The federal electorate will have a new face come May 2019 with outgoing MP Luke Hartsuyker announcing his retirement in August 2018.

Mr Hartsuyker for The Nationals served the electorate for 17 years, retaining the seat for the conservatives in 2001 from the then retiring member Gary Nehl.

The seat of Cowper covers more than 7,296 square kilometres and is named after Sir Charles Cowper, who served as the NSW premier from August 25 until October 2, 1856.

The electorate includes Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Nambucca Heads, Macskville and South West Rocks.

The seat has been considered conservative since Francis Clarke claimed the seat in the first federal election in 1901 for the Protectionist Party.

Earle Page held the seat for close to 42 years from 1919. He was the caretaker prime minister when he contested the 1958 federal election.

The ALP did hold the seat in 1961 for two years when Frank McGuren snatched the seat from Mr Page, who was gravely ill. Mr Page subsequently passed away 11 days after the election unaware that he had lost the seat.

An election date in May has not been announced.

So far, there are four candidates campaigning for the seat.

They are Patrick Conaghan for The Nationals, Andrew Woodward for the Australian Labor Party, Independent Rob Oakeshott and Alexander Stewart for the United Australia Party.

Helping create better access to funding for innovative ideas, creating pathways for youth employment, boosting small business opportunities and easing traffic congestion at the eastern end of the Oxley Highway.

The Nationals' candidate for Cowper Patrick Conaghan has earmarked these areas as among key planks in the run up to the May federal election.

Mr Conaghan said aged care was a key driver for employment opportunities across Cowper but specifically in Port Macquarie.

He said there were other issues relevant to Cowper's other major centres including the Coffs Harbour by-pass and employment in Kempsey and the Nambucca Valley.

Andrew Woodward wants to rebuild the erosion of services across the electorate.

The Labor candidate for Cowper says the Coalition government has steadily dismantled "one brick at a time" some of our traditional services.

He says more services are being outsourced meaning there are fewer public servants employed to work for a growing population.

"We are seeing the erosion of services in our traditional areas like the ABC, TAFE, Parks and Wildlife Services, Centrelink and others.

"I want to work to restore these services," he said.

The electorate deserves leadership and imagination, he said.

Mr Woodward said he supports building major infrastructure items like hospitals and schools but government also needs to ensure trained and capable staff can fill the jobs required.

He says his election platforms include employment, environment and equality, particularly in relation to the NBN.

The former state and federal MP says he has re-entered politics because an experienced local voice is required to ensure the concerns of the electorate are heard and that local communities get the attention and resources they deserve.

Rob Oakeshott, who is running as an independent, says he is standing on a number of key platforms.

"Under-investment in local infrastructure, aged care and education not keeping pace with big city electorates, and the need for small business reform to drive local economies are some of the urgent concerns I plan to address when I return to parliament," he said.

"People in this region, whether they live in Coffs, Port, Nambucca, Kempsey, Bellingen, or South West Rocks, are frustrated at continually coming second to dysfunctional party politics in Canberra, or multi-billion dollar road and rail blowouts in Sydney." 

Mr Oakeshott says he shares the frustrations of local residents when governments fail to respond to the issues that matter.

He says he will deliver on local projects based on a proven track record.

Newly appointed candidate for Cowper for the United Australia Party Alexander Stewart has had a colourful career so far.

The 68-year-old engineer has worked in the past for six politicians.

He has also been a member of three other political parties besides the United Australia Party - the Liberal Party, Christian Democratic Party and One Nation.

Despite this Mr Stewart said he is committed to the United Australia Party as they offer something different.

"Australia is in a mess, democracy is in crisis and both sides of politics have failed over many years," he said.

He said his priorities if elected would be addressing youth unemployment which is the second highest in the country in the Coffs/Clarence area, justice for the dairy industry and better environmental outcomes which he believes can be achieved while maintaining logging.