NATIONAL Party musical chairs in southern NSW has continued with Murrumbidgee MP Adrian Piccoli choosing to run in the redrawn seat of Murray, however, there is still no decision about the new seat of Cootamundra in next year's State election.
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Following an electoral redistribution, the existing seats of Murray-Darling, Murrum- bidgee and Burrinjuck all faced major upheavals, with Murrumbidgee and Burrinjuck combining to create the seat of Cootamundra, and Murray-Darling losing the bulk of its total area and becoming Murray.
All three seats were held by National Party MPs - Mr Piccoli, Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson and National Party whip John Williams.
With Mr Williams contesting for a position in the Upper House at the next election, and Mr Piccoli confirming he will seek preselection in Murray, only Ms Hodgkinson remains without a place, and Cootamundra remains without a National Party candidate.
Ms Hodgkinson had previously stated her intention to run in Goulburn, which is held by Liberal Party MP Pru Goward.
A spokesman for Ms Hodgkinson said there were no developments on where she might stand in the next election following Mr Piccoli's announcement.
State director of NSW Nationals Greg Dezman confirmed no decision had been made on either where Ms Hodgkinson might run in the election, nor on any other potential candidates for the seat of Cootamundra.
"Nominations for Cootamundra haven't opened yet," Mr Dezman said.
Mr Piccoli said he decided to run in Murray after discussions with his family.
"A big factor is that the town I was born and raised in (Griffith) is now in Murray," he said.
While much of his old electorate of Murrumbidgee was subsumed with Burrinjuck into Cootamundra, part of it also ended up in the new seat of Murray as well.
William Wood was Mr Piccoli's opponent from the Labor Party in the 2011 election in Murrumbidgee, however, he said he had no intention to run in Murray or Cootamundra, having moved away from Griffith since the election.
Mr Wood said Labor was yet to set preselection dates for candidates in those electorates.
Mr Piccoli said National Party preselection for Murray would occur on May 24, but dates for some other seats such as Cootamundra had not been set.
Mr Dezman said preselection dates had also been set for Tamworth on March 29, Tweed on April 12 and Oxley on May 17.
Roderick Makim
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
