Political "scapegoating" and the ineptitude of the Department of Planning are to blame for noncompliant brothels, the Sex Worker Rights Action Coalition has claimed.

The sex workers' lobby group took its message to Marrickville Council last week to protest against the council's move to cap the number of brothels in the area.

The lobby group members had the support of a group of Marrickville residents who joined them outside the council chambers in Petersham to protest against the "anti-sex work policies" of Marrickville Council.

Eurydice Aroney has been a Marrickville resident for 13 years and has never had an issue with the sex industry.

She said the money and time spent on the issue by the council was a waste of ratepayers' money.

"We have a safe sex industry in Australia and I don't want it to go underground," Ms Aroney said.

Joanne, a sex worker and spokeswoman for the Sex Worker Rights Action Coalition said the council was not following the Sex Services Premises Planning Guidelines 2004.

"We want to be able to work without fear of closure or private investigation, we have our rights also," she said.

She said in the lead up to the State election, Marrickville Council was using opposition to brothels as a political stunt.

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