The bill was passed by 52 votes to 32 on Friday and will now face an inquiry in the upper house that is due to report early next year.

Wagga historian and voluntary assisted dying supporter Geoff Burch, who lost his wife Sue to cancer in May, said the bill passed the lower house with a comfortable margin.

"It was still disappointing that there were 32 people to whom it didn't matter what their constituents thought," he said.

"There could have been more disruptive amendments; I thought it went fairly smoothly and reasonably succinct at the end of the debate.

"It's a positive move that they passed it. I'd be shattered if it did not go through [the upper house]. Every day before it does pass into law there are people suffering."

Mr Burch said he was reasonably confident that the bill would pass the upper house eventually but said "the people who oppose it will fight to the very end".

As they had previously stated, independent Wagga MP Joe McGirr and Liberal Albury MP Justin Clancy voted against the bill.

Nationals Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke, who had not revealed her intentions ahead of time, voted for voluntary assisted dying.

Ms Cooke said she was guided by her constituents' views on the issue and thanked those who had taken part in a survey.

"I supported the bill, having carefully considered, and voted on, a number of amendments put forward over the course of the debate. I believe the amendments I supported will strengthen the bill," Cootamundra MP Steph Cooke said.

"My final position was informed by the views of Cootamundra electorate constituents whom I am honoured to represent.

"More than 2400 people completed the survey and reached out to me in my travels across the electorate with 77 per cent for the bill and 23 per cent against."

Ms Cooke said she acknowledged those in the community who have deeply held religious beliefs which guide their views.

"I have, and always will, recognise and respect the diverse views on this important issue," she said.

Catholic Diocese of Wagga Bishop Mark Edwards said he was disappointed that the bill had passed the lower house and he expected a closer vote in the upper house.

"I was disappointed at the margin with which it passed the lower house. It passed more easily than I had hoped," Bishop Edward said.

"I look forward to reading the report from the upper house inquiry into the bill, I don't think I will agree with everything it says, but I look forward to the recommendations that it makes."

Bishop Edward said his position on the issue had not changed.

"I still think it is wrong. It just crosses a line and changes our society. It's wrong to say to people that it's OK to kill yourself," he said.

"I have a friend who attempted to commit suicide, and it was terrifying for his family and for me. He was cared for by medical services and we didn't say it was OK to kill yourself because he was sick, he was depressed."

In a statement last week, Dr McGirr thanked fellow independents, Sydney MP Alex Greenwich and Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper, for the work they put into the bill.

"I successfully put forward an amendment, which includes, in the principles of the bill, equality of access to palliative care, in addition to voluntary assisted dying, for rural and regional people," he said.

"As Mr Greenwich pointed out in accepting my amendment, there has been uniform support throughout the debate for increasing access to palliative care in NSW, especially in regional and rural NSW.

"One of my lifelong goals has been to improve rural health care and access to rural health services. I have worked diligently on this and continue to do so.

Dr McGirr said the government had to be kept accountable on providing equal access to palliative care in rural and remote regions.

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