The NSW Liberal Party has performed poorly at this weekend's local council elections and the Baird government is wearing much of the blame.
Labor enjoyed large swings towards it in western Sydney and regional parts of the state, while Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore was re-elected for a record fourth term.
Ms Moore claimed more than 59 per cent of the formal votes in the City of Sydney, with her main Liberal rival Christine Forster running a distant second with 17 per cent of the vote.
It was feared the Baird government's recent voting rule changes, which gave businesses two votes in the City of Sydney, would severely disadvantage the 70-year-old independent councillor.
"They (the government) wanted to get me out and to get a Liberal mayor in, and that of course hasn't happened," Ms Moore said.
Labor enjoyed strong results in the western Sydney local government areas of Liverpool, Penrith, the Blue Mountains, Blacktown, Campbelltown and Camden while it won the mayor vote in Lake Macquarie and Cessnock.
The results reflect a "stinging rebuff" of the coalition government, Opposition Leader Luke Foley said on Sunday.
"The people of Western Sydney and across NSW have sent a message to (Premier) Mike Baird. "They've had enough of his high-handed arrogant behaviour," he said.
The coalition would be wiped from office if the swings were replicated at the state election, Mr Foley said.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce meanwhile blamed the Liberal backlash on Mr Baird's recent decision to ban greyhound racing, saying angry voters would have used the elections as a "cathartic mechanism".
"Be careful of your core constituency, they bite," he told ABC TV, adding that there would be much analysis of the political lesson from Saturday's vote.
"I just think that the greyhound decision has not been accepted in many areas, and it's probably good that the local government election is out of the way," he said.
A spokesman for Mr Baird said voters distinguished between local, state and federal issues.
"Results were variable, but there was a predictable easing of support for the Liberal ticket in some areas following the record highs of 2012," he told AAP.
"The NSW government is very proud of the massive program it is undertaking right across our state to improve our roads, public transport, hospitals and schools," he said.
"We will always listen to the concerns of the community as we continue to build infrastructure and improve services across NSW."
Final results in the 78 local council elections are not expected until after preferences are distributed.
Dozens more local governments have had their polls deferred until next year due to mergers.
