ONE NEWS CAPTIONS BY JUNE YEOW AND AMY PARK. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2013 HELLO. TONIGHT, THE CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN THE OLDEST PROFESSION OF ALL. RESORTING TO THE STREET, IT'S BASICALLY MY ONLY OPTION. 10 YEARS ON FROM DECRIMINALISATION, WHAT IT'S REALLY LIKE TO MAKE A LIVING SELLING YOUR BODY. IF A CAR PULLS UP, WHAT COMES TO MY MIND IS BUSINESS. I'M OUT HERE TO MAKE MONEY, THEN GO HOME. AND, IN THE STUDIO, ONE OF THE CHAMPIONS OF DECRIMINALISING PROSTITUTION ` GEORGINA BEYER. SHE TELLS US WHERE SHE THINKS THE LEGISLATION HAS AND HASN'T WORKED. ALSO, THE BRIT WHO TURNS GREY SPACES INTO GREEN SPACES, AND WHY HE HAS TO DO IT AT NIGHT, WHILE NOBODY'S WATCHING. APATHY. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS A RESISTANCE AGAINST ` THE APATHY OF EVERYONE, TO THINK, 'OH, I CAN'T BE BOTHERED WITH THAT,' OR TO NOT EVEN NOTICE IT. IN NZ ON AN OFFICIALLY-FUNDED VISIT TO CARRY OUT SOME VERY UNOFFICIAL BUSINESS. THE BRITISH COUNCIL HAVE TAKEN ME TO SOME AMAZING DESTINATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, SPREADING MY ILLICIT ADVICE. PLUS, A GUEST, AND A BIT OF A TREAT FOR THE TAURANGA POLICE TO LOOK FORWARD TO. YEP, UNPLUGGED AND DANGEROUS ` TIKI TAANE IS ABOUT TO GO ON AN ACOUSTIC TOUR. HE BRINGS HIS BLEND OF MUSIC AND CONTROVERSY TO THE STUDIO A BIT LATER ON. # COMING AT YOU LIVE. # QUEEN STREET. # SEVEN SHARP. # YOU'RE ALWAYS ON MY MIND, GIRL. # IT'S MONDAY NIGHT. WELCOME TO SEVEN SHARP. SOME SOUTH AUCKLANDERS CLAIM PROSTITUTES AS YOUNG AS 13 ARE WORKING THEIR STREETS, AND THERE'S BEEN A CALL FOR PROSTITUTION TO BE RE-CRIMINALISED FROM A NZ FIRST MP. IT'S SOMETHING MOST OF KNOW LITTLE ABOUT, SO MATT CHISHOLM MET WITH A PROSTITUTE FOR A GLIMPSE INTO HER WORLD. AND IF YOU HADN'T FIGURED THIS OUT ALREADY, THIS PROBABLY ISN'T A STORY FOR THE KIDS. ROCK MUSIC I SEE THE MONEY. I DON'T SEE THE CLIENT. IT'S JUST COME NATURAL TO ME. I'VE DONE IT FOR SIX YEARS AND IT'S JUST BECOME A DAILY ROUTINE. THAT ROUTINE FOR MANY, UNIMAGINABLE. AND SO WHAT ARE MOST PEOPLE AFTER? THEY'RE AFTER BLOW JOBS, SEX. TALKING SOME OLD GENTLEMEN ` THEY JUST WANT COMPANY. TRACY'S A STREET WORKER IN PAPATOETOE, SOUTH AUCKLAND. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO USE PROTECTION? THEY DON'T WANT TO. HER SERVICES? MEETING A DEMAND THAT'S EXISTED SINCE ADAM PLAYED HALF-BACK FOR JERUSALEM, AND HAVE BEEN DECRIMINALISED DOWN UNDER FOR A DECADE. SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO HAVE WITH YOU? MOST IMPORTANT IS CONDOMS. CONDOMS FOR PROTECTION PURPOSES. AND HAND WIPES, AND THAT COMES IN HANDY DOING OUR BUSINESS. SO HOW MANY WOULD YOU SEE IN AN AVERAGE NIGHT? ON AN AVERAGE NIGHT ` FIVE. DO YOU WORRY ABOUT YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH? YES, I DO. I FEEL IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BE PROTECTED. USE PROTECTION AND GO FOR REGULAR CHECK-UPS. AND YOU DO THAT? YES. TRACY'S CLIENTS WHO ARE APPARENTLY YOUNG AND OLD, RICH AND POOR, MARRIED, AS WELL AS SINGLE, PAY $60 FOR ORAL, $100 FOR SEX. SO WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN A CAR PULLS UP? WHAT COMES TO MY MIND IS BUSINESS. I'M OUT HERE TO MAKE MONEY. IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO MAKE MONEY WOULD YOU BE HERE? EVERYONE NEEDS TO MAKE MONEY. DO YOU LIKE IT? I