Chris Minns is hopeful Labor's champion for NSW regional issues Mick Veitch will be returned to parliament despite reports he's been dealt an unwinnable task.
The opposition leader said it won't be easy but he expects to see his colleague on the benches at Macquarie Street beyond the March 25 election.
"I'm operating from the perspective that Mick will be in parliament after polling day," Mr Minns told AAP.
"I don't want to gild the lily about it - it's a tough spot for Mick."
However the ninth place on Labor's upper house ticket was technically in play for the opposition, he said.
"I hate using that sort of lingo (winnable) because it's up to the voters what is winnable or not."
Analyst Kos Samaras agreed, saying recently published polls giving Labor 39 per cent of the primary vote to the coalition's 33 suggest Labor's plans are on track.
"If they get 38 per cent primary in the lower house and hold most of that upstairs, they will get close to nine (upper house seats)," the Redbridge Group director told AAP.
The result would mirror a landslide not seen since Barry O'Farrell's Liberals beat a Kristina Keneally-led Labor in 2011.
The result was called "cataclysmic" and a "bloodbath" at the time, with the coalition taking 38 per cent of the primary vote and gaining 11 upper house seats.
Confidence is high among the party's campaigners, Mr Veitch said, adding that he first took Labor's ninth seat in 2007 when the Iemma government won a decisive third term.
"We're pretty confident we are going to do well," he said.
Momentum was growing as the party continued campaigning in the bush, he added, with energy not seen since before 2015.
Factional deals that pushed Mr Veitch down the ticket led to criticism from Nationals MP and Regional Health Minister Bronnie Taylor, who called it a "sad day for Labor and a sad day for the regions".
Mr Veitch insisted he was not Labor's only regional representative on the upper house ticket, adding Emily Suvaal hailed from Cessnock in the Hunter and Stephen Lawrence from Dubbo.
"To say (Labor) deserted the regions is actually not true," he said.
As the anniversary of the deadly Lismore floods approaches, Mr Minns said he was concerned progress on recovery had slowed.
Flooding caused widespread destruction in the area in February and March last year, killing five people and destroying thousands of homes.
Despite a $520 million commitment from state and federal governments, a single at-risk home is yet to be acquired or repaired.
"Queensland seems to be moving quicker and has more effective on-the-ground resourcing," Mr Minns said.
However he doesn't want to jump into sweeping policy changes without local consultation.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said he wants to see funds out the door "as soon as possible".
"We've set up the machinery of government who are working through these very complex issues," he said on Tuesday.
"The community can rest assured this government ... will always stand by those people that are doing it tough."
Mr Minns said he will visit Lismore ahead of the election.
