Brothels solicit council leeway

By CLAIRE TREVETT

The White House became the first of a growing number of Auckland brothels battling to stave off closure after finding themselves too close to schools, churches, or community centres.

The White House and its massage parlour, Monica's, in the historic Theosophical Society building on Queen St, applied to the council for an exemption to the brothel bylaw requiring central city brothels to be 250m from a school.

It was the first hearing of bylaw exemption applications from 20 brothels. Another relates to proximity to a place of worship, and another to signage rules.

The White House has been deemed within 250m of Jewish school Kadimah College, on the other side of Myers Park from the brothel. The school was due to move from the site in two years' time.

Independent hearings commissioners Gordon Macfarlane, Ross Gee and David Chandler reserved their decision on a dispensation for the White House, which would save its life.

The brothel was owned by the colourful Brian Le Gros, who also owned parlours in Wellington, Noumea and Tahiti.

White House lawyer Vibeke Dale said Mr Le Gros had put up to $5 million into the brothel since buying it in 2001.

He had invested in the purchase, renovation, maintenance and security costs and employed or contracted 90 people.

"Ninety people employed by or contracted to White House Holdings would lose their jobs immediately. White House Holdings has overcapitalised on its asset and that I accept. But that is a point in favour of White House Holdings because it would lose its entire investment if forced to close. The investment would not be able to be recouped on the sale of the property or through a lease," Ms Dale said.

"It is also far from certain that it could relocate if forced to close down, so that could well be the end of the business."

She said it seemed ludicrous to close a business to enforce a bylaw that would not apply in two years because Kadimah College was due to move.

None of the White House neighbours - the Salvation Army, a kindergarten in Myers Park, or Kadimah College itself - had made submissions on the application.

However, three submitters at the hearing said they were concerned about the precedent of allowing a dispensation.

Gary Putt, of Hillsborough, said he did not want to see any weakening of the present bylaws.

"It would encourage others to ask for dispensations. It puts us on course for making the bylaws irrelevant."

He said the damage to Mr Le Gros' investment should not be a factor.

Ms Dale argued none of the 18 submissions on the White House application could list any public benefit from the White House's closing.

She said the distance of the brothel from the school across Myers Park was on the outer limit of 250m.

Earlier objections to the White House's opening in 2001 by the Salvation Army and the kindergarten were withdrawn, partly because of the extra security the White House brought the area.

Club 574 at Epsom has also applied for a dispensation, to operate a brothel in a residential zone and within 250m of a place of worship.

Helen Wenley of the Epsom Action Group said she would oppose the application.

"They should not be operating 24 hours, seven days a week in a residential area. Even if it was a dentist who wanted to do that, there would be opposition. The funny thing is, there is a bridal shop right at the front fence of it, with these lovely virginal dresses in the window."

She said the brothel was very low-key, but there had been occasional knocks on her door from people looking for the establishment.

The bylaws restricting the location of brothels and signage came into force on December 28, 2003. Council can consider dispensations on a case-by-case basis.


Brothels applying for dispensations

Peter Graham - Wingate Club, 76 Wingate St, Avondale. Dispensation to operate within a residential zone. Employs four people.

2. Lamyai Boonham and Pauline Oates, 122 Mt Wellington Highway. Dispensation to operate within a residential zone. Employs four people.

3. Li jun Chang - Salon 28, 28 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby. Dispensation to operate within 250m of sites zoned residential. Employs six people.

4. Horizon Developments Ltd - The Pelican Club, 101 Newton Rd, Eden Tce. Dispensation to operate within 250m of sites zoned residential and a community facility. Employs 25 people, up to 91 sex workers listed on the roster.

5. Whitehouse Holdings Ltd - Monica's, 371 Queen St, Auckland City. Dispensation to operate within 250m of an education facility. Employs about 90 people.

6. Jacklum Holdings Ltd - Floras, 12-14 Pitt St, Auckland City. Dispensation to operate within 250m of an educational facility. Employs 19 people.

7. Ronald Keith Woodham - Pure Asia, 28 Burleigh St, Mt Eden. Dispensation to operate within 250m of a place of worship. Employs two people.

8. Kesorn Sae Ung - 247 Massage, 247 Symonds St, Newton. Dispensation to operate within 250m of a place of worship and a community facility and within 75m of an existing brothel. Employs three people.

9. Malee Clark - Catherine's Health Centre, 12 Queens Rd, Panmure. Dispensation to operate within 250m of a place of worship and a community facility, within 75m of an existing brothel and at ground level. Employs four people.

10. Xiaoqiu Liu - Lavender Chinese Clinic, G6, 22-28 Jellicoe Court, Jellicoe Rd, Panmure. Dispensation to operate within 250m of a community facility. Employs up to 10 people.

11. Denise Jean Pearson - The New Oriental Ltd, Level 1, 240 Broadway, Newmarket. Dispensation to operate within 250m of a major public transport interchange. Employs four people.

12. Neville Whale - Sugar & Spice, 243 Symonds St, Eden Tce. Dispensation to operate within 75m of an existing brothel. 13. Zhonghai Huang - Salon 33, 33 Queens Rd, Panmure. Dispensation to operate within 75m of an existing brothel. Employs up to nine people.

14.Premier Holdings Ltd - Lipstix, 36 Fort St, Auckland City. Dispensation to operate at ground level on a site subject to frontage activity control. Employs 11 people.

15. Raymond Penfold - Sophies Massage/Bar/Casino, 10-12 Commerce St, Auckland City. Dispensation to operate at ground level on a site subject to frontage activity control. Employs six people.

16. Naengnoi Sriphet - Nana Thai Traditional Massage, 154A Hobson St, Auckland City. Dispensation from the bylaw's signage controls. It has been operating for about three years, and employs four people.

17. Norman Hung - Royal Garden, 52 Cook St Auckland City. Dispensation from the bylaw's signage controls. Employs a maximum of eight people.

18. Teresa Bews - Juliette's, 133 Vincent St, Auckland City. Dispensation to operate within 250m of an educational facility. Employs 15 to 20 people.

19. Kim Allen Roydon Pickard - Femme Fatale, 84 Wellesley St West, Auckland City. Dispensation from the bylaw's signage controls. Employs 12 people and 150 independent contractors.

20. Anthony Howard Grant - Club 574, 574 Manukau Rd, Epsom. Dispensation to operate a brothel within a residential zone and within 250m of a place of worship. Employs about 45 people