The man newly-elected to lead the state is a "strong supporter" of the Dubbo electorate, state representative Troy Grant says.
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Mike Baird was elected the 44th premier of NSW by the Liberal Party room yesterday afternoon.
The state treasurer replaces Barry O'Farrell who resigned after giving misleading evidence to the Independent Commission Against Corruption about a $3000 bottle of wine.
Mr Baird's elevation to the top job came just weeks after he offered up $1 million from the Cobbora Transition Fund for the Old Dubbo Gaol during a trip to Dubbo.
Mr Grant, a Nationals member, yesterday welcomed the outcome of the ballot held by his party's coalition partner and offered his congratulations to Mr Baird.
The Dubbo MP said his electorate was well placed with the new leader.
"Mike has been a strong supporter not only of my electorate, but also of me personally during my time in Parliament," he said.
"We have become very close colleagues and our friendship extends to our wives Kerryn and Toni.
"Mike is one of the most capable, genuine, honourable and decent men I have met, we share many values and a desire to serve our communities well.
"I am very confident that under his leadership and with the support of his Cabinet and parliamentary colleagues, NSW is in prosperous hands with a very bright future."
Mr Grant had declined to comment on the resignation of Mr O'Farrell on Wednesday but he broke his silence after the election of the new leader yesterday.
He paid tribute to the outgoing premier who served in the position for three years.
"I, like most of the NSW community, was shocked and saddened at the sudden resignation of the Hon Barry O'Farrell," he said.
"Over the last three years, he and his Cabinet team have been very supportive of the Dubbo electorate.
"Our electorate has seen a record number of ministerial visits and a record amount of funding for hospitals, schools, roads and community infrastructure as we began turning around the fortunes of NSW.
"With Mr O'Farrell's support, I was able to deliver on my 37 election promises to the community, putting the Dubbo electorate and region at the front of the government's mind after a decade of neglect."
Mr Grant said Mr O'Farrell had earned his respect and admiration on both a professional and personal level by setting the highest standards of "integrity and transparency".
"His resignation, whilst surprising given the speed and circumstances, was not surprising to me in regards to his integrity," Mr Grant said.
"He set the very highest standards for his Cabinet and parliamentary colleagues, and applied these values decisively to himself.
"Mr O'Farrell put the integrity and interests of the ICAC and the state before himself."