Bega loss and big byelection swings are a clear warning to vulnerable NSW government

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet still has 12 months to win over sceptical voters before the general election, but first impressions are hard to shake. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

The so-called “super Saturday” byelection results may be bad for the New South Wales government, but they are not surprising.

While the full results won’t be known for weeks thanks to an increase in postal voting, it was clear by Saturday evening that the government had lost Bega for the first time since the seat was created in the 1980s.