CAN'T SAY I LIKE IT. IT'S A SOURCE OF INCOME. IT'S REALLY HARD FOR TRANS-GENDER PEOPLE TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT. TRACY SAYS SHE WAS BORN A GIRL IN A BOY'S BODY, AND LIFE'S BEEN CRUEL. AT TIMES A LIVING HELL. BEING JUDGED, DISCRIMINATED FROM COMMUNITIES, CHURCHES, FROM MY FAMILY AND SCHOOL. EMPLOYERS MIGHT NOT TELL YOU TO YOUR FACE THAT COS YOU'RE TRANS-GENDER YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET THE JOB. BUT YOU GET THAT FEELING THAT THAT'S THE REASON WHY YOU DON'T GET THE JOB. SO RESORTING TO THE STREET, THAT'S BASICALLY MY ONLY OPTION. THE STREETS HAVE HELPED ME. IT'S BUILT MY CONFIDENCE. AND WHERE OTHERS ARE OFTEN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, CHECK THIS OUT. TRACY DOES THE JOB SOBER. I'D IMAGINE THAT SOME PEOPLE WOULD BE AMAZED THAT PEOPLE COULD DO THIS WITHOUT BEING ON DRUGS? WELL, WE'RE OUT HERE FOR ONE PURPOSE, AND ONE PURPOSE ONLY, AND THAT'S TO MAKE MONEY. SO WHERE DO YOU ACTUALLY DO THE BUSINESS? WELL, WE GO TO CLIENTS' HOMES, AND SOME CLIENTS WE JUST GO TO A PARK. AND AS FOR THE TOILET? WE DON'T HAVE A TOILET OUT HERE. THE IDEAL WOULD BE FOR A PUBLIC TOILET TO BE OPEN. AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT IT'S NOT, SO YOU COULD ONLY IMAGINE WHERE THESE GIRLS RELIEVE THEMSELVES WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON ONE OF THOSE HOME JOBS. THEN YOU'VE GOT LOCALS COMPLAINING ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING SEX EVERYWHERE, HAVING TO PICK UP USED CONDOMS, LATE-NIGHT NOISE, EVEN CHILDREN BEING PROPOSITIONED BY POTENTIAL CLIENTS. NOT EVERY STREET WORKER IS DIRTY, LOUD, A DISTURBANCE TO THE COMMUNITY. WHY DON'T YOU <BLEEP> OFF. THIS IS HOW AN ORGANISATION CALLED PROS, OR 'PAPATOETOE RECLAIMING OUR STREETS' DEALT WITH THE PROBLEM BACK IN 2009. IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY MORE TROUBLE, DO NOT COME BACK TO HUNTER'S CORNER AT NIGHT. AND ONCE THEIR VIGILANTE-LIKE BEHAVIOUR WAS EXPOSED, THEY SHUT UP SHOP. FOUR YEARS ON AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE NOW LOOKING TO PARLIAMENT TO STOP PROSTITUTES FROM WORKING IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS LIKE THIS. STREET WORKERS WILL STILL COME OUT HERE. IF YOU GOT A $2000 FINE, HOW WOULD YOU PAY THAT FINE? I WOULD PAY THE FINE BY COMING OUT HERE AND GETTING ARRESTED, ADDING ON TO THAT FINE, PROBABLY GOING TO PRISON, AND COME BACK OUT HERE, AND THE WHOLE CYCLE WILL JUST GO ON AND ON AGAIN. FOR MORE ON THIS WE'RE JOINED BY THE FORMER STREET WORKER AND LABOUR MP GEORGINA BEYER, WHO, OF COURSE, PUSHED FOR PROSTITUTION TO BE DECRIMINALISED. 10 years ago now. Matt and Tracey were out on Friday. You were also out there. Why? I was invited to a community board meeting about the issue. Did you see any evidence of it? We were driven around some of the... Escorted by a security guard and Murray wardens and taken to some of the parking areas. No we didn't see any nefarious goings-on. There's been talk about young teenagers. But the police say this not a major problem. Why would they lie? It is concerning to hear the conflicting reports. There's been some exaggeration about what is going on. But I do think there is an underlying issue about under agers. What I'm getting to is do you think this is part of a political campaign by people who have an interest