Labor's Michael Pilbrow takes Highlands votes in close race for Goulburn

Up to 60 people gathered at the Goulburn Chinese Restaurant for a post-election function.

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Candidate and Yass man, Michael Pilbrow, was lauded as he arrived with wife, Lynne, and family.

"I feel exhausted but exhilarated that we have a Minns Labor government," he said.

But he wasn't claiming a local victory just yet.

At counting's close on Saturday, he'd polled 10,220 (35.76) primary votes to sitting Liberal Wendy Tuckerman's 11,330 (39.64). About half the total votes have been counted but the process wouldn't resume until Monday, the NSW Electoral Commission said.

On a two-party preferred basis, Mrs Tuckerman has 50.33pc of the vote to Mr Pilbrow's 49.67pc. The ABC's election analyst, Antony Green, is predicting a narrow Liberal win - 50.3pc to Labor's 49.7pc.

Mr Pilbrow has so far secured a 5.4pc swing towards Labor.

"It's looking really positive but there are a lot of votes to count yet," Mr Pilbrow told supporters.

"We'll wait for those, including the pre-polls and postals, but we can be so proud of what we've achieved today."

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Mrs Tuckerman held the seat by a 3.1 per cent margin. She conceded the Liberals had "taken a hit" in the Southern Highlands booths, which they traditionally won. However she said pre-polls and postal votes, of which more than 16,000 remained, usually went to the conservatives.

Mr Pilbrow said his and volunteers' "hard work" in targeting the Southern Highlands, where the party previously "struggled," had reaped rewards.

"I'm incredibly heartened that we had some really big swings in a lot of places, particularly places like Berrima, Bundanoon and two big Moss Vale booths that we hadn't won before," he said.

"We always struggled at Wattle Park (Southern Highlands) but we won it for the first time in anyone's memory."

Here, the primary vote was 257 to Mrs Tuckerman's 251.

He attributed this to the amount of door knocking, community meetings and Labor commitments to "key" issues like the Moss Vale fire station's upgrade. On Saturday, Mrs Tuckerman speculated that Wingecarribee Council's long administration period could have also influenced results, along with a 'teal independent' flow-on from the nearby Wollondilly electorate.

"It really came down to personal contact," Mr Pilbrow said.

"So many people at the Highlands booths came up to me and said they recognised me through our door knocking...We demonstrated to people across the entire seat that we were really serious about it."

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While the electorate was redistributed for this poll, cutting off Mrs Tuckerman's hometown of Boorowa, he did not believe it was fundamental to the result.

He recognised the seat's changing demographics, from its strong agricultural base to professionals commuting to Sydney, Canberra and the Southern Highlands for work.

But he also praised former federal senator and Labor candidate at the previous two Goulburn elections, Dr Ursula Stephens. Over the past two elections she had challenged sitting MP Pru Goward and Mrs Tuckerman, cutting the margin from 26pc to 3.1pc.

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"Having a phenomenal candidate like Ursula, a 12-year senator and key community member, has been huge in reducing that margin," Mr Pilbrow.

"...I feel like I'm standing on the shoulders of a giant."

Mr Pilbrow also attributed the result to volunteers' "incredible support."

Dr Stephens said things were looking "optimistic."

"Whether that's going to be enough, I don't know. I'm thrilled Labor is back in power in NSW and I'll be even more delighted if we break the back of Goulburn," she said.

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