Granville on a knife edge; MP Geoff Lee hot favourite to win Parramatta

Polls, pundits and punters expect the NSW election result to be tight on Saturday night, with the seat of Granville too close to call.

Tony Issa (Liberals) and Julia Finn (ALP) try to woo voters at the Merrylands prepoll on Monday.

• Candidates pitch for your vote
• The tosser targeting MP's posters

Transport, development and the environment are set to be the major issues for voters in western Sydney when they head to polls this week.

Polls, pundits and punters expect the NSW election result to be tight on Saturday night, with the seat of Granville too close to call.

The latest YouGov Galaxy poll and betting markets put the Coalition and ALP at neck and neck in the race to form government.

Labor needs to flip 13 seats — with a statewide swing of 8.7 per cent — to govern in its own right.

Granville MP Julia Finn in Merrylands. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Granville is one of the seats firmly in play, with Labor MP Julia Finn holding a slim 2.1 per cent margin.

She is being challenged by old foe Liberal Tony Issa, who had won the seat in 2011 before being defeated by Ms Finn in 2015.

The Advertiser conducted a straw exit poll at the Merrylands prepoll booth on Monday, when Mr Issa had the majority of support.

However, bookies yesterday reported plenty of backing for Ms Finn, who has firmed into $1.12 from $1.35 with the TAB over the past fortnight.

Mr Issa’s odds of victory have drifted from $3 out to $5.

Ms Finn said improving public transport and the M4 were her main priorities.

“The train timetables have impacted Granville; it used to be greatly serviced with multiple train spots for a growing area and now that’s been cut,” she said.

Mr Issa said that if the Coalition Government was returned, it would bring back express train services to Granville.

Tony Issa at Granville station.

“The Transport Minister (Andrew Constance) has told me he will now ask for the timetable to include a number of express services, focusing on the morning and afternoon peaks,” he said.

“I have a proven track record of delivering for the people of Granville and I will do it again.”

Mary Ishak, of South Wentworthville, said transport was a big issue for her when she voted for Mr Issa on Monday.

Mary Ishak after casting her vote on Monday.

“I support Tony and Liberals. I don’t see the M4 as much of a problem now, compared to a year or so ago,” she said.

First-time voter Sarah Boyd, 18, of Merrylands, said she had considered supporting the Greens, but its candidate, Benjamin Prociv, was not in attendance at the prepoll.

Sarah Boyd, 18, was considering voting for the Greens, but no party representative was in attendance to answer her questions at the Merrylands prepoll on Monday afternoon.

“I wanted to know more about their environmental polices because I’m concerned about animal welfare,” she said.

At Parramatta, sitting Liberal MP Geoff Lee is facing a possible backlash on overdevelopment and the environment amid the construction boom in his electorate.

Lynda Voltz, ALP candidate in Auburn.

However, bookies expect him to comfortably hold his seat, which he first won in 2011, ahead of Labor candidate Liz Scully at $6.

At Auburn, Labor MP Lynda Voltz is a hot favourite to replace former Labor leader Luke Foley.

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