Street Sex Work
Street Sex Work
Street Sex Work and St Kilda
The issue of street sex work is one which has been ongoing for local government over many years. To understand the history of the street sex work within St Kilda, please refer to the factsheet which gives a chronological overview of street sex work from the 18th Century to present day.
Council's Approach
Currently the control of street sex work lies with State Government and Victoria Police. The priority of Council is to focus on a harm minimisation approach:
Harm minimisation entails a range of strategies relating to supply reduction, demand reduction and harm reduction. In the context of street prostitution, harm minimisation strategies focus on the individuals and communities involved, and the social, cultural and physical environment.
(Attorney-General’s Street Prostitution Advisory Group Final Report, 2002).
At an operational level this involves Council taking appropriate action to try and reduce the impact of street sex work on the local community. For a more detailed description of Council’s approach and response to street sex work please read the Council's approach document.
Living Next To Street Sex Work
In 2006 a piece of research “Streetwalking Blues” was conducted which looked at the experiences and stories of women working on the streets of St Kilda. In response to this, local residents requested that their voices also be heard and that a way to document their own experiences of living next to street sex work be developed. Council commissioned an independent researcher to undertake this project and document, through surveys and interviews, the impact that street sex work has on residents.
Living next to street sex work report
International Approaches and Policies
City of Port Phillip commissioned an independent literature review to look at policies and approaches to street sex on an international scale. This literature review will help to inform our knowledge around different legislative practise in response to street sex work and is intended to ensure that our current harm minimisation approach is in line with best practise models from around the world.
A Literature Review of International Approaches to Sex Work
