In New Zealand, Tauranga City Council is proposing to make it cheaper to set up brothels in the city, and is proposing to drop council costs for brothels by 70 per cent in the upcoming Annual Plan.
New applications for brothel consents, under the Prostitution Bylaw, are proposed to be reduced from $930 to $210. A three-yearly renewal will cost $700.
In reply to a question from TCC councillor Steve Morris, staff say there are five brothel operators in the city. The reduction reflects what it actually costs the city in administration, says city council staff.
The reduced costs reflects the time council spend in ongoing compliance. “As there might only be one application processed in a year, the new price is set to recover the costs of that,” Steve was told.
Council staff says it’s a three-year review process, there are five operators, and the council fee is set to recover costs. It is unknown if the cost reduction will be passed on.
