A campaign to decriminalise sex work in South Australia has failed, with the state's Parliament voting against the bill this morning.

Key points: The bill was the 13th attempt to decriminalise sex work in South Australia

The bill was the 13th attempt to decriminalise sex work in South Australia It was a private member's bill which had support from MPs from different sides of Parliament

It was a private member's bill which had support from MPs from different sides of Parliament SA's Premier was in favour of the change, while the Opposition Leader was against

The House of Assembly voted 24 to 19 to defeat the bill, in a conscience vote of all MPs.

The private member's bill, co-sponsored by the Attorney-General Vickie Chapman and Greens MLC Tammy Franks, had previously passed the Legislative Council.

"Absolutely deflated but not defeated," Ms Franks said.

"We have the most archaic laws in the country … It's an abject failure for the Labor Party to say that they represent workers when today, so many Labor-right members in particular voted against workers.

"Decriminalisation means that the laws of the land will apply equally and we'll be able to step in, whether that's a planning code, whether that's a policing requirement, those laws will then apply.

"The Attorney-General was ready to sit down and discuss those, but what they've done today is that they've thrown workers under the bus. Sex workers have been sacrificed for their political games."

Greens MLC Tammy Franks (centre) was a key proponent of the bill. ( ABC News: Rebecca Puddy )

It was the 13th attempt by sex workers and supporters to change the law in South Australia in the past two decades.

SA Premier Steven Marshall voted in favour, while Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas voted against.

Opponents say it is a 'good outcome' for women

Vickie Chapman speaks in favour of the sex work decriminalisation bill ahead of the vote. ( ABC News )

Opponents of decriminalisation embraced in the public gallery of Parliament when the result was announced.

A number of MPs had raised concerns about sex workers soliciting on the street and the locations of brothels in their electorates.

"This is a really good outcome for women's equality in this state," decriminalisation opponent and Labor MP Claire Scriven said.

"The defeat of this bill says that women will not be commodities, we will not buy and sell women and we will not protect the pimps. That would have been the outcome.

"Women would have been more vulnerable and more exploited … the fact that this has been defeated is a really good outcome for all women in South Australia."

Ms Chapman described the result of the vote as "disappointing".

"I feel for those sex workers in our community who will still be treated as second-class citizens, and will still be able to be prosecuted for their work," the deputy Liberal leader said.

"With the failing of this bill, sex workers are now still left in a position where their safety is at risk.

"We had an opportunity to remedy this but this practice will continue, without the protections in place which could have been provided.

"This Parliament has an important role to play in considering all laws, including difficult social reform issues. We should not shy away from having these conversations."

The Lower House votes on the sex work decriminalisation bill. ( ABC News )

Georgia Thain from the Sex Industry Network said she was disappointed by the MPs who she claimed had turned their backs on making the lives of sex workers better.

Prostitution laws in South Australia Under the Summary Offences Act 1953, the act of soliciting prostitution attracts a maximum penalty of $750, but those found to be living on the earnings from prostitution can be fined up to $2,500 or jailed for six months as an additional offence.

Clients of sex workers can be fined up to $1250 or jailed for three months for a first offence, with files and jail terms doubled for subsequent offences.

The penalties are outlined in the Summary Offences Act 1953 – 1.7.2013 under part five, section 25.

Legislation also outlaws landlords renting properties to tenants for the purpose of sex work.



"We have workers out there doing sex work right now, even though it's criminalised, who don't have access to justice, to healthcare and to their workplace protections," Ms Thain said.

"If we give that up now, they will continue to not have those rights."

Ahead of the vote, Premier Marshall said it was time for the state to move forward on the issue.

"At the moment, because it is a criminal activity in South Australia, many women who are working in this area just cannot — or feel that they cannot — go to the police with very serious allegations," Mr Marshall said.

"This is leaving people in very vulnerable positions, so for those reasons, I think it is now time for us to deal with this issue.

"Other states have dealt with it, some of them decades and decades ago."