The new billboard is the latest marketing campaign by brothel owner Andrew Hewinson, who created controversy late last year with a similar sign in Little Bridge St.

The sign was removed after council received more than 50 complaints.

The new billboard at the Ballarat Livestock Selling Centre advertises a website, xxx.com.au.

It also features the word "sex" followed by "the best exercise in Australia".

The website automatically links Internet users to Mr Hewinson's Brunswick brothel, Pickwood Lodge.

Mr Hancock said council officers were investigating whether the sign breached the 1994 Prostitution Control Act.

"I have not seen it myself, but it has been brought to council's attention," Mr Hancock said.

"We will now look into it, but we won't know the results of that until Monday."

The investigative process is made difficult by council's strict policy on viewing explicit material online.

However, The Courier yesterday discovered the website displays a copy of the billboard before automatically forwarding browsers to the website for Pickwood Lodge.

The website offers viewers information on the brothel's services, live webcam feeds and virtual tours.

The new billboard is positioned in an industrial area. The sign is located near Ballarat's only brothel in Stonepark Rd.

Mr Hewinson also caused a stir last year by proposing a second brothel for inner-city Ballarat. The plan was met with mixed reaction.