Regulatory Bodies

The responsibility for regulating Victoria’s sex industry is shared between five separate bodies: Victoria Police, Consumer Affairs Victoria, Local Government, WorkSafe Victoria and the Department of Health & Human Service (DHHS).

This complex situation has consequences for compliance with and enforcement of Victoria’s sex work laws. A decade ago Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) commissioned a report¹ into Victoria’s brothels. One of its findings was that,

‘Many licensees and managers observed that the complex map of enforcement responsibilities (involving Victoria Police, councils, and CAV as the lead agency) did not support positive enforcement outcomes.’

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman also plays a regulatory role in responding to financial discrimination in the sex industry

To learn more about these regulatory bodies:

  1. Sharon Pickering, JaneMaree Maher and Alison Gerard, Working in Victorian Brothels: An independent report commissioned by Consumer Affairs Victoria into the Victorian brothel sector(2009) Consumer Affairs Victoria, Part 7.2.1

<https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/resources-and-tools/research-studies>

© Sex Work Law Reform Victoria 2020

Last updated: 15 May 2020