NSW Labor has committed to re-establishing a Hunter ministry if it forms government on March 25, potentially giving the region a seat in cabinet.
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The Opposition's shadow Hunter minister, Swansea MP Yasmin Catley, confirmed the move on Wednesday.
The Hunter has not had a dedicated minister since Gladys Berejiklian occupied the role in former premier Mike Baird's Coalition government in 2015.
Mr Baird scrapped the Hunter, North Coast, Illawarra, Western NSW and Central Coast ministries that year but retained a Minister for Western Sydney.
He appointed Scot MacDonald as parliamentary secretary for the Hunter and Central Coast, a non-cabinet position now filled by upper house MP Taylor Martin.
Previous Hunter ministers include Michael Costa and Jodi McKay in Labor governments and Mike Gallacher and George Souris in the O'Farrell Coalition government from 2011 to 2013.
Before 2003, the Carr Labor government included a Minister Assisting the Premier on Hunter Development, first veteran Charlestown MP Richard Face then Michael Egan.
Newcastle Labor lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes said on Wednesday that reinstating a Hunter ministry would give the region a seat at the most important decision-making table in NSW politics.
"With the Hunter excluded from cabinet, it means all of the decisions of the NSW government basically happen around that table," Cr Nelmes said.
"You might have MPs and backbenchers, but when push comes to shove on funding decisions, on policy decisions, on the future of the state that affects people's working life, private life, us in local government, if the Hunter doesn't have a seat at that table, they can't influence the decisions they need to to make sure we're looked after in Newcastle and the Hunter."
Cr Nelmes said the Hunter's gross domestic product was double Tasmania's and its population significantly larger, yet the island state had 12 senators in federal Parliament.
"This is federal, obviously, but you can actually see where the missing money and decisions are.
"If you are not a capital city and you're a metropolitan area and you're in a big state like NSW and you're sharing your 12 senators around, you are going to have less of an influence and less of a say.
"We all know those numbers matters in Parliament.
"The same rule would apply to the NSW government.
"If you've got ministers for western Sydney that sit in cabinet with other portfolios at the same time, but the Hunter doesn't have anyone in cabinet, then you do have an ongoing decision of knocking on that door."
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
