Court rules for motel in sex worker case
Australia’s accommodation industry has welcomed a court ruling to allow a Queensland motel’s appeal against a sex worker.
The Accommodation Association of Australia said the ruling by the Queensland Court of Appeal was likely to have broad positive consequences.
The sex worker claimed damages for discrimination after the motel refused her accommodation.
"While the focus of the decision was a motel in Moranbah in regional Queensland, there is a strong possibility that a number of other similar claims against accommodation businesses will now no longer proceed," said the Association’s CEO, Richard Munro.
"This removes a lot of uncertainty for operators of accommodation businesses in Queensland – particularly in regional areas – and it means they can return to their principal aim of providing a tourism product that is of the highest possible standard.
"It has always been the position of the accommodation industry that the responsibility for making the decision about who is able to stay in tourism accommodation businesses should rest with the owner, operator, licensee or manager of the business."
Munro added: "Pleasingly, the Queensland Government has a similar position which was demonstrated by the recent changes that were made to the state’s Anti-Discrimination Act."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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