For years arguments have been tossed to and fro and there has been a push to have assisted dying made legal.

In 1995 the Northern Territory passed legislation to allow euthanasia before the federal parliament intervened and overrode what had been a world-first law.

Now there is a concerted push in Victoria and NSW to have right-to-die laws with parliaments in both states expected to debate bills as part of their spring sessions.

And with Canberra not being able to constitutionally quash the states, only conscience votes may lie between those bills being enacted.

That does not mean there won’t be plenty of debate though.

Religious groups have indicated their opposition and that dynamic is likely to underscore much of the argument.

But beyond theology, there are practical considerations with such laws.

By virtue of being on the Murray River, our region has a particular interest in how a euthanasia law will apply in terms of residential qualification.

If one state ends up adopting assisted dying laws how will they apply to terminally-ill residents from the other jurisdiction?

A ministerial advisory panel report released on Friday stated that in Victoria to be entitled to access euthanasia laws you would have to “ordinarily” reside in Victoria.

Similarly a Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill drafted in NSW states “the patient must be at least 25 years of age and ordinarily resident in New South Wales”.

There is no limit on how long you have to have been living in each state.

In Victoria, a parliamentary committee suggested evidence of residence could include a driver’s licence, electoral enrolment, medical records and property ownership.

But as Border residents know these can become entangled, you can live in Albury but see a doctor in Wodonga or have property holdings on each side of the river.

These anomalies need to be raised by Border MPs such as Bill Tilley, Greg Aplin and Tim McCurdy as debate over the bills unfolds in their respective chambers.

Of course there is much more to consider in what is a heartfelt issue that goes to the qualify of life.

But there needs to be consideration given to the impact of what will happen if one state is at odds with the other.