Dubbo journalist John Ryan will be a candidate in Central Ward.

Mr Ryan said he believed in standing for the ward where you lived and while he had called each ward but Wellington home, he was currently living in Central.

The candidate said running for Dubbo Regional Council was not something he had considered in the past, but said he believed now was the time to step forward.

“I’ve been looking at council for a long time and I think if you believe there are things that need to be fixed you’ve got to put your hand up,” he said.

Mr Ryan said he wanted to create harmony within council.

“I just think there’s a lot of disconnect between councillors and council staff, and I don’t think our council engages well with the community and we’re poorer for it.”

He also wanted to ensure there were no “warring factions” within the councillors. Mr Ryan said he wanted to see differing points of view and robust debate, but not to the level where it became counterproductive.

Dubbo also needed a really good grants officer, Mr Ryan said.

A quality grants officer would ensure Dubbo would capture outside funding streams, the council candidate said, which in turn would deliver better services and keep rates down.

The funding could then be used to improve the Macquarie River, which was the connection between Dubbo and Wellington, Mr Ryan said.

It could be used to install more Gross Pollutant Traps, he said.

Mr Ryan said a healthy river would also boost tourism – fishing tourism.

“We’re not that far away from Sydney for people who are looking to get away for the weekend,” he said.

As for the councillors themselves, Mr Ryan said there should have been 11 people, rather than 10, with an extra person elected from the Wellington ward.

The journalist said his priority was to make Dubbo a better place for all residents by seeing an elected council which would give firm, visionary direction to the paid staff, the way he believes local government was supposed to work.

“Council needs to listen to the residents, not dictate to them, and I want to hear what people want, to be their voice,” he said.