The petition, which is circulating at a number of churches and local businesses, calls the store “morally offensive” and has already garnered hundreds of signatures.

Griffith Baptist pastor Reverend Kevin Webb said the store, set to move two doors up from Hunky Dory kids’ centre and across the road from St Vincent de Paul, was a corrupting influence on the city.

“Letting it move to the CBD is the thin edge of the wedge and could lead to other things, such as a brothel opening up in town,” Rev Webb said.

“The vast majority of Australians would find this sort of thing offensive and it’s really only there for the use of a very small minority.

“Council says morality can’t be taken into it, but there has to be something wrong with a society that can’t listen to the moral concerns of its citizens.”

Cr Anne Napoli, one of only three councillors who objected to the store moving from Hams Street to Railway Street, will present the petition to council general manager Peter Brooks at tomorrow night’s meeting.

She said while it was unlikely councillors would overturn the vote, she was hopeful the store’s owner, Pat Tripodi, would reconsider.

“This is a moral issue and that’s what I’m fighting for,” Cr Napoli said.

But mayor Dino Zappacosta, who supported the DA, said council was bound by strict zoning regulations on the issue, arguing similar products to the ones offered by Risque were already being sold in the CBD.

“Maybe in this day and age, this sort of thing is more acceptable,” Cr Zappacosta said.

“Certainly the (now-closed) Pink Passionfruit and the tobacconist in Griffith sell adult novelty items.

“The fact is if someone wanted to set up a brothel our hands would be tied there, too.

“Councillors were very careful to put restrictions on what could appear on the outside of this shop and that’s the best we could do within the guidelines.”