in pushing legislation through Parliament? Is this exaggeration good for that cause? Causing too much hysteria without taking a deep breath and having a nice cup of tea and thinking about what we're dealing with. I think we have a community that wants it anywhere but there. You must understand how they feel. These are the shops they visit with their children. I was getting conflicting reports from people who actually live right there by this park. Residents said they hadn't seen that sort of going on. Conflicting evidence from Maori wardens. So I think the police need to use the powers they have and the needs two more vigilance. And CCTV cameras for surveillance, half of them apparently aren't working. Will new legislation work? I'm not sure. A couple of local bills and members bills ` NZ first want to recriminalise. I don't think that will necessarily do the job. We could look at perhaps licensing street prostitution. At least you could ever framework whereby there are some conditions of work established. Any street worker would need some sort of licence and permit to do so, and there could be a penalty around breaching those conditions. Specifying where it could happen might be difficult. If you tinker around with that... It is the primary act that needs to be amended. A lot of feedback around this, guys? We asked you what you thought. One viewer said some prostitutes would stop working if other jobs were offered them to. Is that realistic? Prostitution is not a career opportunity someone should take with both hands. Some people have few choices available. A lot of people say it should only take place in licensed brothels. The transgender people we have been talking to have few options. What am I? Is unlike any other line of business. You're never going to have the clients complain or kick up a stink. It is the working girls on one side. The clients are never going to kick up a fuss. The like to be in the shadows. The legislation brought it up until the light. It is an inconvenient reality, the sex industry. AFTER THE BREAK, IT'S LIKE VANDALISM IN REVERSE. HAVE YOU ACTUALLY EVER GOT INTO TROUBLE DOING THIS AT ALL? WELL, UMMMMMMM, YES. STRICTLY SPEAKING, HE BREAKS THE LAW, BUT IF THERE'S A BUSTLE IN YOUR HEDGEROW, IT'S PROBABLY HIM. AND A WISE MAN ONCE SAID, 'ALL A SINGER NEEDS IS THREE CHORDS AND THE TRUTH.' TIKI TAANE HAS THAT AND MORE. HE BUSKS FOR US BEFORE A NATIONAL ACOUSTIC TOUR. # GIRL, YOU'VE GOT ME SINGING WITH SOME MELODY. YOU MIGHT LIKE WHAT THIS NEXT GUY DOES, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE BIT ILLEGAL. HE MIGHT EVEN INSPIRE YOU TO DO A BIT OF LAW-BREAKING YOURSELF. YOU SEE, RICHARD REYNOLDS IS A GUERRILLA ` GUERRILLA GARDENER, TO BE EXACT ` AND HE WAGES WAR NOT WITH GUNS, BUT WITH FRUIT AND FLOWERS. GILL HIGGINS JOINED HIM FOR AN ATTACK ON INNER-CITY AUCKLAND. 