Liberal candidate Dr Carolyn Currie announced on May 25 that she has withdrawn from the race.

In an interview with the ABC, Dr Currie said she felt that she had no support in the area.

"At the moment there are no Liberal party branches in the Illawarra and there are only three in the Highlands," she said.

"Therefore I'm like a general with no troops.

"It is very difficult for me to mount any sort of reasonable campaign with no troops, as any general would know."

She said she felt the area of Whitlam - which includes parts of the Southern Highlands and the Illawarra - was divided.

"This is a remarkable area; it needs quite a unique person to represent the disparate groups," she said.

"It needs a very, very strong person who can unite a number of people to preserve it - possibly an independent, possibly a Green."

Dr Currie also said she had received resistance from local Liberal branches.

"They didn't want a candidate to nominate in the first place," she said.

"I was told quite clearly that although there might be a number of people, who are not official members of the Liberal Party, that might help me; the official members of the Liberal party would not.

"In fact possibly do the opposite."

Current member and Labor candidate Stephen Jones said she had "copped a bit" when she became a candidate.

"Good on her for sticking her hand up," he said.

"She wasn't a good choice for the Liberals - she's not a bad person, she just didn't know the area.

"I think it's interesting that she didn't endorse the Liberal Party on her way out."

Greens candidate for Whitlam Tom Hunt said it was a "shame that her principles have not been supported by the Liberal Party".

"Dr Currie clearly has some regard for the environment," he said

"The community in the Illawarra and Southern Highlands don't want coal mining under our water catchment.

"Unfortunately the Liberal Party has too many close ties with mining companies to be able to back the community on this.

"The Greens thank Dr Currie for her endorsement – Whitlam would have much better representation under the Greens than with Labor or Liberal."

A statement from the Liberal Party on Dr Currie's withdrawal was brief.

"The NSW Liberal Party's candidate for Whitlam has indicated that she is not in a position to continue with the campaign," it said.

"We wish her all the best.

"An announcement regarding a new candidate will be made shortly."