Brimbank councillor Virginia Tachos is the latest person to signal they will stand for the seat of St Albans at the November state election.
Cr Tachos had previously announced that she was going to stand for the upper house as an independent, but has since decided to make a run at the lower house.
Among the other candidates is current Labor MP Natalie Suleyman and fellow Brimbank councillor Maria Kerr, who is the liberal candidate.
Cr Tachos said she thought she could better help the needs of the local community in the lower house.
“A lot of people have said to me that I should run for the seat of St Albans,” she said.
“So I’ve decided to focus on that area and look to represent the local residents.”
Cr Tachos, who lives in the electorate, said many residents felt that they were forgotten about and that nothing changes.
“There’s a lot of challenges in the area and it’s about finding solutions to these challenges,” she said.
“I don’t feel like the current government is listening to the community.”
Cr Tachos said some of the main issues she would be focusing on, include the ongoing underground hot spot fires at the Kealba Landfill, gambling reforms and youth unemployment.
She said Brimbank continues to have the highest gambling losses and something needed to change.
“It’s a health issue and the income that is leaving the community is a large amount,” she said. “It continues to have social harms.”
Cr Tachos is also calling for a taskforce to help deal with the fires at the Kealba Landfill which have burned for for nearly three years.
