A sex industry veteran has welcomed the ACT government's decision to revisit recommended changes to decades-old legislation that could see sex work more formally subject to occupational health and safety standards.
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Also among the recommendations made after the 2011 inquiry into the Prostitution Act 1992 was that the government provide funding for a culturally and linguistically diverse outreach service and scrap laws preventing HIV-positive people from engaging in sex work.
The inquiry was triggered after the 2008 death of a 17-year old working in a Canberra brothel. A government response to the committee's 2012 report stalled until discussions with stakeholders were recently reignited.
"Following directives from the minister, [the Justice and Community Services Directorate] is consulting with stakeholders to confirm whether the recommendations remain relevant," a directorate spokeswoman said this week.
"Based on feedback, the directorate is hopeful it will be able to progress further work in the coming year."
Sex Workers Outreach Program peer support worker Lexxie Jury said the organisation supported all but one of the 17 recommendations, pushing against multilingual signage in brothels warning against trafficking.
The group feared men may threaten to call immigration if sex workers did not perform certain acts, the former sex worker said.
"I think all of them are high priority but things like being HIV-positive and being allowed to do sex work in the ACT, that would be really good if that could go through because then we're keeping in line with being non-discriminatory," Ms Jury said.
AIDS Action Council executive director Philippa Moss said the organisation had been lobbying "for a very long time" for changes to the Prostitution Act 1992. Another of the recommendations was to swap references to 'prostitutes' for the preferred term, sex workers, and rename the legislation the Commercial Services Act 1992.
"We have been working very closely with the Justice and Community Services Directorate to get these recommendations into legislation and we really thank JACS and the Chief Minister for progressing this because it's been a very long time," Ms Moss said.
A directorate spokeswoman said the proposed legislative changes were not related to last year's attacks on sex workers. Three men charged with the assault of two women following the alleged violent rape attack have pleaded not guilty and will face trial later this year.
Ms Jury said the proposed legislative changes would address some concerns related to the alleged attacks as it would allow up to two sex workers to work from a hotel room or residential address.
The directorate spokeswoman said: "After the 2012 inquiry into the Prostitution Act 1992, the government began speaking to stakeholders.
"This is a complex and contentious policy area, and there have been differences of opinion among stakeholder groups.
"During the past few months, JACS has met with key stakeholders, including the AIDS Action Council and the Sex Worker Outreach Program, and is continuing to work towards a consensus and a way forward."
