Boobs on Bikes given green light without telling councillors

A parade of topless porn stars down Queen St has been approved by Auckland City Council staff without telling councillors who want to stop it.

Erotica Expo organiser Steve Crow has permission for the lunchtime parade on August 23 featuring up to 30 porn stars in cars or on the back of motorcycles from Karangahape Rd to the bottom of Queen St. The expo opens at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane two days later.

Mr Crow has held informal Boobs on Bikes parades down Queen St since 2003 but this is the first time he has sought and been given permission from the council's events and promotions manager, Annabel Lush.

The first councillors knew of the event was a memo in their mail boxes on Friday that noted it "may cause concern and offence to a number of people as the parade will include several topless women".

In the memo, Ms Lush said it was not illegal to be topless in Queen St. As long as the parade met traffic requirements it was the democratic right of the organiser to stage it, she said.

Councillors yesterday raised opposition to the staff decision at a planning meeting and sought urgent answers on whether the parade complied with council bylaws and events policy.

Last night, recreation and community services manager Cameron Parr said a clause in the bylaw to decline consent on "objectively justifiable and reasonable grounds" was not used.

Even if consent was declined there was nothing to stop Mr Crow holding another informal parade.

City Vision councillor Cathy Casey said it was completely wrong for Mr Crow to argue that the parade celebrated the fact it was illegal to discriminate on the basis of sex in New Zealand and that women were entitled to be topless.

She said Boobs on Bikes was being promoted on the expo website to "kick off" a commercial venture exploiting women.

Councillor Noelene Raffills said the parade was outside the norms of what was acceptable and anyone in Queen St at the time would see it.

"It is not like a television set you can turn off or a book you can shut."

Another councillor, Bill Christian, supported the decision and noted it had the backing of the police.

"I appreciate the human form and I enjoy it but I doubt if I will be there to see the parade," he said.

The police unit that looks after Auckland City events has approved the parade and will have officers on hand primarily to ensure road safety.

Mr Crow said the parade was about promoting the show but it was also a social statement.

After reading about two women being arrested for flashing their breasts in a protest, he started Boobs on Bikes to highlight that it was illegal to discriminate against women going topless.

Inspector Terry Van Dillen of police northern communications said the issue was one of "common sense".

"There are obviously laws against nudity in public, but there has to be some intent [to offend] as well."

Police would have to receive a complaint before acting and each incident would be based on its merits.

"A bit of common sense is required here," Mr Van Dillen said. "If it becomes quite offensive to other people then stronger action could be taken."