When Lauren Edwards was 18 she decided to move to Port Macquarie.
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Ms Edwards grew up in South Australia but fell in love with the beaches and environment of the town.
She has lived on the NSW Mid-North Coast ever since and is now running as the Greens candidate at the federal election for the seat of Cowper.
"I have had a beautiful, full life in the region and now I want to give back," Ms Edwards said.
Ms Edwards is the sixth candidate to announce they are running in Cowper, joining Independent Rob Oakeshott, Nationals Pat Conaghan, Lex Stewart for the United Australia Party, Labor's Andrew Woodward and Independent Allan Green.
Ms Edwards' background is as a remedial massage therapist and musician.
She also volunteers for a variety of community groups.
She cites her work with the sustainability working group at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council as one of her highlights.
The group has been involved in creating an energy strategy for the council.
Ms Edwards said the election will be fought on climate change and the Greens are the only party who have "the ambitious targets that we need to get to the temperatures that we can survive with".
"We need to aim higher," she said at her campaign launch.
Ms Edwards will also be campaigning on creating jobs through the environment.
These include in ecological restoration and the tourism sector.
