The Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 (No. 7 of 2022) worked in two stages. Stage 1 (10 May 2022) repealed the street sex work offences, the mandatory STI testing and safer-sex offences, and added 'profession, trade or occupation' as a protected attribute in the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. Stage 2 (1 December 2023) repealed the Sex Work Act 1994 and with it the licensing system, moved coercion and child-related offences into the Crimes Act 1958 and left sex work businesses to general business, planning and workplace law. Local laws must not undermine decriminalisation (s 3). Soliciting or loitering for commercial sexual services in a public place near schools, childcare and children's services between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., or near places of worship, remains an offence (s 38B Summary Offences Act 1966); advertisements must comply with regulations made under s 39 (s 38F). Source: Prostitution Laws (prostitutionlaws.org), https://prostitutionlaws.org/countries/australia/, reviewed 2026-11-04, CC BY 4.0.