Alex Greenwich, the Independent Member for Sydney, will introduce a bill to recognise overseas same-sex and gender diverse marriage in New South Wales law. The move comes on the tenth anniversary of the federal ban on same-sex marriage.

Mr Greenwich said:
 
“Ten years ago the federal government banned same-sex marriage and in that time, thousands of couples have gone overseas to marry in the growing number of countries that allow same-sex marriage. My bill will give those couples in NSW the dignity of having state law recognise their solemn vowels in our relationships register act.”
 
Mr Greenwich said that his bill would bring NSW in line with Queensland and Tasmania who have passed legislation similar to his proposed bill.

Mr Greenwich married his husband Victor in Argentina in 2012 and was the first member of any parliament in Australia in a same-sex marriage (He was followed by South Australian MLC Ian Hunter who married in Spain in late 2012, and Western Australian MP Stephen Dawson who married in 2013).

The last census indicated 1300 couples have married overseas by the August 2011 and statistics out of New Zealand indicate that hundreds of Australian same-sex couples intend to marry there.

Mr Greenwich said:
 
“Federal MPs are moving towards supporting marriage equality, and in the meantime my bill would give same-sex couples in NSW important protection and recognition”  
 
Mr Greenwich will give notice of his bill before Question Time in New South Wales Parliament today and he will work with the government and opposition in the hope to have the billed passed in this term of parliament.