Member for Paterson Meryl Swanson now has a place as deputy chair of a new Federal Government committee which will look at the benefits and necessity of regional development and decentralisation.
A key focus will be looking at the pros and cons of moving government departments from Canberra to regional areas like the Hunter and putting them in the best possible position for jobs and growth.
Meryl Swanson says it's pivotal regional areas don't miss out and she will ensure her electorate and the whole Hunter region aren't forgotten.
"We do need to have good services from government, we need to look at government departments moving to the regions and that's what this committee will be doing. Are they a good thing, are they not a good thing, we'll be making those inquiries and trying to figure out just what role the regions play."
She also says there's more to decentralisation than just moving government departments from Canberra to regions like the Hunter.
"Decentralisation is also about governments providing enough support and enough staff for the departments that are already in existence in those areas. So rather than sacking all the Centrelink staff, ensuring that staff are there is a very important thing. It is about how we ensure that we've got enough staff to make sure the people in the regions are well serviced," said Meryl Swanson.