Decriminalisation brings about many important and urgently needed changes that improve workplace health and safety, access to industrial protections, health, justice and safety for sex workers. Critically, the Bill will repeal the problematic and ineffective Sex Work Act 1994. The Sex Work Act 1994 has long violated sex workers’ rights to privacy and confidentiality, to free choice of employment and to just and favourable conditions of work, equal protections and treatment before the law.
With December 1st fast approaching, it’s a good time to brush up on what the second stage of law changes will mean for you and the way you work!
Stage 2 changes for sex workers – from 1st December 2023.
- The licensing system will be completely phased out with the repeal of the Sex Work Act 1994.
- Changes to planning controls (laws around working from home and changes regarding the BLA) will come into operation that will treat our work like any other business.
- There will be an establishment of appropriate liquor controls for the sex work businesses.
- Sex industry specific controls for brothel, escort and independent/private work in the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 will be removed.
We recognise that without full decriminalisation for all sex workers, including street based sex workers, Victoria has not yet achieved full decriminalisation. Throughout this process, sex workers have been loud and clear that we will accept nothing less than the full decriminalisation of all forms of sex work, for every member of our community. We will keep fighting to ensure that this unfinished business is addressed.
We will be publishing resources about Decriminalisation and related topics (including WHS and planning) closer to the date, and we will continue to update and add to information on the Decrim Info Hub!