The Summary Offences Act 1953 does not penalise selling or buying sex as such, but makes it an offence to accost or solicit for prostitution in or within view or hearing of a public place, or to loiter in a public place for the purpose of prostitution (s 25, fine up to $750), to procure a person to become a sex worker or advertise to employ one (s 25A), to knowingly live on the earnings of another person's prostitution (s 26), to keep or manage a brothel or receive money paid in a brothel for prostitution (s 28), and to let or permit premises to be used as a brothel (s 29). A 'brothel' is any premises to which people resort, or which are used, for prostitution (s 27). Brothel prosecutions need the written consent of the Police Commissioner or a senior officer (s 30). Before the 2026 state election the Deputy Premier said decriminalisation bills would "no doubt" return in the new Parliament; none was found in the Parliament elected in 2026. Source: Prostitution Laws (prostitutionlaws.org), https://prostitutionlaws.org/countries/australia/, reviewed 2026-11-04, CC BY 4.0.