Blue Mountains: Transport, environment top the list
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Michael Koziol looks at the electorate with a habit of setting trends. The Blue Mountains seat has been won by the party of government at every election since 1976. Although the lower mountains region is a Liberal stronghold, Labor supporters are readily found further west.
Transport is key here, with many residents commuting to Sydney for work. Liberal MP Roza Sage says there are mixed feelings about electricity privatisation in the region, but says train line upgrades and widening of the M4 would make it worthwhile.
Environmental issues are also crucial to winning this seat, renowned for its natural beauty and described by residents as "paradise".
Campbelltown: ALP hungry to regain this seat
Melanie Kembrey visits the electorate taken by the Liberal Party in 2011 after nearly 40 years of Labor Party of rule. And with electoral boundary changes causing the Liberal margin to increase, Labor have a battle ahead of them.
Both Liberal and Labor candidates are focusing their campaigns on employment, an issue of great importance to locals. A traditionally working-class region, unemployment is higher than the state and national averages, and residents blame a lack of local jobs.
Liberal MP Bryan Doyle says his efforts to secure Campbelltown as a regional city will bring jobs, services and transport, while Labor candidate Greg Warren says TAFE funding must increase so local people can access training and education.
East Hills: Liberal Party's most vulnerable seat
Rose Powell profiles the seat earmarked to swing to Labor on Saturday.
But voters in East Hills may not be thrilled either way, saying promises don't count for much here.
Sitting Liberal MP Glenn Brookes says privatising electricity assets would raise funds to fix health infrastructure in the region, and is also prioritising fighting crime so residents feel safer.
Labor candidate Cameron Murphy says the key to a better life for young people in East Hills is putting more resources into vocational education, and is concerned about cuts to courses at local TAFE colleges.
Lakemba: Where nations come together
Nicole Hasham visits Lakemba, where Jihad Dib has been given the task of retaining the seat Labor has held since 1927.
Mr Dib's high profile as principal of Punchbowl Boys' High School has made him a popular choice for locals, who see him as a role model for young people.
This seat is a melting pot of cultures, with one in three residents belonging to the Muslim faith and half of all locals having been born overseas.
Both Mr Dib and his opponent, Liberal candidate Rashid Bhuiyan, a local restaurant owner and property investor, are Muslim and were born overseas so they're on equal footing when it comes to understanding the needs of diverse communities.
They're also on the same page when it comes to election promises, with transport and education topping the list.
Newcastle: Divided over a train line
Eryk Bagshaw profiles the seat divided over tracks and sleepers. Newcastle, a safe Labor seat from 1927 until 2011, is now back in Labor's hands after a recent by-election prompted by ICAC corruption findings against former Liberal MP Tim Owen.
Newcastle's train line into the CBD is under threat, with the Liberals planning to sever the line at Wickham, and put in light rail services instead.
While Liberal candidate Karen Howard is calling the Newcastle train line an "ugly brown stain", Labor MP Tim Crakanthorp says Newcastle is at risk of outgrowing light rail and ending up with a second-rate transport system.
Other issues of local importance include cutting down waiting times at John Hunter Hospital and securing better funding for TAFE colleges.
Newtown: Labor-Greens battlefield
Michael Koziol looks at Newtown, a seat with the highest proportion of people identifying as having "no religion" in the state and where more people use public transport than any other electorate.
This progressive heartland is a new seat and notionally held by Greens candidate Jenny Leong. But Labor candidate Penny Sharpe is putting up a good fight, and the end result is uncertain.
Public transport, housing affordability and the threats to the character of the local area posed by gentrification are all pivotal issues for residents. Another big issue is the Westconnex Motorway, which would spill out thousands of extra vehicles at the southern end of King Street if constructed.
Penrith: Residents sick of broken promises
Rose Powell profiles Penrith, where key issues include the controversial new airport at Badgerys Creek close to the electorate's boundary and education. Like other western Sydney electorates, residents here are suffering from promise-fatigue.
The seat of Penrith has been held by Liberal MP Stuart Ayres since a 2010 byelection and is being contested by independent Jackie Kelly and ALP candidate Emma Husar.
Ms Kelly is fighting the construction of the airport, set to begin next year, and Ms Husar is opposed to TAFE cuts.
Another figure in the fight for this seat is Australia First candidate Victor Waterson, who is campaigning against plans to build Islamic community halls in the area.
Seven Hills: Boundary changes tilt the balance
Melanie Kembrey looks at the new seat where boundary changes have put the Liberal Party in front. Residents of the electorate previously known as Toongabbie may soon find themselves with a Liberal MP for the first time in more than 50 years.
Labor candidate Susai Benjamin is fighting this uphill battle with an election platform that priorities public transport. Improved bus and train services would be welcomed but locals say crime, housing affordability and cost of living pressures need to be addressed.
Summer Hill: Inner-city multicultural mosaic
Michael Koziol profiles the multicultural seat of Summer Hill, where transport is a hot topic. The proportion of residents who use public transport to get to work is the third highest in the state, and while the recent extension of the light rail to Dulwich Hill has been praised, some locals say improvements to transport could still be made.
Labor candidate and former Marrickville mayor Jo Haylen is favoured to win the seat, but the Greens' Max Phillips is in with a chance and Liberal's Julie Passas is giving it "a red hot go".
Sydney: Independent fights to hold his seat
Anna Patty visits the inner city seat of Sydney, held by independent Alex Greenwich after Clover Moore was forced to choose between being lord mayor and holding a seat in State Parliament in 2012. While Mr Greenwich had a clear lead back then, electoral boundary changes now mean Saturday's result may be a lot closer.
Mr Greenwich is campaigning on the issue of climate change, wants more light rail for the electorate and is against the sale of public housing and other public assets.
The Liberal's Patrice Pandeleos wants an increase in police numbers and the lockout laws to remain in place. Labor candidate and criminal lawyer Edwina Lloyd is promising to fight for better access to drug and mental health services.
Terrigal: Small business, burgers and Chris Hartcher
Eryk Bagshaw profiles Terrigal, a seat rocked by recent ICAC hearings and where locals' trust in politicians is at a low point.
MP Chris Hartcher is stepping aside and the seat will be contested by Liberal candidate Adam Crouch and Labor's Jeff Sundstrom.
Previously a safe Liberal seat, the damage caused by Mr Hartcher, and Mr Crouch's relatively low profile, may mean the margin is much smaller at this election.
Residents say pollution of local waterways and overdevelopment are problems in the community and both major parties have addressed these in their campaigns.
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