623902709.html

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http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/brothel-laws-will-lead-to-corruption/20072426-kl7.html

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