Mr Fitzgibbon would not have the numbers to challenge Mr Conroy directly in the rebadged Hunter and the Left could push for Mr Fitzgibbon to instead seek to win Paterson back from the Liberals. Paterson has become notionally Labor and Fairfax Media has been told Liberal Bob Baldwin is likely to bow out of politics. He was demoted as parliamentary secretary to the environment when Malcolm Turnbull deposed Tony Abbott. The Liberal Party will benefit from changes to Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen's western Sydney seat of McMahon and the electorate of Parramatta. The Liberals are also better off in the bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro, Robertson under the proposed changes while the Nationals should have a more comfortable margin in the north coast seat of Page .

But Barton inSydney's south east, held by Liberal Nikolas Varvaris will become, notionally Labor. The ALP believes it will pick up Paterson and Dobell from the Liberals. Electors in the northern part of the existing seat of Hunter will move into Agriculture Minister join Barnaby Joyce's New England electorate and about 40 per cent will become part of Paterson. In total, NSW's 48 seats will become 47 and flow-on effects will mean small boundary changes across the state. It appears as if Barton, one of the Liberals' most marginal seats will become a safe Labor electorate after south Marrickville was lost from Anthony Albanese's Grayndler division.

In a statement, the AEC said 11 submissions to its redistribution process had nominated the area between the Hawkesbury River and the Queensland border as