Hubbard keen to review parade bylaw

Dick Hubbard

Auckland City Council has decided to turn a blind eye to naked breasts on Queen St, but future parades could be in doubt.

Auckland City's mayor, Dick Hubbard, says he is keen to review the bylaw to stop any more topless parades down Queen St.

He said the council had received between 400 and 500 messages from the public about the parade and concerns from the Philippines Association and Asian students.

"We do want a vibrant city (but) I think the parade does our image harm rather than good," said Mr Hubbard, who has no intention of watching the parade.

In a face-saving manoeuvre, council chief executive David Rankin yesterday said he would not issue a permit for tomorrow's Boobs on Bikes parade down Queen St, but then said one was not needed.

The police have also said the parade can go ahead because in this day and age it is not indecent.

The parade, featuring between 30 and 50 topless porn stars in cars or on the back of motorcycles, has drawn condemnation from Mayor Dick Hubbard and a majority of councillors and received a mixed reaction in the wider community.

The lunchtime event is scheduled to run from Karangahape Rd to the bottom of Queen St.

Mr Hubbard said by not issuing the permit the council could not be accused of endorsing the parade. It was inappropriate to have a commercial parade down Queen St promoting an R18 porn show.

Erotica Lifestyles Expo organiser Steve Crow said Mr Hubbard had had his "little moral win" but in reality the permit decision would have no effect on the parade. "I was asked by the council last year to go through the bureaucratic process and apply for a permit and now nearly 12 months later they have given us a decision two days before the event that we won't be getting a permit.

"We are going to be doing this every year. It's become part of the tradition of Erotica now. I'm sure it will continue to grow," Mr Crow said.

The parade has turned into a huge embarrassment for Mr Hubbard's council after events promotions manager Annabel Lush approved it without asking councillors.

The first they knew was a memo in their mailboxes.

In a memo to Mr Hubbard and councillors, Mr Rankin said there were limited grounds under the council bylaw for declining the permit and he said staff had dealt with the application appropriately. "The parade in question involves the driving of motorbikes and vehicles on a public road. This activity is lawful. Similar activities by the applicant have taken place lawfully in earlier years, including last year," the memo said.

Mr Rankin, who sought legal advice, said he took three issues into account before deciding not to complete the process of issuing a permit for the parade.

* Driving of motorbikes and vehicles on Queen St was lawful and Mr Crow intended to proceed anyway.

* Council officers, police and Mr Crow had agreed on traffic management and safety issues.

* Councillors had an understandable concern about the public perception of granting a permit.

Mr Rankin advised councillors that the way to address their concerns was to review the bylaw.

The councillor who raised the issue, Cathy Casey, said there was a need to have a good look at the bylaw because there was "not a damn thing" the council could do to stop the parade.

"I'm pleased the permit has been withdrawn but I'm still concerned that Steve Crow is actually taking his parade down the main street of Auckland and basically it is his legal right to do that," Dr Casey said.

Mr Hubbard said a poster put in Queen St by Mr Crow featuring a cartoon of the Mayor looking at the parade through a magnifying glass was bordering on being defamatory. He was also angry at reports by staff that Mr Crow had threatened to bad-mouth him if the permit was not issued.

"No egotistical, self-promoting porn king bad-mouths this Mayor of Auckland," Mr Hubbard said.

Mr Crow said it was "totally and utterly incorrect" that he had made the threat.


THE RULES

What the council bylaw says:

"The organiser of any event, activity, demonstration or parade in a public place must first obtain consent from an authorised officer."

"Consent will be granted unless there is a prior booking of the public place, or the authorised officer reasonably believes there may be an inability to maintain public safety, or the authorised officer reasonably believes there are other objectively justifiable and reasonable grounds for declining consent. Any refusal of consent will be accompanied by the reasons for that refusal."