While the area was once considered to be in the too-hard basket, party strategists are now daring to hope that at least two, and perhaps three, of the five state seats which make up the region's Labor heartland are there for the taking in 13 months' time.

Confirming the emergence of this new-found electoral confidence, party insiders say there are plenty of well-known potential candidates putting their names forward for preselection battles in the seats of Heathcote, Keira and Wollongong.

In the seat of Kiama, which the Liberals say they must win to form a government, nominations have already closed, with a three-way preselection contest scheduled for April.

During a recent visit to the seat, Liberal leader Barry O'Farrell told the Mercury: "One of the differences between the Liberals and the Labor Party is that we are committed to democratic preselections - branch members get to have a say.

"I have been saying for two years now that the intention was to try and have candidates a year out from the election. We are on track to do that in Kiama as elsewhere.

"Heathcote is going through the process now.

"There are other seats in the Illawarra where people have come forward wanting to nominate ahead of the schedule."

The only nomination so far in Heathcote is 49-year-old small businessman Lee Evans, who gave Labor incumbent and now Ports and Waterways Minister Paul McLeay a run for his money in 2007.

Mr Evans polled just 4500 fewer primary votes than his Labor rival, who won the seat with the help of Greens preferences.

"There's a different feel to the electorate this time around," said the man who, for months, has been standing shoulder to shoulder with visiting shadow ministers.

He said he would not be surprised if others put their hat in the ring for preselection in Heathcote.

"We live in a democracy and if that happens that's a healthy situation," Mr Evans said.