'LAND OF HOPE AND GLORY' MAN: WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE VERGES. WE SHALL FIGHT ON THE ROUNDABOUTS, IN THE FIELDS AND IN THE STREETS. AND AT THE BACK OF THESE APARTMENTS AT NIGHT. QUIRKY MUSIC IT'S ARMED RESISTANCE... WITH TROWELS ` BOMBS, EVEN. WHEN YOU CHUCK THE BOMB, IT NEEDS TO SURVIVE THE IMPACT OF LANDING ON THE GROUND. AS FOR WHO WE'RE FIGHTING... APATHY. I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS A RESISTANCE AGAINST ` IT'S THE APATHY OF EVERYONE, TO THINK, 'OH, I CAN'T BE BOTHERED WITH THAT,' OR TO NOT EVEN NOTICE IT. IT'S A GLOBAL MOVEMENT. GUERRILLA GARDENING OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN RUN IN THE UK, IN EUROPE, IN LIBYA, IN RWANDA. THAT LAST ONE WAS UNOFFICIAL. BUT NOW THE LEADER HAS COME HERE, COURTESY OF THE BRITISH COUNCIL. THE BRITISH COUNCIL HAVE TAKEN ME TO SOME AMAZING DESTINATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, SPREADING MY ILLICIT ADVICE. THIS IS HOW IT ALL STARTS ` COLLECTING AMMUNITION. WELL, WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOME IMMEDIATE COLOUR. IT'S ALL DOWN TO FLOWER POWER. UPBEAT, TINKLY MUSIC THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY SPLENDID. YEAH, I LIKE TO PLANT A FEW EDIBLES. THESE ARE GREAT. THIS TIME, THE BRITISH COUNCIL'S PAYING. BUT USUALLY... I FOOT THE BILL, OR WE RAISE MONEY EVERY YEAR BY SELLING LAVENDER THAT WE HARVEST FROM OUR BIGGEST GUERRILLA GARDEN. IT'S ABOUT SPENDING WHAT YOU WANT TO SPEND AS IF IT WAS YOUR HOBBY. AND FOR RICHARD, IT ALL STARTED AS A HOBBY, BECAUSE... I HAVE NO GARDEN. YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT. AND YET THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE ON MY DOORSTEP, QUITE LITERALLY, IN NEGLECTED FLOWER BEDS OUTSIDE THAT THE COUNCIL WEREN'T LOOKING AFTER. AND ONCE YOU DO A BIT ` AND I SEE THIS WITH OTHER GUERRILLA GARDENERS; THEY REALISE THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT. HE ROSE THROUGH THE RANKS TO COMMANDER. I'M ONE OF THESE ACCIDENTAL ACTIVISTS. YES, THE ACTIVIST BIT. WHY NOT JUST GET COUNCIL PERMISSION? IT CROSSED MY MIND TO ASK PERMISSION, BUT I QUICKLY SOON REJECTED THAT AS A FOOLISH STRATEGY. BECAUSE HE GETS AWAY WITH IT, AND THE COUNCILS TURN A BLIND EYE. MAYBE THEY DON'T LIKE THE PAPERWORK EITHER. SO, WHAT ABOUT HERE? WE WAIT FOR OUR CHOSEN BATTLEFIELD TO GROW DARK. IT'S WHEN PEOPLE ARE HOME FROM WORK, SO THEY'RE AVAILABLE TO JOIN IN. NOT BECAUSE IT'S ILLEGAL? WELL, IT'S ALSO THE ADDED BENEFIT OF BEING LESS LIKELY TO BUMP INTO OFFICIAL PEOPLE, YES. OPERATION LIVERPOOL ST BEGINS. THIS IS A BLEAK, BLEAK, BLEAK LANDSCAPE. BUT, WITH AUTUMN ON ITS WAY, WE HAVE EVERY CHANCE OF BRINGING SOME BEAUTY TO THE BLEAKNESS. THAT ENOUGH, OR`? YEAH, NO, MORE. MORE. DOUBLE. RICHARD'S HAULED IN A FEW HELPERS: COMMUNITY GARDENER EMILY, GARETH FROM THE BRITISH COUNCIL, A COUPLE OF LOCALS AND ME ` NOT QUITE THE COUP HE HAD IN LONDON. CAMILLA WAS VERY ENTHUSIASTIC. SHE HELPED HARVEST LAVENDER. SO NOT ACTUALLY BREAKING THE LAW? ANYBODY NEED A HAIRCUT? CHUCKLES: THEY'RE ABOVE THE LAW. UNLIKE RICHARD. HAVE YOU ACTUALLY EVER GOT INTO TROUBLE DOING THIS AT ALL? WELL, Y` MM,... YES, THOUGH IT TENDS TO BE A MISUNDERSTANDING. WE'LL HAPPILY TAKE YOU INTO CUSTODY FOR CRIMINAL DAMAGE, IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT TO GO. NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO THAT WAY. WE HAVE A FEW REBELS HERE TOO ` THE DANCING GARDENER, WHO'S PLANTED UP HIS VERGE AGAINST COUNCIL WISHES. WE'VE GOT RADISHES, WE'VE GOT SPRING ONIONS. WE'RE ABSOLUTELY LOADED! (LAUGHS) IT'S NO JOKE THAT EVEN PLANTING A LITTLE FRUIT TREE LIKE THIS COULD MEAN A $1000 FINE. THAT'S REALLY DEPRESSING. I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MUST BE CHALLENGED. I ENCOURAGE MASS TREE`PLANTING. IT MIGHT GET EASIER. THE COUNCIL IS ACTUALLY DOING A LOT OF WORK TO TRY AND STREAMLINE ALL THE DIFFERENT POLICIES AND ACTUALLY MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO DO THIS, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT. IN THE MEANTIME, THIS PATCH IS DONE ` JUST NEEDS A GUARDIAN OR TWO. WE'VE GOT TWO LOCALS HERE. THIS IS YOUR PATCH NOW. THIS IS` YOU'RE CLAIMING IT. ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THAT? YEAH. SPADES DOWN; RUBBISH UP. BRILLIANT. WE'RE DONE. TIME TO STAND BACK AND ADMIRE. A LITTLE EXPLOSION OF COLOUR WITHIN THE BLEAKNESS. Did you hear what that guy said? 'Are you happy?' '...yeah.' Didn't sound entirely happy. If you're planning on going on planting, check with your counsel. Different councils have different rules about where you can and can't plant. AFTER THE BREAK, TIKI TAANE HIT THE STREETS TODAY, BUT THEY DIDN'T HIT BACK. INSTEAD HE GOT HUGS, AS HE GOES BACK TO BASICS FOR HIS UPCOMING TOUR. HE HAS THE SONGS, THE TATS AND EVEN A BIT OF A REP AFTER A SET-TO WITH THE LAW IN TAURANGA. HE IS TIKI TAANE, AND HE'S ABOUT TO HEAD OFF ON A NATIONAL ACOUSTIC TOUR. WELCOME TO THE STUDIO. YOU'RE GIVING UP ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES FOR THIS TOUR ` HOW COME? Just to strip it back. That is just me and my guitar. You can get really intimate. You can do a lot of the more quiet songs. It's nice to be able to play mellow stuff. We took it down to Central Auckland with just your guitar today. Are you glad you don't have to busk for a living? I watched a documentary about buskers in America. Some of them are millionaires hiding from tax. # SOMEWHERE # OVER THE RAINBOW. # WAY UP HIGH. # THERE'S # A # LAND THAT I'VE HEARD OF # ONCE IN A LULLABY. That's so Kiwi. People were looking at you and thinking, 'He's really famous, but I don't wanna say anything...' I think it was the cameras as well. Is it true that the gift of an acoustic guitar helped turn your life around? I grew up in Christchurch, and my dad always had a guitar. We used to sit around and sing. I started playing at 13, 14. That's what helped keep me out of gangs and living on the street kind of thing. It's given me an opportunity to see the world and make a career out of music. People will know you from Salmonella Dub. Must be quite different is going on the stage by yourself with your instrument. Is the goes wrong you can't say is the drummer's fault. That's the beauty of it as well. I'm working really hard to try and nail everything. I will screw up notes every now and then, but that's the beauty of it. Figures you the opportunity to play gigs at places you wouldn't ordinarily. Your first stop on the tour My son's daycare. 3 and 4-year-olds. 'I liked his earlier stuff.' 'Play something we all know.' I live in Papamoa. So the first show, my son's daycare, is Wednesday. Raising money for Starship. Then the Mount. All good for you in Tauranga now? Awesome. And Christchurch is sold out now as well. AND IF YOU WANT TO SEE TIKI'S FULL BUSKING PERFORMANCE ON AUCKLAND'S QUEEN STREET TODAY, JUST HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE, SEVENSHARP.CO.NZ HE DID TWO SONGS, AND THEY ARE BEAUTIES. AND THAT'S THE SHOW FOR MONDAY. SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT. CAPTIONS BY RICHARD EDMUNDS AND ANNE LANGFORD. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR.