Changes to Sex Work Laws
In Victoria, sex work services are regulated by the:
- Sex Work Act 1994
- Sex Work Regulations 2006
- Sex Work (Fees) Regulations 2004
- Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008
The Sex Work Act 1994 (previously known as Prostitution Control Act) was enacted 1 November 2010.
In 2009, Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) put forward a Bill that proposed changes to a number of laws that are under their jurisdiction. This Bill was called the Consumer Affairs Legislation Amendments bill. One of the Acts that has been amended is the Prostitution Control Act 1994 (PCA), now known as The Sex Work Act 1994.
You can find it on the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents website (
www.legislation.vic.gov.au). Search for: “Consumer Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2009” (go to Section 7).
In addition to changes to the Prostitution Control Act, the Department of Health also consolidated public health regulations into a single piece of legislation, the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
The new change introduced in the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, is that brothel and escort proprietors must provide easily accessible written information about the transmission of sexually transmitted infections in a variety of relevant languages for the benefit of sex workers and clients.
The Act clarifies that the provisions that previously only referred to the responsibilities of brothel management (such as those that referred to the “use of condoms”) now also apply to escort agency operators.
You can find the exact wording of the act on the Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents website (
www.legislation.vic.gov.au). Search for: “Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008” (go to Part 8, Division 10).
If you have any questions please feel free to contact RhED on 1800 458 752.
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