MELBOURNE — Victoria has become the first Australian state to legalise voluntary assisted dying, or euthanasia, for the terminally ill, ABC News said in a report on Wednesday.

Following over 100 hours of debate across both houses of parliament and two all-night sittings, lower house MPs ratified the amended bills, giving patients the right to request a lethal drug to end their lives from June 2019.

ABC News said the bill will now go to the governor for royal assent.

The landmark legislation passed the upper house 22 votes to 18 last week after a number of amendments, which had to be approved by the lower house to be enshrined in law.

The changes included halving the timeframe for eligible patients to access the scheme from 12 months to six months to live.

There will be exemptions for sufferers of conditions such as motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis who have a life expectancy of 12 months. — AFP