Malcolm Turnbull's plan for NSW Liberal Party reform has carried the day as the party faithful voted down Tony Abbott's push for an immediate change to preselection rules.
The state council agreed with the joint proposal by the prime minister and NSW Premier Mike Baird to move towards more democratic practices within the party, including greater involvement from rank and file members.
Mr Abbott has campaigned for several years within the party for members to determine candidate preselection through plebiscites and had said the issue should be decided this weekend.
But the Sydney meeting stopped short of agreeing to any immediate change, voting down the former prime minister's motion 246 votes to 174.
Mr Turnbull and Mr Baird favoured a slower approach and called on the council to support a convention being held next year to have a broad-ranging discussion about reform.
The Turnbull/Baird motion was passed with a voice vote, which Treasurer Scott Morrison said was unanimous.
Despite his motion for immediate reform failing, Mr Abbott told reporters the day had been "very successful".
"Reform is unstoppable and I am very, very confident that early next year we will revitalise our party, we will empower the membership and that will give us a very strong foundation on which to advance to the next federal election," he said.
In a speech after his motion was passed, Mr Turnbull told his party it had to change.
"We must modernise our organisation ensuring greater grassroots partnership and involvement, and this includes, critically, the selection of parliamentary candidates and strengthening the capacity of members to contribute to policy," he said.
"The party futures convention council has agreed today to chart a course to more and more open policy forums, more frequent and direct access to members of parliament and senators at party meetings, transparent delegate selection and preselection processes in which all members can participate."
Mr Abbott acknowledged the prime minister's support for changes to candidate preselection, telling reporters change was now "unstoppable".
Mr Baird told the council there was nothing more powerful than every party member having a say on its future.
"We shouldn't fear change, we should embrace it," he said.
Unlike the prime minister, Mr Baird received loud applause throughout his speech and a standing ovation at the end.
Mr Morrison denied Mr Abbott's failed motion showed signs of disunity in the Liberal Party.
"There's nothing wrong with people having different views about issues of party affairs," he told reporters.
Mr Morrison said he was excited that increasing female party membership and candidature was on the reform agenda.
