LGBT rights advocates in the Australian state of Tasmania have welcomed overwhelming support in its Lower House of Parliament for the passage of legislation removing a ban on adoption by same-sex couples, saying it is in the best interests of children.

This afternoon the Tasmanian Lower House voted 18 to 4 to allow same-sex couples to be assessed as potential adoptive parents on the same basis as other couples.

Tasmanian Gay and Lesbian Rights Group spokesperson Rodney Croome praised the state’s Liberal Party for allowing its MPs a conscience vote on the issue which saw half of them cross the floor to vote with the state’s Greens MPs and the ruling Labor Party in favor of the reform.

‘It is a sign of how far Tasmania has come that there is such strong cross-party support for this important legislation,’ Croome said following the vote.

‘This Bill allows adoption authorities to choose from the widest pool of prospective parents and helps removes stigma against all families headed by same-sex couples. In particular, it allows foster children already in the care of same-sex couples to be adopted by their foster parents when it is in their best interests.’

‘Those who continue to oppose this bill are putting prejudice ahead of what is best for children.’

Tasmanian same-sex couples are already treated equally in the law in regard to fertility treatment, surrogacy and step-parent adoption.

The Bill also allowed unmarried heterosexual couples to adopt. However both same-sex and opposite sex couples must be in a registered civil partnership to adopt.

The Bill will now go to Tasmania’s Upper House where it may have a tougher time.

The Tasmanian Upper House is dominated by independents who have traditionally voted more conservatively than their Lower House colleagues on social issues and they torpedoed a bill in 2012 which would have seen Tasmania become the first Australian jurisdiction to allow same-sex couples to marry.