WA will have its first legalised brothels by the start of next year after Attorney-General Jim McGinty said yesterday he would introduce legislation into State Parliament in August.

The Government intends to certify brothel owners through the Department of Racing, Gaming and Liquor and allow local councils to approve brothels under their planning laws.

Mr McGinty said he expected the State's 38 existing illegal brothels to be "fast-tracked" for approval ending decades of uncertainty surrounding their operations.

"I expect the legislation to be introduced when Parliament resumes in mid-August and I'd expect it to be through both Houses of Parliament by the end of the year," Mr McGinty said.

"We're not going to change the status of prostitution as such because that's already legal, but brothels are not and assuming the legislation passes they will be by next year."

Mr McGinty said the new laws would enhance the power of local government to regulate brothels.

"At the moment local government is pretty powerless because brothels are illegal. This will enhance the power of local government to regulate aspects of brothels. You're then required to get a certificate from racing and gaming and there'll be the usual ability for police to be able to object on ground of bad character etc," Mr McGinty said.

Mr McGinty said Labor Party MPs who have been given free votes on living wills and therapeutic cloning legislation would not be given a conscience vote on prostitution because its legalisation was ALP policy. Liberal shadow racing and gaming minister John McGrath said his party had not yet adopted a position.

But earlier this year, shadow police minister Rob Johnson predicted an explosion in brothel numbers if they were legalised.

Mr McGinty said he expected brothel numbers to remain relatively stable while Local Government Association spokesman Bob Mitchell said the main concern of his members was that they could not refuse a brothel application if it complied with the planning laws.

ROBERT TAYLOR STATE POLITICAL EDITOR THE WEST AUSTRALIAN

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