Bairnsdale resident, Trevor Stow, is standing as a candidate in the forthcoming Council elections in order to give something back to the East Gippsland region.

Mr Stow owned the Bairnsdale Newsagency for more than four decades and believes he knows the community fairly well.

As a former small businessman, Mr Stow believes the business community should be strongly supported by the East Gippsland Shire.

He also believes rate increases should be kept to a minimum and that farm rates, which are crippling some farmers, should be reassessed.