Relationships

On 1 June 1999, relationships law reform finally become a reality in NSW when the Property (Relationships) Legislation Amendment Bill 1999 passed through the Lower House to become an Act of Parliament. With it NSW took the biggest step towards equality for gay men and lesbians for at least 15 years, becoming the first State in Australia to confer broad recognition on same sex couples, joining only a mere handful of places in the world, and putting us at the forefront of the fight for equality.

The history of relationships reform in nsw

GLRL’s 1994 discussion paper The Bride Wore Pink kicked it all and eventually became the blueprint for reform. The Road to Reform since then has been a long one. Those interested in history should check out these 2 documents.

What relationship rights mean for you

For those who would like practical information on relationship rights, we recommend our fact sheet which gives an overview of rights that are - and are not - currently enjoyed by gay men and lesbians in NSW. Those who wish to get legal advice on a specific issue related to relationships will need to make an appointment to see a qualified legal practitioner.

More detail on the 1999 changes

The many reasons why this reform was needed are detailed in GLRL’s Submission to the Social Issues Committee of the Upper House which has been considering relationships reform. This document was prepared in December 1998 as part of our campaign for recognition. A brief summary of The Importance of the Reform is also available. We also prepared a Supplementary Submission for the Social Issues Committee in July 1999 after the Act passed through Parliament which outlines the issues which still needed to be addressed and GLRL’s position on them.

More detail on the 1999 changes can be found in our Overview of the Property (Relationships) Legislation Amendment Act 1999.