Street Prostitution, St Kilda, Australia - the issue

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Street Prostitution, St Kilda, Australia - the issue.

Street prostitution. St Kilda has been dogged by its presence and consequences for decades, and is subsequently a major community concern. There have been innumerable attempts to address the problem, however it is only until recently that an extensive and resourced approach, incorporating supporters representing all political parties and many community stakeholders, has come into force. In a report released by the Attorney General's Street Prostitution Advisory Group (established in March 2001 and consisting of parliamentary, government, residential, police, welfare, trade, and sex worker representatives), it has been proposed that tolerance zones and street worker centres should be established in the City of Port Phillip in an attempt to efficiently manage street prostitution in the area. This said proposition has been met with much acclaim, but, inevitably, not without opposition.

One of the world's oldest professions, street prostitution first arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Initially confined to the penal settlements, the industry changed dramatically in the nineteenth century, with the gold rush attracting many prostitutes to Victoria. Prostitution became densely concentrated in the city, however, the development of Melbourne, the impact of the First and