NSW election: regional seats that changed the vote

He talked about trade unions, doctors, nurses and paramedics, teachers and police, and said his government would work against privatisation of public assets.

But no mention of the regional and rural communities that have been making their voice heard in recent elections. This is despite several key regional seats playing a major part in Labor's victory, by turning the map from blue to red.

The Coalition suffered major losses in key regional seats, especially in the south, with at least nine seats moving to Labor.

Former Labor cabinet minister and late election entrant Steve Whan won back his regional seat of Monaro from the Nationals MP Nichole Overall, who had only fairly recently won it in the byelection caused by former Nationals leader John Barilaro's departure.

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Labor's Liza Butler scored the once safe South Coast seat after the resignation of Shelley Hancock, the local member for two decades. The seat includes Jervis Bay and St Georges Basin.

And the coastal electorate of Heathcote, stretching north of Wollongong to southern Sydney - around the Royal National Park - looks to have been won by Labor's Maryanne Stuart after a boundary change.

Labor is also currently ahead in nearby Kiama, with controversial Independent Gareth Ward fighting to hold on.

And in semi-regional Wollondilly, in the foothills of the Southern Highlands, a Climate 200-backed candidate, Judy Hannan looks like she will take the seat from Liberal Nathaniel Smith.

In the Central Coast seat of Terrigal, physiotherapist Sam Boughton looks like he will turn a usually very safe Liberal seat red. Adam Crouch had previously held the Central Coast seat on a 12.3% margin.

Other regional seats proved pivotal. In the Central West seat of Orange, the former Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party MP turned Independent Philip Donato enjoyed an 8 per cent swing, trouncing the National Party and seeing an Independent elected in that NSW electorate for the first time.

Speaking to ACM, Mr Donato said his record as member spoke for itself even after $50 million was awarded to the electorate by the Nationals in the months leading up to the election.

"You are always looking over your shoulder as a local member," he said.

"When you're an independent you don't have the big party machine behind you. They are hunting you down, that's a simple fact. They want to win the seat back."

In Bega, Michael Holland saw a swing towards Labor of 18 per cent - he had won the seat from the Liberal Party in 2022 following the resignation of Andrew Constance.

Lismore was one of the first seats called for Labor - and Janelle Saffin told ACM she was elated to see her margin increase - with a swing of 15.5 per cent in the seat that has seen a very tough few years.

Western Sydney also played a part in Labor's win. Parramatta - with exiting MP Geoff Lee and changed demographics - was taken by Labor's Donna Davis and the former deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres looks to have lost the seat of Penrith to Labor's Karen McKeeown.

Another key seat - Ryde, in Sydney's north west - looks like being won by Labor's Lyndal Howison after the resignation of popular Liberal MP Victor Dominello.

East Hills in the south-west was won by Labor's Kylie Wilkinson - it was always going to be tricky for the Liberals on just a 0.1% margin. And Sally Quinnell took back the outer south-west seat of Camden for Labor, winning it from single term Liberal Peter Sidgreaves. They also lost the outer north-west seat of Riverstone to Labor's Warren Kirby.

But there were some glimpses of hope for the Coalition - at least the Nationals - in some regional seats.

Nationals Adam Marshall (Northern Tablelands) and Kevin Anderson (Tamworth) both won their fourth straight elections.

"I've said all along, from day one, that you put people first and you let the politics take care of itself, and today, that's what we did in Tamworth," Mr Anderson said in his speech to a room of supporters.

In Bathurst, now ex Deputy Premier Paul Toole remained optimistic.

"The National Party has actually had quite strong swings towards it in a number of our seats," he told ACM.

"You have a look at first-timers like Coffs Harbour and Dubbo; they've had strong swings towards them. Even in Bathurst, we're looking at around about a five per cent swing."