OK for sex work on street

SEX workers will be free to work from the streets under historic Victorian reforms that come into effect from Tuesday.

Criminal penalties will no longer apply in the majority of circumstances for participating in street-based sex work.

But working close to schools and churches will still be illegal.

People or organisations – such as hotels and other venues – will no longer be able to discriminate against or refuse to offer services to someone on the basis they are a sex worker.

This has been bolstered by more than $1m funding for the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission to educate community members on the change.

Free legal support will also be offered to sex workers from July 1 through the St Kilda Legal Service.

The changes come as the state powers towards a decriminalised sex work industry, with the Andrews government pledging $11.3m over two years to support the full delivery of reforms.

More than $5m of that will go towards establishing a dedicated Sex Work Safety Team, run by WorkSafe, to develop guidance, industry support and awareness campaigns.

Workplace Safety Minister Ingrid Stitt said everyone deserved to feel safe at work.

Consumer Affairs Minister Melissa Horne said the reforms would continue to improve worker safety and greater anti-discrimination protections.