The new Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, is making a show of reconnecting with regional NSW as she travels to National Party territory on Sunday to announce a new cabinet without three of its most experienced ministers.
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Ms Berejiklian will overhaul her cabinet extensively on Sunday, after the resignation of health minister Jillian Skinner last week.
Fairfax Media has confirmed that Mrs Skinner will be joined by two of the government's other most experienced ministers in exiting the cabinet.
Adrian Piccoli will leave the frontbench after six years as education minister. Fellow veteran of the National Party, Duncan Gay, MLC, will also be losing his cabinet post as the roads minister. Mr Gay on Saturday night forecast his retirement from politics as "sooner rather than later" but Mr Piccoli has ruled out quitting before the next election.
Prominent conservative Anthony Roberts will pick up the planning portfolio, which other MPs say is a substantial promotion at a time when tackling housing affordability is perhaps the government's most pressing policy priority.
Mr Roberts, previously responsible for mining policy as energy minister, will also add the role of special minister of state to his responsibilities.
Rob Stokes, identified as a contender for the premier's job before he ruled out contesting, will take over the education portfolio from his current post in planning.
Some Liberals told Fairfax Media they viewed that move as a snub, coming so soon after Mr Stokes - who has a PhD in planning law - had initiated reform of the state's planning system including a substantial increase in the minister's responsibilities.
Veteran minister Brad Hazzard, who has served as attorney-general and in the planning and community services portfolios since the Coalition took power in 2011, will replace Mrs Skinner in health.
Ms Berejiklian is expected to find room for a couple of new younger faces in the cabinet. Fellow north Sydney Liberal and Berejiklian loyalist Matt Kean will be promoted into cabinet as the new minister for innovation and better regulation, which includes responsibility for the Fair Trading Department.
Insiders predict current Innovation and Better Regulation Minister Victor Dominello, another MP close to the new Premier, will move into the job of finance minister.
Mr Gay, a former grazier first elected to the NSW upper house in 1988, said on Saturday night that he was now considering his resignation from politics "sooner rather than later".
His resignation would require a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament to select his replacement.
"I have spent $38 billion on road, freight and waterway infrastructure since 2011 - the likes of which have never been seen in the history of this state," Mr Gay said.
Ms Berejiklian spent Saturday in Tamworth where she announced new funding for a local sporting centre.
She will travel to Queanbeyan to announce her cabinet on Sunday, in the seat of Monaro, which is narrowly held by new Deputy Premier John Barilaro.
The move is being interpreted as a strong statement of the Premier's intent to refocus the government's relationship with the state's regions.
"That's a very strong signal that we will get our fair share," said one Nationals MP. "We've got plenty of credit built up at the bank and you can bet that [Mr Barilaro] is going to go fishing for it."
Mr Barilaro assumed leadership of the National Party after the party made a disastrous showing in a byelection for the seat of Orange last November.
The party suffered a shock 34 per cent swing and lost a seat it had held since the Second World War in a result that spelled the end for the then deputy premier Troy Grant.
Mr Barilaro immediately went on the front foot after Mike Baird's surprise resignation as premier earlier this month.
He declared his wholesale opposition to the merger of regional councils, a key Coalition policy, and said every aspect of the party's governing agreement with the Liberals was up for negotiation.
Ms Berejiklian has said she intends to listen to community views on council mergers and said she would govern for constituents in regional areas.
Many Nationals MPs are pointing to a recent report that found that only 10 per cent of the government's priority infrastructure funding went to rural and regional areas as proof of needed changes.
New deputy leader of the Liberal Party, Dominic Perrottet, has already been chosen as the new Treasurer.
Ministers will be sworn in next week.
