Ms Ellis has lived in Griffith for 28 years, and said her motivation for running was based almost entirely on a desire to give back rather than any problems she'd noticed.

"I've been highly involved in Griffith for 30 years and I think I have the skills and abilities to contribute. I love this place, I'd love to see it grow and become that regional capital," she said.

"I suppose the main point is that I'm not standing because there's anything wrong - most people are there because they love this city, I want to continue with that and help in areas that we could improve."

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She said that being new to council, she didn't want to make any promises and find later that she couldn't keep them - but was keen to address the housing crisis and the conditions of Lake Wyangan.

"A lot of people focus on the lake, it's a big issue. I live near the lake, I know it's not an easy issue to get on top of but I'm passionate to get involved and bring it back to it's heyday," she explained.

"Primarily, I see myself sitting there for the first year and just learning what council does and what we can do. Look at the policies that are already in place ... It's important to spend that time getting to know things, I don't want to make promises and find later on that I can't keep them."

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"One thing I've learnt is that even if I see a need, the first step is always to listen and ask questions. That's a really important part of who I am."

Ms Ellis added that while she was running independently, she was keen to balance co-operation and individuality.

"Unfortunately with politics, you can get factions and that can cause issues so I hope that with new faces, that there would be a bringing together of people and working together," she explained.

"[Not running on a ticket] was a purposeful decision because I just want to be standing on who I am. I don't fully know what everyone else stands for, so I want to stand on my own merit and be free to make my own decisions ... I don't want to be pigeonholed or feel indebted to anyone else. I want to be able to stand for all people."

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