The Coalition has suffered massive swings and some losses in several regional New South Wales seats on the way to its election loss on Saturday night.
Labor has claimed the once safe Liberal South Coast seat with retiring incumbent Shelly Hancock unable to pass the reins on to her former staffer, who ran as the candidate.
With a 14 per cent swing to Labor, Liza Butler will now represent the seat after a local campaign dominated by housing crisis, multiple natural disaster including the slow recovery from the Black Summer bushfires and concerns over poor roads.
The Labor Party has also swept the seat of Monaro near Canberra from the Nationals, which was once held by former party leader John Barilaro.
After a false start the party persuaded former Labor minister Steve Whan to run in the seat against transition MP Nicole Overall, who won the seat in a by-election after Mr Barilaro's resignation.
The ABC projects the former water minister will finish on 54 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, unseating the Nationals MP Nichole Overall who won the seat at a by-election 12 months ago.
Mr Whan has stopped short of claiming victory outright, but said he was optimistic about the result.
"I'd much rather be where I am," he told supporters.
"It's looking like I'm going to be part of [a Labor] government… I intend to make the most of it."
Speaking to party faithful in his home electorate of Bathurst, Nationals leader Paul Toole described today as one of "mixed emotions" after he secured a swing towards him in his seat.
"What's happened tonight isn't a great result for NSW," he said.
Labor's Maryanne Stuart has also claimed the seat of Heathcote from Liberal MP, Lee Evans.
A boundary redistribution had made the seat notionally Labor, but concerns increasing pressure on the commuter corridor and concerns about local health services had a major impact on voters.
"Someone who has lived here for 52 years, four generations of my family, it's meant everything," Ms Stuart said.
It is still too close to call in Kiama, where independent Gareth Ward is attempting to hold onto the seat against Labor challenger former union director Katelin McInerney.
Results on Saturday night show a 13.5 per cent swing to towards Labor in the seat, with 40 per cent of the vote counted Mr Ward holds 38 per cent of the primary vote.
Further north on the Central Coast, Labor's Sam Boughton looks set to win the Liberal stronghold seat of Terrigal.
The seat has only ever been in Liberal hands, but the 31-year-old physiotherapist looks set to claim it from incumbent Adam Crouch after a swing of 14 per cent.
"I could never have envisaged this happening," Mr Boughton said.
"I'm quite shocked."
Mr Crouch, who held the seat with a 12.3 per cent majority, would not concede defeat, with postal and pre polls still to count.
For the first time ever, the five seats of the Central Coast — Gosford, The Entrance, Wyong, Swansea and Terrigal — will all be held by Labor.
Regional independents make gains
All three of the former Shooters, Fishers, and Farmers MPs that left the party to become independents have gained significant ground to hold their regional seats.
The Barwon, Orange, and Murray MPs all who quit the party citing dissatisfaction with the leader Robert Borsak.
Orange MP Phillip Donato won with a commanding 15 per cent margin in 2019, and is looking to extend his lead even further by a projected 8 per cent.
Member for Murray Helen Dalton is also looking to consolidate her lead against the Nationals, having only won with a narrow 2.8 per cent margin at the last election.
This time around, current projections suggest a decisive 11 per cent swing towards her, which she celebrated with a "shoey" from the sand shoe of a volunteer.
"I'm like the wild colonial girl in parliament, I don't know too many rules," she said.
"I'm here because I love the seat of Murray and I think we deserve our fair share."
Member for Barwon Roy Butler has also shored up his margins, from 6 per cent in 2019 with a projected 16 per cent swing.
In Wagga Wagga, independent Joe McGirr has also increased his margin after winning the seat from the Liberal party at a by-election in 2018.
He is set to hold the seat with a 6.3 per cent swing bolstering his lead to 71.8 per cent.
