Over 90% of R&T shops are not licensed.
They are operating officially as legitimate massage therapy shops only.
All they are allowed to provide is a massage and nothing more. They are not even allowed to provide a hand job.
But of course we all know that they provide a hand job and sometimes much more than that. The punters know, the Council knows, the neighbours know, everyone knows.
That's why you just pay for the massage up front and then negotiate the tip with the girl later on behind closed doors (curtains)
Some R&T shops like Midas, Mastige, Romeos etc are actually fully licensed brothels and can legally provide sexual service. They have nothing to hide. They could operate as full service brothels if they wanted to, but they prefer the R&T business model.
As for the 90% of unlicensed R&T shops, the Council generally turns a blind eye.
Mainly because it's too hard to prove they are providing more than a massage behind closed doors (curtains)
As the above news story shows it involves a lot of money, hiring private investigators, gathering evidence, launching a prosecution etc.
So Council's generally let it go, and anyway they collect the rates etc from the owners and parking etc from the punters.
But every now and then they will prosecute a shop usually just to satisfy a crusading neighbour, or councilor, or religious nutter, or media.
And then it's back to business as usual.
The other shops keep on doing business and even the prosecuted owners just set up another shop somewhere else.
It's all pointless and a waste of taxpayers and ratepayers money.
The Council should spend the money on more useful things like fixing roads, rubbish collection, meals on wheels, the elderly, the homeless, recycling etc.
It's important make something very clear. No crime has been committed here.
The police are not interested.
The punters and MLs have nothing to worry about.
All that has been breached is the Council's planning/zoning Regulations or By-laws.
And the Council (not the Police) goes after the owner for breaching those Regulations.
The owner cops a fine and even if it's $10,000 that's nothing compared to the profit a really busy shop makes in a year.
It's not a criminal conviction.
It's like copping a fine for parking in a No Parking Zone, or dumping your old mattress out on the street.