Goulburn's Danielle Marsden-Ballard is hoping to be a councillor

Those are the first thoughts of Danielle Marsden-Ballard who is a candidate at the Goulburn Mulwaree Council election on December 4.

The educator, environmental scientist and designer with a tradie background said she wanted Goulburn to become the best place it could be.

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"I want to see Goulburn become a vibrant and safe community and a place people want to come to and are proud of." Ms Marsden-Ballard said.

"We have so much to celebrate with both our European and Indigenous cultural history and heritage.

"That means having an efficient and compassionate council, good governance, and not looking to the past, but seeing how we manage the challenges of the future by turning them into opportunities.

"Post lockdown, more people are wanting to move into the district for the clean air and environment.

"If we are to have development, it has to be done in a considered and sustainable way, based on evidence and the best science and urban and regional planning, not quick and easy profits."

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For six months of this year, she was a cofounder and spokesperson for Bungonia Action for Clean Air in fighting the Bungonia Incinerator proposal and is now backing the Tarago residents in their right for a clean and safe environment.

She is also currently appointed to the council's Sustainability Working Party and is passionate about the future sustainability of the region.

"I believe we need to halt what we can of climate change, and adapt to what we can't avoid," she said.

"We also need to do our fair share of reducing the global carbon footprint and urgently move to a zero carbon economy, while also getting the carbon back into the forests, grasslands, farms and the built environment."

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She has lifelong experience in community development and governance, including previous council working groups and was an elected member of the University of Canberra's council.

Only three of the nine current councillors are female and only two of the new faces standing for election are women, so she, along with Anna Wurth-Crawford, is representing a much-needed gender diversity on council.

She also represents the LGBTIQ community via Diversity Goulburn, and neurodiversity as she is on the Autism Spectrum.

Danielle Marsden-Ballard has been living in the region for over 35 years, mainly in Goulburn, with stints in the villages of Lake Bathurst, Marulan, Tallong and Bungonia Heights.

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