INVERELL is celebrating the news the brothel it spent two years fighting tooth and nail may close its doors for good.
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It is likely the First Choice Wyndham St brothel's business premises will be resold as a space for an alternative venture, after what the owners believed was poor management on the lessees behalf ran the parlour into the ground.
The town's Christian community, which protested the development for a year before its approval in the Land and Environment Court – even holding a rally in the town hall to devise ways to prevent it opening – has welcomed the news.
St Andrew's Presbyterian pastor Peter Greiner said he was pleased a cloud hung over the business that flew in the face of Christianity.
"We certainly welcome the news," he said.
"It's not surprising it's closing – there was not the business they anticipated."
Mayor Barry Johnston said he was sure he could speak on behalf of the entire community when he said Inverell was pleased it might shut down.
He agreed with Mr Greiner that the financial rather than moral implications of such a business in an essentially conservative town was leading to the brothel's demise.
"Can you imagine Inverell men using it? Everyone knows everyone else's car for a start," Cr Johnston said.
"It would have to get its business somewhere else and obviously that has not happened."
Mr Johnston welcomed the brothel owner's idea to sell the building for alternative use saying council never liked to see empty shop space.
This month the lessees of the brothel closed its doors, citing client requests to supply illegal drugs as the reason.
The lessee said because it was a "totally above board" business and refused the illegal requests, client numbers dropped making the parlour unviable.
But the parlour's owners, Bundarra farmers Chris Rohrlach and Danny Poulsen, along with Inverell police said they were unaware of any drug concerns.
The owners said they would not resume management of the parlour because their farming ventures were their first priority.