Nationals' Kevin Anderson and Adam Marshall set to join the opposition benches after winning Tamworth and Northern Tablelands

The two state members were returned easily on Saturday night - some experts declaring their wins less than an hour-and-a-half after the polls closed at 6pm - making them yet again safe retains for the bush-based party.

But the pair only know their jobs in government, both serving in the 12-year Coalition reign. Now they'll move to the opposition after Labor swept to power, winning several seats across Western Sydney and toppling many retiring ministers.

In Tamworth, Mr Anderson has 64.6 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote, compared to nearest rival independent Mark Rodda who was on 35.4 per cent, after voting finished on Saturday night.

READ MORE:

"I've said all along, from day one, that you put people first and you let the politics take care of itself, and today, that's what we did in Tamworth," Mr Anderson said in his winning speech to a room of supporters on Saturday night.

"You know what? We can hold our head high. We know that the Tamworth electorate will be a very strong voice in an opposition government."

Anderson had taken 51 per cent of the first preference votes with 15,344 voters putting him number 1 on the ballot. Rodda had 5469 primary votes with 18.2 per cent, while Labor's Kate McGrath had a swing to her taking more than 4184 votes, or 13.9 per cent of the votes.

The five other candidates - some of who were absent and did not do any media or campaigning locally in the lead-up - took single digit per cents of the votes. On current votes, there is a 13.4 per cent swing away from the Nationals.

Mr Anderson said continuing to deliver for the Tamworth electorate will be his focus now.

"To push hard, to hold the Labor government to account, and I think I know my way around parliament, to keep them bloody honest," he said.

"It's onward and upward."

In the Northern Tablelands, commentators remarked that Marshall again had the safest seat in the state.

Marshall had 70.5 per cent of the first preference count when counting stopped late on Saturday night, with 43.7 per cent of the total votes counted.

It means on a two-party preferred count, he has a lead of 82.9 per cent over Labor's Yvonne Langenberg. The seat saw a 0.2 per cent swing to Labor, with Langenberg taking 2577 of the votes - a far cry from the 17,427 that Marshall has.

Mr Marshall said it "had been a privilege" to serve and he was "determined to ensure that our hard-won gains over the last four years are just the beginning."

Counting resumed on Monday morning.

Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters