Federal Labor stalwart Joel Fitzgibbon and up-and-comer Pat Conroy would be found new seats but long-serving backbencher Jill Hall could be forced out of Parliament under a plan being engineered by factional heavyweights in the wake of electoral boundary changes.

Mr Fitzgibbon's seat of Hunter has been effectively abolished as part of a contentious NSW redistribution announced by the Australian Electoral Commission.

Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon. Credit:Damian White

Mr Conroy's neighbouring Lake Macquarie-based seat of Charlton has been renamed Hunter and will take in many of Mr Fitzgibbon's electors.

While Mr Fitzgibbon is overseas and has yet to comment publicly on the AEC's decision – first flagged in October – it's understood he is pushing hard to take over as the member for the new Hunter.