The NSW government looks set to pick up its 53rd seat in the lower house, with the northern electorate of Lismore expected to stay with the Nationals.
The Nationals' Thomas George seems to have survived a 22.5 per cent swing from his party to the Greens, whose candidate Adam Guise is 1526 votes behind with 89.8 per cent of the ballots counted.
Mr Guise briefly pulled ahead in the days after the March 28 election, raising the prospect of an unlikely victory.
But Mr George has clawed back ground and extended his lead. The ABC has called the seat for the Nationals.
Mr Guise said the close result was a victory for the community and a clear sign of opposition to coal seam gas projects and proposals in the area.
"Whoever is the member cannot be complacent in the role and must act immediately to ensure all gas licenses across the Northern Rivers are cancelled without compensation," he said in a statement on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, former Labor upper house member Penny Sharpe is attempting to reclaim the seat she vacated before the election.
She lost a bid to shift to the new lower house seat of Newtown to Greens candidate Jenny Leong in what she called a "disappointing result".
Ms Sharpe said she told opposition leader Luke Foley on election night she wouldn't be back in parliament.
But she has since been convinced to return.
"In the past week I have been overwhelmed by the number of calls and messages I have received from members of the community, members of the Labor Party and many Labor colleagues asking me to return to the Legislative Council," she said on Tuesday.
"I will seek the endorsement of the Labor Party to rejoin Luke Foley's team in the Legislative Council."
Labor has won 33 lower house seats and two others remain in doubt.
The coalition leads Labor by 420 votes in East Hills with 92 per cent counted, while Labor leads the coalition by just 51 votes in Gosford with 90.4 per cent counted on Tuesday.
The government on Tuesday announced several changes to the senior bureaucracy of the state.
Treasury secretary Phil Gaetjens will leave after the budget is handed down in June and trade and investment secretary Mark Paterson will be replaced Simon Smith, who takes on the new role of secretary of the Department of Industry, Skills and Regional Development.
Premier Mike Baird thanked the departing public servants for their work.
"We are fortunate to have had public servants of their calibre lead their respective departments," he said.
Share
