Thursday’s shock resignation of Premier Mike Baird has left Mr Toole as the last man standing of the three politicians who started a bold program of forced council mergers across the state.

Troy Grant resigned as deputy premier and Nationals leader in November and Mr Baird followed suit just two months later.

All three had taken plenty of flak over the amalgamations and as a number of cases continue working their way through the courts – including the proposed merger of Orange City Council and Cabonne Council – Mr Toole has now been left to bear the brunt of the protests alone.

Of course, an expected cabinet reshuffle following the election of a new premier next week could also find Mr Toole in a new role – or dumped as a government minister altogether – but few Coalition MPs would be lining up to take over the local government portfolio at the moment.

If he does retain the portfolio, though, Mr Toole must then wait to see whether the new premier shares Mr Baird’s commitment to local government reform.

New Nationals leader John Barilaro has already adopted a softer stance on mergers than his predecessor, meeting with many anti-amalgamation protest groups while offering no promises to them, and the prospect of a new premier can only offer new hope to merger opponents.

While it is too late to turn back the clock on those mergers already in place, the government could easily walk away from the current court actions – but surely it won’t.

While Mr Baird, Mr Grant and Mr Toole led the mergers program, the policy was still a decision of the government and to walk away now would leave all Coalition MPs looking weak.

Mr Baird and Mr Toole have been talking up the success of the mergers that are already in place so the government should have no reason to back down now.

To do so would be to waste two years of political capital and to have gained nothing from two years of political pain.

But political pressure can be a powerful thing and if the mergers played any part in Mr Baird’s decision to retire then his successor may opt for the easy road forward.

The community – and Mr Toole – can only wait and see.