Nats dig in in the battle for Upper Hunter

Dave Layzell and Nationals Leader Paul Toole at Cessnock Airport on Tuesday.

Upper Hunter Nationals MP Dave Layzell believes he can hold his seat at the March election, despite a redistribution that has seen it become the state's third most marginal electorate.

The redistribution has resulted in the party's heartland around the Liverpool Plains exchanged for the relatively urban areas of Lorn and Bolwarra, Largs and Branxton

Mr Layzell was elected in the May 2021 byelection with a 5.8-point margin. That has now been reduced to notional advantage of 0.5 percentage points.

"There's no doubt that it (the redistribution) has made it more difficult for me," he said on Tuesday.

Despite that, he said he felt confident of holding the seat 10 weeks out from the election.

"My strategy as the MP has been about creating relationships with the community. Now it's about going around to those groups and reinforcing what I have done to date and what I am capable of doing in the future," he said.

Labor candidate Peree Watson told the Newcastle Herald earlier this month that the party would win government if it manages to end Nationals' stranglehold on the seat on March 25.

In addition to an reinvigorated Labor campaign, Mr Layzell said he expected a strong showing from independents focused on issues related to climate and energy sustainability.

"The reason why the independents have been able to exaggerate some of those issues is because they are important to people in our area. The transition that the entire nation is talking about, is on the ground in this electorate," he said.

"I have got plans going forward and the state (government) has good plans going forward. It's about making sure that people know what our plan is going into the future."

He said the region's ongoing campaign for a greater share of coal royalties was a "battle that will never be won, but one that we have to keep fighting.There's always a fight to make sure we get a better share of those royalties that are produced in our area and goes into the state coffers," he said.

He cited of the Resources for Regions and Royalties for Rejuvenation programs as examples of initiatives specially created to benefit mining regions.

"Those sorts of programs that focus on regional areas make sure that we get a better proportion of the funds that are heading back into Macquarie Street," he said.

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