Political leaders said it was a "win" for the Gunnedah community.

Local MP Kevin Anderson was inundated with calls from concerned locals after submissions asking the NSW Electoral Commission to shift the town into the neighbouring Barwon electorate were made public in July.

A draft plan released on Monday by the NSW Electoral Commission that keeps the town where it is, means certainty for the town, Mayor Jamie Chaffey said.

"It's our hope that the recommendation that's within the document becomes what is resolved and gives the residents of Gunnedah certainty," he said.

"We see it should be just business as normal. Put it behind us with the certainty and that focus of growth."

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Gunnedah looks to Tamworth as the regional centre for a range of business, council and government services, Cr Chaffey said.

The big city is also the region's direct air route to Sydney.

In July Gunnedah Shire Councillors unanimously resolved to lobby the commission to remain in the Tamworth electorate.

Mayor Chaffey said he had been "very disappointed" that others had campaigned for the change.

"Personally, myself. I was very disappointed to see that there was politics at play with some of the submissions that had been put forward.

"Members of the electoral commission review board took absolutely no notice of several political opinions that were put forward in submissions, and stuck to the truth of what should happen and reconfirm the importance of the Gunnedah Local Government area in the state electorate of Tamworth."

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said the draft maps, if approved, would come into effect in 2023, before the next state election.

"I had a lot of phone calls from the people of Gunnedah when others were seeking to change the boundary.

"Many people in Gunnedah were contacting me saying we want to stay in the Tamworth electorate, we want you to stay as our local member, we want you to keep representing us, so we sincerely hope that that's what happens."

In other changes though, the Electoral District of Tamworth would lose Walcha Shire area to the electorate of Northern Tablelands, but gain the Liverpool Plains Shire from the electorate of Upper Hunter in the plan.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall said his electorate, already the state's third-largest, would expand even further if the plan is approved.

Submissions are open on the draft electoral maps for 30 days from Monday.

The public can comment on submissions until December.

The final determination is expected early next year.

Both the Liberal Party and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party (SFF) made submissions to the commission to suggest the shire move from the Tamworth state electorate.

The Electoral District of Barwon, which is unchanged in the new draft maps, is held by SFF MP Roy Butler. It spans Narrabri to Broken Hill.