Ex-Dubbo mayor Stephen Lawrence seeking to run for the upper house in the March state election

"I have got a very diverse work history having done all sorts of things including a number of years in law [practice] and I've been a [state election] candidate before so I have an understanding of those processes," Mr Lawrence, a successful barrister, said.

"My years on [Dubbo Regional] council really gave me an understanding of the important issues our community faces and I have worked extensively overseas for a range of community groups so I think I've got the life skills and knowledge now."

Paving the way for Mr Lawrence's tilt is the recent changes in Labor's preselection rules for political hopefuls allocating one-third of the so-called winnable upper house seats for potential candidates who must come from regions.

Mr Lawrence, 47, moved to Dubbo with his family in 2010 to work for the Aboriginal Legal Centre prior to running for a Dubbo council ward.

But his rusted-on Labor voting family is originally from Griffith, where he was born, and they moved to Wollongong before settling on Sydney's north shore.

He was a Young Labor badge holder at 18 while a student at Sydney University where he completed his law degree.

As Dubbo councilor, Mr Lawrence said he has gone through "a series of difficult and confronting events" concerning approval of development applications that led to the resignation of former mayor Ben Shields.

Mr Lawrence stepped into the mayoral role when Mr Shields resigned last year prior to the September council election when independent councilor Mathew Dickerson re-contested the council seat and won.

"I have learned that sometimes you need to make a very hard decision, sometimes you need to do it at a huge personal cost but when you served in an elected office, you made a promise to the community that you will always act in the public interest," Mr Lawrence said.

Before breaking the news on Monday morning to the Daily Liberal of his decision to run as a Member of the Legislative Council, the upper house in the NSW parliament, Mr Lawrence walked the stretch of Fitzroy Street, where he lives, with his pet dog Flippy.

"I love Dubbo, it's great every year I've lived here I just loved it more," Mr Lawrence excitedly told this reporter meeting him at the arched entry to his paved driveway with Flippy, a half Staffordshire, half cattle dog breed.

"I have got to know the community better and love this community more, I love the lifestyle, it's been very good to me."

In last May's federal election, Mr Lawrence actively helped Labor candidate Jack Ayoub, an Australian Workers' Union official try his luck for the second time to unseat long-time Nationals Party MP Mark Coulton who won Parkes by a large margin.

Mr Lawrence's debut in politics was an unsuccessful run in the 2015 NSW election against former Dubbo MP Troy Grant, of the Nationals and former cabinet minister in the Coalition government when Barry O'Farrell and Mike Baird were both premiers.

But at the council level, Mr Lawrence has successfully brought in Labor-aligned councilors Pam Wells, Vicki Etheridge and Josh Black which he believed has shown a tight Nationals' bulwark can swing to Labor.

"We've never had it before...the Dubbo community is now seeing them as fair-minded and accessible [councilors]," Mr Lawrence said.

While serving as a civilian member of the Australian Corps, jointly working with the American defense and state departments' project in Bagram, Afghanistan in 2013 as a civilian lawyer mentoring Aghani lawyers as prosecution and defense lawyers, he came back home with a firm resolve to enter politics.

"When I see people in the community not having adequate access to housing, people not having adequate access to drug treatment services, or if I see systemic problems in the operations of the social justice system, those are the concerns that drive me.

"I've worked on those social justice issues for a long time and if I get into parliament, I will continue to fight for the equality of opportunity.

"I'm not really motivated by what's going on day to day in politics right now [but] I am passionate about social justice and I have demonstrated that through my work in the community and throughout my career...now is my time."

He also believes to run under the ticket of current NSW opposition leader and Kogarah MP, Chris Minns is an opportunity at the right time.

"Chris is doing an excellent job and he's cutting through the community...He gives support to [Coalition] government policies when it's warranted, he makes criticisms when it's warranted...I am very confident he will be elected as premier," Mr Lawrence said.

"I definitely want to be part of a new Labor government that will change the state in a positive way. I think it's important that there are strong country voices there at the table...I will be a strong voice for country people."