We’re building Australia’s first sex worker Co-operative — a democratically run, worker-owned organisation where every member has an equal voice and their needs are valued.

Together, we will create spaces — online and in person — where sex workers can work safely, proudly, and free from financial exploitation.

Many sex workers currently work alone without community support or in venues where owners take a large share of earnings and often create unsafe working conditions. The Garden offers a third option: a cooperative where we share resources, skills and learnings, make decisions collectively, and truly own our means of production.

As a legal entity, we will secure workspaces, access funding, and run creative and community projects that strengthen our collective power.

What is a Co-operative?

A Co-operative is a business that is owned and democratically run by the people who use it. Instead of being controlled by an investor or a single owner, members work together, have an equal say in important decisions, and share in the benefits of what they build.

We believe this is a powerful model for sex workers. Our industry is often isolating, with many workers operating alone while paying high fees to platforms or businesses they have no control over. A Co-operative gives us the opportunity to pool our resources, reduce costs, build shared services, and create something that is owned by our community, for our community.

The Garden is being established as a distributing Co-operative, meaning that as we grow, any surplus can be reinvested into strengthening the Co-operative or shared with members in line with our rules and Australian Co-operative law. Rather than creating wealth for civilian managers, we're creating a business where the value stays with the people who make it possible.

Why a Sex Worker Co-operative?

While most sex workers are self-employed and work independently, many of us are tied to other businesses or platforms to do our work. Club owners or brothel managers who charge fees to work in a space that they own. Platforms that take exorbitant percentages on our sales. And any number of other individuals who position themselves to profit from from the labour done by sex workers without being workers themselves.

We believe that by workers working together and coordinating our efforts, by building a co-op, this parasitic relationship can be disrupted and eventually abolished. That operating costs can be shared between workers, to make operating cheaper, easier and more efficient for all of us. And that those profits from the sex industry which do not directly involve the exchange of funds for sexual access can and should be returned to the hands of sex workers.

The Garden Values

  • The co-op is a space where our members can continue to connect inside and outside meetings and events, providing support that we otherwise would not have access to.
    Bookclubs, workshops, shared in-call spaces and other events are just a small demonstration of our collective contribution to building and sustaining our community.

  • In our workshops, we are clear in how we have come so far, and we continue to be open and willing to share how worker-led co-operatives can be established and achieved.

  • Feeding each other, physically, emotionally, and spiritually is just a portion of the pleasure. The joy in continuing to show up and share a common goal of worker liberation, as well as having really hot friends to have doubles with is just a tease of the joy that is.

  • Our group agreements as well as checking-in on one another help support accountability. The frameworks of co-operatives also lends itself in supporting this.

  • Skill-sharing is foundational in the way we practice being in community together. Whether this is dedicated time within meetings, volunteer sessions or broader facilitated workshops we love when our members are keen to share their passions and help others learn and grow.

  • This is fundamentally our core value, everything we do moves around this driving force. We hope we can demonstrate worker-led co-operatives are an option not only for sex workers but all workers, emphasising the collective power workers truly have. Sharing resources like an in-call space, doing safety check-ins with one another and generally sharing and creating our own resources are all in the hopes this leads to worker empowerment.

  • Our group agreements support an on-going reflective practice with open communication, no bigotry/racism/transphobia/ablesism/anti-substance rhetoric where what we share comes from our own lived experience, owning our shit.

  • We continue to listen to prominent voices within marginalised communities such as AMSWAG, ATSISWAG and DSWAG who are advisory groups for Asian Migrant, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and Disabled sex workers respectively.

Membership

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Membership 〰️

What are the benefits of becoming a member?

  • Any profits the Garden makes are redistributed to members

  • Access to Garden resources

  • Your own operating costs going back into the worker community

  • A stronger community for all Sex Workers

Who can become a member?

Sex Workers with 3 months or more industry experience. We value and celebrate all parts of our industry, whether that be online, in person, in establishments, on the streets or in the dungeon. All Sex Workers are welcome here. Becoming a member of The Garden will involve purchasing 1 share valued at $10 and contributing 10 hours of volunteer work per month.

How do I apply?

Via our Expression of interest form tab.

In loving Memory of Katherine Cunningham who left her form under the blooming moon of May 2026

Honouring those who we would not be here today without.
Mumma B/Katherine Cunningham has been a keystone in this endeavour.
She was not only heavily involved in the development and process of the partial decriminalisation of sex work in Naarm (so-called melbourne, victoria) but also invested countless hours to actually make a sex worker co-operative happen. Her efforts in decrim have now given a launchpad for future workplace structures.

Katherine spent her 30's (about 30 years ago!) in brothels and spent the time she could on passion projects - trying to establish safer and more empowering working conditions for sex workers.

Our work is also modelled after and attempts to go beyond similar forms she had done in the past.

Thank you dear Katherine, We will continue to love you.

Always was, and always will be Aboriginal Land

The Garden Co-operative acknowledges the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung and Wathaurong people of the Kulin nations as the Sovereign peoples and true owners of the lands we work on. We pay our respects to elders past and present, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We acknowledge the continued Kulin nations connection to land, water and sky. This land was stolen and sovereignty has never been ceded.

Always and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.