The Legislative Assembly Select Committee on the Regulation of Brothels was appointed to inquire into and report on the regulation of brothels in New South Wales. The inquiry sought to examine and report on: appropriate local and state government regulatory and compliance functions for brothels; the demarcation in local and state government roles and responsibilities; and possible reform options that address the social, health and planning challenges associated with legal and illegal brothels.
Anti-Slavery Australia submits that the important and complex issue of sex trafficking is not synomous with consensual sex work and these two issues should not be conflated in policy-making. It is submitted that the vulnerability of sex workers to exploitation should be a reason to further safeguard their rights as opposed to undermining them. Anti-Slavery Australia recommends that the protection of human rights remain at the forefront of any measures to combat sex trafficking.
Anti-Slavery Australia Submission to the Select Committee on the Regulation of Brothels (2015)