THE Greens have fired the starter's gun on the 2020 Wagga council elections more than six months out from the polls.
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Lead candidates Jenny McKinnon and Sarah Pollard-Williams launched their campaign on Wednesday, meaning they will have plenty of time to build their profiles before ratepayers head to the ballot box.
They will be joined by George Benedyka, Emma Rush and Eric Kaiser, who will complete the team of five.
The Greens ticket is running on building an inclusive community for this local government election.
"I strongly believe that the best way to prevent community discord and anti-social behaviour is to bring everyone into the community and make it as inclusive as we possibly can," Ms McKinnon said.
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She said the team's focus is on community groups and programs that celebrate and offer support to the entire community.
In regards to transport, Ms McKinnon said residents need "a more effect transport system" and "more cycle ways" for the villages and outer suburbs of Wagga.
"We need to find out from people exactly what their needs are and implement them," she said.
"It is about reducing car use, but again including people who might not have vehicles. We need to make sure people can access the services that they need."
Ms McKinnon said she wanted to ensure the region "remains an integral part of the food bowl of Australia".
"I want to work to prevent fracking in our local government area, to protect waterways and ensure crops and pastures are protected," she said.
With two women set to lead the Greens ticket, Ms McKinnon said it was important to recognise the lack of diversity on the current Wagga City Council.
"It is a real concern that out of nine councillors there are only two women ... and we definitely need better female representation," she said. But it did not end there, she said the local government area needs more representation for young people, multicultural groups and Wagga's large Indigenous population.
"We want to see a diverse representation on the council," she said.
In response to concerns about party politics in local government, Ms McKinnon said elected representatives need to be honest about their affiliations.
"Wagga has been well-known over many decades to have councillors who are affiliated with a political party and have not actually declared it," she said.
"I think we can see from the way they vote on particular issues ... what their affiliations are.
"It is time for honesty and transparency."