Vics to Get Sperm Donor Info with Consent

THE state government says its world-first legislation will balance the rights of donors with those of donor-conceived people who wish to know more about their heritage.

But the legislation falls short of a Victorian parliamentary committee's recommendation that people conceived through sperm donation should have the right to know the father's identity, even if the donor wants to remain anonymous.

Health Minister David Davis said the new laws, passed by parliament on Thursday, mean that for the first time people born before 1988 will have access to identifying information about the donor - with the donor's consent.

"It puts a sensible regime around these issues and enables those who seek that information to, in many cases, obtain it," he told parliament.

"It equally respects many of the decisions that were made at an earlier point."

He said donor anonymity was a requirement of the donation process before 1988, meaning people born before 1988 had no right to the information at all.

People born from sperm or eggs donated after 1998 can find out identifying information about their donors when they...