Macdonald, Maitland plead not guilty

Former NSW ALP minister Ian Macdonald has pleaded not guilty to misconduct in public office charges.

Macdonald is charged in relation to his handling of a lucrative mining licence at Doyle's Creek in the Hunter Valley.

Ex-CFMEU official John Maitland, who is alleged to have earned millions of dollars out of his involvement, also pleaded not guilty in an arraignment hearing in the Supreme Court on Friday.

Justice Peter Johnson set the trial down for March 14 next year, estimating it will take about eight weeks and will hear from about 30 witnesses.

The matter will return to court to hear pre-trial applications on July 6.

The court heard Macdonald, the former minister for mineral resources, is having difficulty finding the money for a legal team.

"He's only on a parliamentary pension and will be continuing with his efforts to get funding," his lawyer told the court on Friday.