Ms Chesters voted in favour of a ban on asylum seeker boat turn-backs and was in favour of a binding vote on same-sex marriage, both of which were unsuccessful at the conference.

She said the decision to have turning back asylum seeker boats as an option was one of 30 amendments supported on the issue, including independent oversight of Australia’s immigration detention centres.

“Some of the amendments supported the closure of offshore and onshore processing, and having refugees processed in transit countries,” Ms Chesters said.

“It wasn’t a factional split. Tony Burke, Chris Bowen, Richard Marles and Bill Shorten all articulated that they believe the best policy is to safely turn back boats.

“This isn’t just about winning votes."

She said the culmination of decisions on asylum seeker policy would result in people no longer using boats to arrive in Australia, but will instead be processed in transit countries as “part of regional co-operations”.

The independent oversight of detention centres was seen as a “compromise”, while the party would increase the annual refugee intake to 27,000 and provide $450 million over three years to the UNHCR.

The party also voted to allow MPs a conscience vote on same-sex marriage and promised to introduce legislation in its first 100 days.

A binding vote – making all Labor MPs vote in favour of the policy – could be introduced in 2019, at the completion of the current term for senators.

Ms Chesters said a vote on same-sex marriage was likely to be successful should Labor win the next election.

“The full numbers are there,” she said.

“In fact, the full numbers are there in the current parliament, if Tony Abbott allows a free vote it could be legislated this year.”

More than 400 delegates voted on 250 pages worth of policy positions during the conference.