“It’s a way I can give back to the community that has given so much to me,” Ms Taylor said.

As a former councillor of eight years, Ms Taylor said she’s proud of her previous achievements which have included the fruition of the Crawford Street lifestyle precinct, the CBD beautification project, the establishment of the sensory garden in Ray Morton Park and the indoor sports centre, and city-wide upgrade of parks and playgrounds.

“The reason I ran in the first place was so little had happened with regard to improvement of infrastructure for such a long time and I knew the city needed progressive thinking people to bring everything back to the standard it should have been,” she said.

Ms Taylor said the newly expanded council area meant people who put up their hand needed to be willing and able to represent the whole community.

She hopes to be re-elected to work towards a regional sporting complex in Jerrabomberra, a cinema, and the final stages of the riverfront precinct complete with river pedestrian crossing.

Ms Taylor said she would also ensure the Ellerton Drive extension was complete during the council’s three-year term.

But the biggest challenge would be the need for work on a new local environmental zoning plan.

Ms Taylor said that meant getting out into the community and listening to the needs and wants of residents in both the city and the rural areas.

“The local environmental zoning plan will really set the tone for the future of our region and needs to be right,” she said.

Ms Taylor is running in a group which includes former mayor Tim Overall.