mmg.com.au

Australian Sex Party leader Fiona Patten will officially open the Apollo 45 brothel in Shepparton.

William Albon, spokesman for brothel developer Robert Russell, yesterday said the facility was scheduled to open on February 24 or 25.

The developer has declared and missed several opening dates since the project was first approved in 2005.

City of Greater Shepparton councillors are expected to vote on another time extension at an ordinary meeting on February 21.

Mr Albon said the pouring of concrete car parks and driveways, the landscaping of gardens, the installation of three showers, painting inside the brothel and the wiring of closed circuit television and security systems would be finished within at least 10 working days.

‘‘We only need an extension of one or two days,’’ he said.

‘‘We are optimistic that we will tell the councillors at their meeting ... that (the project) is finished.’’

The time extension application will be the third after developers missed a December 31 deadline to open and start operating the business.

Mr Albon said if councillors approved a third time extension, an occupancy certificate would then be needed to open the brothel.

He said Ms Patten was waiting for a confirmed date to officially open the brothel.

Ms Patten is a former sex worker and is an experienced campaigner on issues such as censorship, discrimination and equality.

‘‘She has a high profile in the industry,’’ Mr Albon said.

Mr Albon on Tuesday showed Shepparton police inside the brothel and how the business would operate.

‘‘We want to ensure the place is properly run and conforms with law and regulations,’’ he said.

Mr Albon said the brothel would create jobs for at least four receptionists, two drivers, a security guard, a cleaner and garden maintenance person.

He said between 40 and 50 sex workers would be rostered on a rotational basis.