Thirty years since the Fitzgerald Inquiry revealed police officers were corruptly paid to turn a blind eye to illegal gambling and prostitution operations, sex workers in Queensland say police powers are greater than ever before.

Key points: This week marks 30 years since Tony Fitzgerald QC handed down his report into corruption

This week marks 30 years since Tony Fitzgerald QC handed down his report into corruption He recommended the sex work industry no longer be regulated by police

He recommended the sex work industry no longer be regulated by police Today, 80 per cent of the industry is still under police regulation, and sex workers say it's time to decriminalise it completely

Those who work independently said they are constantly in fear of being entrapped by police and charged under laws they believe deny them basic safety, health and industrial rights.

Sex worker Candi Forrest, who worked both before and after the Fitzgerald Inquiry, said at least 80 per cent of the industry remained under police regulation, despite the inquiry recommending a more civil approach to sex work.

"[Then] the police were doing a sort of containment and control policy, and that really meant that they were taking money from the main brothels and escort agencies that operated in Queensland," she said.

Working in a brothel in Queensland is legal, but there are only 20 licensed brothels in Queensland. ( ABC News )

"I used to work in a brothel in the city, and at that time the police were charging sex workers on a rotational basis.

"They would come into the brothel and get the payment from the brothel owner, select a couple of workers who were on premises for that particular shift to be charged."

But she said if you worked privately, in a co-op, or in a massage parlour, you were likely to escape the attention of the police.

"Because at that time their focus was on the bigger brothels and escort agencies and gentlemen clubs that they got pay-offs from and could keep some kind of containment around," she said.

"[Now] there's so much more active policing … we've got a police squad, a specialised squad, the Prostitution Enforcement Taskforce that polices sex workers.

"And they go out and pretend to be clients, they charge sex workers, they try to entrap them into non-compliant activities and sexual services and then they get charged."

Police raided seven massage parlours on the Gold Coast in 2017 allegedly running illegal prostitution operations. ( Supplied: Queensland Police Service )

What is or isn't legal about sex work?

Working in a licensed brothel is legal, as is working completely alone.

Licensed brothels are overseen by the Prostitution Licensing Authority, but there are only 20 in Queensland, 19 of those are in the south-east corner, and only 13 staff are allowed on the premises at any one time.

Brothels have previously blamed unregulated operations like massage parlours for a decline in business.

Campaign leader for DecrimQld Janelle Fawkes said the unregulated sector was an outcome of the 1999 laws that created the brothel licensing framework, which in turn criminalised all other business models like erotic massage parlours and escort agencies.

It is not illegal for sex workers to work alone or in a licensed brothel. ( ABC News: Malcolm Sutton )

She said it was also illegal to work in pairs or groups, hire a receptionist, or employ a driver that another worker had recommended.

Even working together in the same building or hotel was criminalised, or messaging a colleague before and after a client to let them know they were safe could lead to a "knowingly participating in the provision of prostitution" charge.

"All of those things are illegal and as such, we're a workforce of people in Queensland that don't have the same workplace rights as other people," Ms Fawkes said.

"We think that's a real problem."

"It just seems unrealistic now, 30 years later and we still don't have just the basic health and occupational safety rights that other workers have," Ms Forrest said.

"There's this stigma that sits over the top of everything that sex workers do, that's somehow associated with criminal activities and it's just really not the case."

Transgender sex workers often feel isolated

Transgender sex worker Elle Coles said licensed brothels were usually not prepared to have transgender people on the books, because of the small number of people allowed on premises, and the extra advertising required.

"So we're left with no choice but to work independently, which means working alone and being isolated," she said.

She said advertisement for prostitution was illegal too if it did not fit the guidelines, and workers would often receive phone calls from police pretending to be prospective clients, looking for slip-ups.

Sex worker Elle Coles said transgender workers often felt isolated. ( ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic )

"You get unnerved, because you get calls that are a little bit out of the normal," she said.

"It's really easy to become overly conscious of that, and thus your anxiety can get so high that even if you have got a regular client, that just puts you off your game and you're not comfortable to see anyone that day.

"Even if the premise where they [police] come into your life has no basis, it doesn't mean they walk away and say, 'that's ok, that person's working alone' and move on. They will still look for something else."

'We are not criminals, we're workers'

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researcher Dr Erin O'Brien said the criminalised system meant there was a stigma and prejudice against sex workers, and an overreach by police.

She said in New South Wales and New Zealand, where the industry had been decriminalised, it enabled a more open industry, better health and safety outcomes for workers and a more positive relationship with police.

"Sex workers are more likely to report crimes against them, in a decriminalised system," she said.

Sex workers Elle Coles, Janelle Fawkes and Candi Forrest (L-R) say it's time for the industry to be decriminalised. ( ABC News: Melanie Vujkovic )

Ms Coles said often workers were hesitant to report crimes against them, including sexual assault.

"I've had friends that have attended police stations with obvious signs of being assaulted and they've refused to take a report," she said.

"It's a matter of 'what are we supposed to do about it' — there's no real trust from the police and they don't have any interest in our rights or pursuing any offenders."

She said workers were often given the attitude of "well you chose to do this, so these are the consequences".

"Where as, what people are actually doing is, they're choosing to support themselves, they're choosing to be a part of the workforce, they're making a positive life decision to earn their own income as opposed to relying on the government," she said.

"We are not criminals, we're workers, we're part of the workforce."

The Queensland Police Service said in a statement that its Prostitution Enforcement Taskforce had forged strong relationships with all government and non-government agencies and should provide individuals in the industry confidence in reporting matters to police if they believe they are a victim of crime or exploited.

It said the taskforce strived to ensure any unfair disadvantage inherited by the licensed brothel environment was minimised through committed investigations focusing on the seizure of assets illegally derived from organised crime syndicates.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the inquiry, on Wednesday QUT is hosting a forum titled Fixing Fitzgerald: Queensland's failed sex industry policy, calling for the industry to be decriminalised.

Tony Fitzgerald QC handing over the bound copy of the Fitzgerald Report on corruption in 1989. ( State Library of Queensland )

The event brings together six leading academic and industry experts to discuss the reform of Queensland's sex industry laws, and bring them in line with Fitzgerald's recommendation to remove police as regulators.

"Decriminalisation does not mean no regulation," Dr O'Brien said.

"Sex work will still be governed by a raft of regulations like health and safety, public health and town planning regulations.

"But really, this is the best way that we can keep workers safe."

Sex workers hope the anniversary will re-open the "window of opportunity" for lawmakers.

"We're hoping that with the 30th anniversary that we'll be able to return to that window of opportunity that we had at the time that Fitzgerald first put out his report, to fully decriminalise the sex work industry," Ms Forrest said.

In a statement a spokesperson for Attorney-General Yvette D'ath said she and the Police Minister were still in discussions.