Prostitution Licensing Authority › Reports and Publications and Facts Sheets › Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan

2008/09 - 2011/12

The PLA has established four key goals for its operation for the period 2008/09 - 2011/12. These goals, along with a range of supporting strategies, are contained in the Strategic Plan 2008/09 - 2011/12 ( 133 KB)

Note: This document is supplied as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. If you have any problems viewing the file, please Contact us and we will endeavour to arrange an alternative.

Introduction to the PLA
Output and Reporting Structure
Goals and Strategies
Key Performance Measures

Introduction to the PLA

About the PLA
The Prostitution Licensing Authority’s (PLA) core responsibility is to administer the Prostitution Act 1999 and the Prostitution Regulation 2000.

Mission statement
Our mission expresses the PLA’s future direction in light of changing external factors such as regulation, technology, clients and the community. Our mission is to:

Ensure that licensed brothels and prostitution advertising are regulated in
accordance with legislative requirements and in the community interest.

Values
The PLA’s values are underpinned by Respect, Integrity, Health and Safety, and Impartiality.

The PLA will strive to:

Be open, honest and supportive in dealing with staff and clients
Promote a culture of quality service
Have respect for internal and external clients and be responsive to industry issues in our decision-making processes
Promote an environment characterised by knowledge culture and continuous improvements
Encourage and value diversity.

Operating Principles

The PLA acts in the public interest.

The PLA is committed to assisting in the prevention of corruption and organised crime in licensed brothels.

The PLA is committed to promoting and improving safety and health in the licensed sex industry and in the wider community.

The PLA places emphasis on consultation to reach the objectives of the organisation.

The PLA provides a stimulating, satisfying and safe work environment free from discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, sexual preference or disability.

The PLA operates to ensure that all its activities are based on the best information and research available to it.

Purpose

To regulate prostitution in Queensland by implementing the Prostitution Act 1999.

Role

The PLA has the following functions:

To decide licence applications;
To decide approved manager applications;
To monitor the provision of prostitution at licensed brothels through its compliance program;
To conduct disciplinary inquiries in relation to licensees and approved managers;
To discipline licensees and managers;
To receive complaints about prostitution;
To liaise with the police service and other agencies prescribed under a regulation with a view to helping them in carrying out their functions in relation to prostitution;
To collect fees under the Prostitution Act 1999;
To inform relevant government departments and agencies about possible offences that are detected while carrying out its functions;
To advise the Minister about ways of promoting and coordinating programs that –
    􀂾 Promote sexual health care; or
      􀂾 Help prostitutes to leave prostitution; or
      􀂾 Divert minors and other vulnerable persons from prostitution, especially opportunistic prostitution; or
      􀂾 Raise awareness in prostitutes, judicial officers, police, community workers and the community about issues relating to prostitution;
To advise the Minister about the development of codes of practice for licensed brothels;
Inform relevant stakeholders about issues and trends relevant to its functions;
To develop and administer the Guidelines on the Approved Form for Prostitution Advertising;
Maintain a licence and certificate register;
Support the Independent Assessor.

Key issues impacting on the PLA

The regulation of prostitution continues to be a highly contentious public issue and, as such, a number of critical challenges face the PLA.

Ensuring community expectations in relation to the probity and integrity of Queensland’s licensed brothel industry are met.
Balancing the expectations of the community with growth aspirations of the licensed industry.
Ensuring relevant current data and information about prostitution is collected and utilised.
Continuing to explore opportunities to educate both the industry and the broader community on issues regarding prostitution.
Ensuring quality service delivery for a geographically diverse client base.
Ensuring that the organisational capacity of the Authority is well placed to meet the challenges of an expanding licensed industry and ancillary needs.

Key priorities for the coming year

The PLA has identified the need to establish the following initiatives:

Assist in the preparation and drafting of any amendments to the Prostitution Act 1999 arising from Cabinet consideration of the CMC report, Regulating Outcall Prostitution.
Implement any subsequent amendments to the Act arising from this process.
Continue to progress relevant prostitution-related issues through the interdepartmental working group.
Continue to educate and provide guidance on the new Guidelines for prostitution advertising.
Monitor and review the Guidelines for prostitution advertising.
Explore amendments to the Prostitution Regulation 2000 to broaden the definition of ‘sexually transmissible disease’.
Assist to progress the alternate model put forward by Queensland Healthregarding the provision of sexual health certificates issued to sex workers in licensed brothels.
Finalise the proposed PLA industry monitoring program.

Output and reporting structure

The PLA is a statutory authority established by the Prostitution Act 1999 which is accountable to the Parliament though the Minister for Police.

Government priorities

The PLA contributes to the Government’s aim to protect our children and enhance community safety. The PLA is committed to creating a more lawful society which will protect the personal safety, rights and property of all Queenslanders.

Output

Regulating legal prostitution in Queensland

Goals

To ensure an efficient and effective brothel licensing system
To have an industry that complies with the Prostitution Act 1999 and best practice standards
To provide a safe, fair and productive workplace at the PLA
To inform the community and the Government about relevant prostitution issues in Queensland.

Goals and Strategies

Goal 1: To ensure an efficient and effective brothel licensing system

Strategies:

1.1 Monitor the probity process for licensing and update where required.

1.2 Contribute to any review of legislation impacting on the administration of the Prostitution Act 1999.

1.3 Respond to any amendments to the Prostitution Act.

Goal 2: To have an industry that complies with the Prostitution Act 1999 and best practice standards

Strategies:

2.1 Review brothel licence conditions and make recommendations to the PLA where necessary.

2.2 Review the Guidelines for the operation of Licensed Brothels in Queensland.

2.3 Review compliance operations to ensure appropriate and effective monitoring of the licensed sex industry.

2.4 Monitor the Guidelines on the Approved Form of Prostitution Advertising.

Goal 3: To provide a safe, fair and productive workplace at the PLA

Strategies:

3.1 Provide leadership to ensure acceptable service provision at the PLA

3.2 Review workflow and processes of PLA operations

3.3 Ensure staff are provided with relevant training as required

Goal 4: inform the community and the Government about prostitution issues in Queensland.

Strategies:

4.1 Ensure the PLA website is relevant and current

4.2 Communicate with key stakeholders and the community where relevant

4.3 Facilitate the appropriate consideration of prostitution related matters through the interdepartmental working group on prostitution

Key Performance Measures

QUANTITY

Number of licensed brothel premises operating.
Number of brothel and certificate applications investigated.
Number of brothel and certificate applications decided.
Percentage of complaints resolved.
Number of compliance activities conducted.
Number of licensed brothels implementing best practice standards.
Number of brothels requiring three monthly health certificates.

QUALITY

Satisfaction of applicants with PLA client service.
Satisfaction of the Independent Assessor with support provided by the PLA.

TIMELINESS

Applications processed within PLA and forwarded to QPS within 20 business days.
Complaints to the PLA resolved within 20 business days.

Last updated 29/06/2009