NSW first to fall in line on marriage laws

NSW has become the first state to harmonise its own laws with the new Commonwealth Marriage Act following Australia's marriage equality vote last year.

The NSW government has become the first state or territory to change its marriage laws to fall in line with Australia's new same-sex marriage legislation.

State parliament voted on Wednesday to update 53 NSW acts and regulations to reflect the changes made in federal parliament in December.

The amendments include the use of gender-neutral language to make sure laws don't exclude married couples based on their sex, and removing the requirement for people to file for divorce before registering for a change of sex.