Australian Town Opposes Strip Club Expansion

A chain of gentlemen's clubs called Showgirls Bar 20 is garnering controversy due to its recent franchise expansion campaign. Club owners are looking to move to the more rural Northern Australia, and some area residents are not happy.

Anti-brothel campaigner Peter Erbacher told The Australian he would fight any attempt by the strip-club chain to open in the Northern town of Cairns. "They aren't good for anybody," said Erbacher. "All these so-called liberal educated people moving up here bring this stuff…you can bet I will fight any opening of any new strip clubs. We just don't need them."

Kevin De Rosa, the owner of Cairns' only existing strip club, told The Australian that he felt — due to his laborious legal battle to open the club last year — the city was only big enough for one establishment, despite the presence of about 23,000 tourists at any one time.

The Australian reports that Showgirls Bar 20 chief executive John Trimble has dismissed claims that strip clubs could lead to an increase in prostitution.

"We are also looking to franchise into Townsville," he told the publication. "I don't think there'll be any prostitution in the clubs. All the rooms have cameras, so the managers always know what's going on."