Peter Harris, who works at Glen Park Community Centre in Bayswater North, has lived in the Evelyn electorate for 38 years, residing in Coldstream, Lilydale and more recently Mount Evelyn with his wife and daughter.

"I also have three sons from my first marriage who all live locally and have been involved in local sporting clubs.

"I am at present chairperson of the Mount Evelyn Township Improvement Committee and involved in various capacities with the Coldstream football and cricket clubs in the past."

Mr Harris, 43, said his decision to run for Parliament was largely due to his "sound knowledge" of the area and his interests in community needs and concerns.

"I hope that over the coming months, in the lead-up to the election, people will get the chance to see that I am hard-working with the community at heart.

"I have spent the last seven years working for the communities around Bayswater North and its surrounding areas with a special interest in men's health and wellbeing.

"Most people who've met me in the course of this work would say that I am prepared to put my heart and soul into it."

If elected, Mr Harris said he would work with the State Government on issues such as transport, public safety and health in the outer east.

"Since 1999, the Government has invested $25.7 million in schools in the Evelyn electorate, boosted Eastern Health's budget from $175.37 million in 1999-00 to $412.99 million in 2008-09, and with projects like the new Lilydale police station about to come on board, it has invested heavily in community safety.

"Despite these impressive figures, it is the Government's investment in projects like Men's Sheds and contributions through the community support fund to building more resilient communities that led me to want to become a part of this Government.

"While a lot has been achieved in the past 10 years, we realise there is a lot more to do."