Former senator Brian Greig is running for a seat on the City of Busselton Council in the upcoming local government election.
Mr Greig has owned a property in Geographe for several years and recently moved to the region from Perth
"It was our long-term goal to move here and semi-retire or retire but events overtook us and we decided to move here sooner rather than later," he said.
Mr Greig is in the process of setting up a media and communications business and saw the local government elections were coming up.
"I thought there is an opportunity where I can make a contribution," he said.
Mr Greig was elected to the Senate in 1999 and served until 2004 as a member of the Democrats Party.
He was also a former councillor for the Town of Vincent from 1995 to 1999.
"I have the skills, experience and background to have a crack at council," he said.
The big challenge Mr Greig sees facing Busselton and Dunsborough was a tension brought about from its exponential growth.
"It is a question of managing that in a way as best you can to preserve what's best," he said.
"The reason people love this area is the peace, beauty and tranquility. It's about the bush, beach and quietness.
"That is why people come here but if people come here in such great numbers that are not properly managed then you lose that.
"You cannot shut the gate, but a question of how you manage that."
Mr Greig said he dealt with the same issue while he served as a councillor for the Town of Vincent at a time when there were very few apartments.
"Now of course that area is chockablock full of apartments, the population growth trebled in size while I was involved with it," he said.
"It put incredible pressure on resources and facilities and how that was managed for things like parking and urban infill."
Mr Greig said there was a need in the region for a greater need of housing stock including more strata titles and medium density development blocks.
"One reason for that is affordability not everyone wants or needs a house, there is a lot of mono-cultural housing stock in the district," he said.
"There are a lot of retirees and single people, which are one of the largest growing demographics in Australia.
"I am not talking about tower blocks I am talking about medium density."