Supporters and opponents of sex shops see an opportunity for change in the Queensland government's review of legislation on adult shops - but for different reasons.
The review has been prompted by the siting of a sex shop opposite a Catholic school in the North Queensland town of Proserpine, which the government currently has no power to prevent.
Announcing the review on Thursday, Acting Premier Paul Lucas questioned why NSW had laws prohibiting sex shops within 200 metres of schools and Queensland did not.
Bravehearts child protection campaigner Hetty Johnson said on Friday even 200 metres was too close.
"They should not be put anywhere near schools, they should be in industrial areas," she told ABC radio.
"I think even the people that attend them and buy stuff from them might feel a bit more comfortable if it's sort of out of the way and not quite so visible.
"And we shouldn't be enticing children with these carrots all the time by sticking this kind of adult stuff around their environment."
Eros Foundation spokeswoman Fiona Patton wants the review to look at relaxing the current restrictions on what sex shops can sell.
"Currently magazines that are available in NSW newsagents are illegal to sell in Queensland, and in fact you can go to jail for selling one," she told ABC radio.
Asked what sex shops were selling, she said police were turning a blind eye to much of the material.
"Frankly, the Queensland police have got far better things to do with their time than raid adult shops for selling adults adult material.
"The laws are totally out of step with community attitudes."
On Thursday, Ms Patton agreed with regulation on the siting of sex shops.
"The industry much prefers to have a balance in the community, so that those who don't want to see an adult store in their face, they don't have to," she told AAP.
