After alderman Toni Tapp Coutts declared she was going to stand for Mayor, alderman Jodie Locke is now also campaigning for the coveted job.

The 39-year-old mother-of-three, who moved to Katherine at the age of 13, said her genuine love for the town, its surrounding regions and its people would make her a good Mayor.

“I believe Katherine is a fantastic place to bring up children, a safe place with beautiful things to see and do,” she said.

Mrs Locke, who is involved in the Clyde Fenton and Katherine High School school councils, in the planning of the new cultural precinct, the Motor Vehicle Enthusiasts Club and the Katherine Museum, said issues affecting the community would be high on her agenda if elected.

“I would like to see the bike path continued along the Stuart Highway around to Zimin Drive,” she said.

“And I believe there is a gap for youth in the community that needs to be filled.”

Mrs Locke said she would also like to see local roads to be “maintained on a higher standard” and for council to “work better with the government on a day-to-day basis”.

“And we live on a beautiful river which needs to be made more accessible for the general public, so people get to enjoy its beauty.”

Mrs Locke said it would be on her agenda to keep the river corridor clean, erraticate weeds and give people and boats better access.

“I would also look at working with rangers to find a way to maybe clear an area of the river from crocodiles to make it safe to swim.”

Mrs Locke, who owns a small caravan park outside of town, said her local knowledge and a passion for the region and its history would be of advantage.

“I grew up her and so did my children.

“I did my apprenticeship as a hairdresser in Katherine and at the ago of 23 I opened my own hair salon here.

“Together with my husband and my children I moved to Western Australia to run a community store for 2.5 years, but we missed Katherine and wanted to give the kids a better opportunity to further their schooling, so we came back.”

Mrs Locke, who works at Terrace Emporium, has organised the Katherine Debutante Ball for half a decade, and because of her passion for “history and old stories” she is heavily involved with the Katherine Museum.