The Northern Territory government will move to allow same sex couples to legally adopt children to bring it in line with the rest of the country.
The NT is Australia's only jurisdiction that denies people in same sex or de facto relationships the right to adopt, with current legislation only allowing adults who are a married man and woman, or in a traditional Aboriginal marriage, to do so.
But this week Labor will introduce an amendment that removes this discrimination, Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield said.
"We need to modernise our adoption laws, to reflect the diversity of Territory families today," she said.
"All couples who genuinely want to open their hearts and home to adopt a child in need should be eligible to apply."
LGBTQI group Rainbow Territory has advocated for the reform for more than three years and welcomed equal protections for all families.
"Only 43 per cent of Territorians who can get married are actually married, so this change is important," member Jane Black said.
After being tabled this week, Amendments to the NT Adoption of Children Act will go before parliament a second time in the new year.
When passed, the amended law is expected to come into effect in early 2018.
