September 09, 2026 | Ben Jessup
The community legal sector strongly supports moves to decriminalise begging, bringing Victoria into line with all other states and territories - including New South Wales, which removed the offence from their criminal law in 1979.
This has been proposed as an amendment to the Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence, Coercive Control, Good Character, Risk Assessment and Other Matters) Bill 2026 which is currently being considered in Parliament. The proposed change is intended to repeal the offence of “begging or gathering alms” which would stop the criminalisation of what is often a survival tactic used by women and children who are on the street because they fled a violent home.
Research published last year by the Council to Homeless Persons confirms that at least 62 per cent of Victorians presenting to specialist homelessness services are also experiencing family violence.
Public order offences, including begging, are enforced at grossly disproportionate rates, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people approximately 15 times more likely than white Victorians to be searched by police.
Continuing to maintain begging as an offence is not only out of step with modern Australia, it will also cause further harm to people already struggling with the effects of Victoria's housing, income, family violence, mental health and disability crises.
Quotes attributable to Federation of Community Legal Centres Director of Policy and Advocacy Rachael Pliner:
“Every day in Victoria, criminal law is being used to punish people simply for being poor.
“Family violence is the single biggest driver of homelessness for women and children in Victoria.
“When women and children end up on the street and rely on asking for help to survive, the last thing they need is to be treated like criminals.
“We strongly support the decriminalisation of begging as positive move which will help people escaping family violence avoid the spiral into fines and a criminal record and begin to rebuild their lives.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Ben Jessup on 0410 632 123 or [email protected]
