Australia's most marginal seat has been smashed by devastating bushfires, floods and a pandemic since it last went to the polls in 2019.
The Macquarie electorate stretches from the turf farms and historic suburbs around the Hawkesbury River, to the eucalypt forests and tourism towns of the Blue Mountains at the furthest reaches of the Sydney basin.
In 2019, Labor incumbent Susan Templeman beat her Liberal opponent Sarah Richards by 371 votes — a close result that took more than two weeks to determine.
At 0.2 per cent, Macquarie boasts the slimmest margin in the country.
Differing opinions
Des Lloyd has voted Liberal for 45 years and planed to do so again on May 21, but said he had a "sickening feeling" Ms Templeman would be returned for a third stint.
The North Richmond local believed the Coalition had been "a good government".
But only a couple of kilometres away near the Hawkesbury River on the Richmond Lowlands, Samantha Magnusson disagreed.
Her property has been flooded three times this year and she is yet to bring her horses back after the most recent inundation in March.
"This area really can't afford another Liberal government," she said.
"Climate change is real [and it is] here.
"We see that with the flooding, we've seen it with the bushfires, we're seeing it with the urban heat, and I think those are issues that are now starting to resonate with people."
A divided seat
Macquarie is an electorate marked by contrast.
Much of the 4,300 square kilometres of the electorate is national park, including parts of the famous Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.
The seat encompasses the entirety of the Blue Mountains City and Hawkesbury City councils, and is bounded at the south by the Warragamba Dam.
At a state level, the Blue Mountains are held by a Labor MP while Hawkesbury is considered a very safe Liberal electorate.
At the 2019 federal election, almost all of the booths in the Blue Mountains voted Labor while in Hawkesbury almost all went to the Liberals.
Environment a priority
Later in 2019, thousands of hectares of the Blue Mountains were scorched by the devastating Black Summer bushfires.
It has left the environment front of mind for Alex Grilanc when he casts his vote.
He said fire was a feature of life around Katoomba.
"It's close and it's something I grew up with," Mr Grilanc said.
"I've had to evacuate a number of times from my house growing up, living in the Blue Mountains."
A few kilometres down the road is the popular tourist town of Leura.
Local resident Kathleen Linehan said she would make a list of pros and cons before deciding who to cast her vote for.
"I'm thinking about continuing to create a happy life for my daughter and I," she said.
All eyes on Macquarie
But the 2022 election is not quite an exact rematch of 2019.
The Greens have a new candidate in Tony Hickey, while Greg Keightley is standing again for the Animal Justice Party.
There are also other names, including Nicole Evans for the United Australia Party, Michelle Palmer for the Informed Medical Options Party and James Jackson for the Liberal Democrats.
Labor incumbent Susan Templeman acknowledged the seat was "really tight" following a 2 per cent swing against her in 2019.
Ms Templeman said Labor had committed cash for the State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service and community batteries to back rooftop solar.
She said her election as an opposition MP had put the region on the map and forced the Coalition to invest in big ticket infrastructure to "catch up" after years of "neglect".
Yet despite what she said was her record of delivering for the electorate, Ms Templeman said it was hard to predict the result this time around.
"I don't know what will happen, but I certainly hope the work I've done with the community will be endorsed on election night," she said.
Liberal nominee Sarah Richards said constituents were being offered "a clear choice, of two different candidates offering different things".
She pointed to the Coalition's policy of lower taxes, investment in a third crossing of the Hawkesbury River and the multi-billion-dollar upgrade of the Great Western Highway from Katoomba.
"I hope voters can see that I do take my commitments seriously," she said.
"It certainly is something the [Coalition] needs to win to make sure they can stay in government."
Both major parties have committed to establishing a veterans wellbeing centre in the region and improve mobile phone coverage.
"There should always be eyes on Macquarie on election night," Ms Templeman said.
