Augusta Margaret River Shire council candidates:
COMING in as the youngest candidate to stand can be daunting but Julia Meldrum feels her age makes her more in touch with the young families in the North Ward.
The 33-year-old mother of two is standing for the first time in the Augusta Margaret River Shire elections and wants to make a difference to rates, drug education and waste management.
"I have an understanding of the local community," she said.
"Young families are the future of the community and I understand their needs and how they are evolving."
One of Mrs Meldrum's main goals is to find ways to reduce rates to ensure they remain affordable for families.
"They need to remain at a reasonable cost price index," she said.
With the issue of waste disposal on the council agenda at present Mr Meldrum believes education is needed to ensure waste is managed correctly.
"Education and recycling are what people need to accept when it comes to waste management," she said.
"It's the way of the future."
The need for education is also shared when it comes to local youth and Mrs Meldrum would like to see more initiatives to educate youth on the dangers of drug use.
"A lot of families are concerned about drugs," she said.
"Education is a key part in keeping our kids safe.
"There are programs operating in other cities that offer education to high school children and I would like to see those brought in here."
Before putting her hand up for election Mrs Meldrum has been involved in a raft of community activities she will lean on for experience.that
She is the outgoing treasif governingurer registrar of the local BMX club as well as in the leadership committee at the Cowaramup Primary School as part of the positive behprimary schoolavioural support committee.
"It will be a challenge but I'm up for it," she said of her council pitch.
