Premier Gladys Berejiklian has appointed Liberal upper house MP Taylor Martin as parliamentary secretary for the Hunter, filling a post left vacant since 2019.
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Mr Martin, 30, replaces Scot MacDonald, a popular advocate for the Hunter who was ousted from Parliament in 2019 when he was rolled in a preselection ballot by Berejiklian ally Catherine Cusack.
Ms Cusack has been acting in the role without being formally appointed.
Mr Martin, a University of Newcastle graduate who lives at Terrigal, has also elevated his profile in the Hunter since 2019.
He was 26 when he was elected four years ago and remains the youngest MP in Macquarie Street.
"Since entering Parliament in 2017 as the Liberal Party's provincial MLC for the Hunter and Central Coast, I have spoken up on behalf of the Hunter region and I will continue to work with locals to ensure their unique issues and challenges are heard," Mr Martin said on Tuesday.
"The role provides additional opportunities for the Hunter to be represented within the NSW government."
Mr Martin was also appointed parliamentary secretary for the cost of living on Tuesday.
The Liberals do not have a lower house member among the nine state and four federal electorates in the Hunter, though Coalition partners the Nationals have Michael Johnsen in Upper Hunter at state level.
"The Berejiklian government has been working to help unlock the Hunter's potential as it continues its long-term transformation from steel city to smart city," Mr Martin said.
"Between 2016 and 2041 there will be an additional 137,000 people who will call the beautiful Hunter region home.
"This is a challenge that requires all levels of government to work together to deliver for the future needs of the region."
This story originally appeared on Newcastle Herald.