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City Of Sydney To Offer Same-Sex Couples Free Weddings

But not everyone thinks it's a great idea.
James D. Morgan via Getty Images

The City Of Sydney is set to offer gay couples free weddings if same-sex marriage is legalised.

The decision was made at a council meeting on Monday night, which would allow same-sex couples to hire some of Sydney's parks, halls and other community venues to host their wedding, free of charge.

This would be available to couples in the first 100 days after same-sex marriage becomes legal.

Couples who take up this offer would have to finance the rest of their wedding, including food, security and entertainment themselves and straight couples who were already booked into a venue would not be relocated or cancelled in favour of a same-sex wedding.

Councillor Linda Scott moved the motion, which was supported by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, however, not everyone was sold on the idea.

Lord Major Clover Moore has been a strong supporter of the 'Yes' campaign.
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Lord Major Clover Moore has been a strong supporter of the 'Yes' campaign.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Liberal councillor and leading marriage equality campaigner Christine Forster unsuccessfully tried to broaden the motion to include heterosexual couples and so voted against the idea.

"This has been a fight for equality before the law and it's my belief that we can't ask for equality for ourselves and then deny it to others," Forster told Fairfax Media.

"It's also been about making marriage inclusive not exclusive, and this motion flies in the face of that."

The same-sex marriage postal survey concludes on November 7, with the result to be announced on November 15.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics confirmed last week that 67 percent of surveys have returned and over 59 percent of eligible Australians have already voted yes, while 38 percent have voted no.

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