Sex work is set to be decriminalised in Victoria, ensuring those who work in the industry will have access to the same rights as any other employee in the state.
Consumer Affairs Minister Melissa Horne says the government will repeal the Sex Work Act 1994 and remove offences and criminal penalties associated with consensual sex work.
It will also work to update planning, public health and anti-discrimination laws to support a decriminalised system.
Ms Horne said the current system was "out-of-date and no longer fit-for-purpose".
She said the reform would increase safety, reduce stigma and improve sex worker's access to health and justice services.
"Every Victorian deserves to feel safe in their place of work - decriminalisation will ensure that sex work is safe work and go a long way towards breaking down the stigma sex workers continue to experience," Ms Horne said in a statement on Friday.
Reason Party MP Fiona Patten, who has been pursuing reform for years and led a government inquiry into the industry in 2019, said it was a "red-letter day for the red light industry".
"These changes will allow (sex workers) to make a true profession out of their work - to pay tax, demand better conditions and be more open with their friends and family about what they do," she said in a statement.
She said Victorian sex workers had been calling for decriminalisation since 1985.
"Victoria's law is finally coming into line with many other jurisdictions. NSW did this as long ago as 1995," Ms Patten said.
Sex work is currently legal in Victoria for out-call escorting and in licensed brothels, of which there are almost 100.
Illegal sex work includes street work, independent sex work from home and massage parlours where sexual activity is widely known to occur.
It is believed this cohort represents a large portion of the sex industry.
The reforms will take two years.
