The Legislative Council yesterday voted 22-15 in favour of the bill, with two amendments. One is that parents can decide that their child will not be adopted out to a gay couple.

A vote on the amendments is now required in the lower house, where the bill only very narrowly past last Thursday.

AAP reports that despite getting the support of both houses, the future of the bill is still unclear.

MPs have been allowed a conscience vote on the legislation, introduced by independent lower house MP Clover Moore.

Two reported opponents of the bill in the lower house, Labor MPs John Aquilina and Kevin Greene, were absent at last week's vote.