'We started around the kitchen table': The independent trying to unseat Peter Dutton

Ellie Smith never thought she would get into politics.

But after her community decided they wanted to try and replace the local leader in the upcoming Federal Election, she was the last one standing when it came to who would run.

"We spoke to a lot of them, but in the end, everyone had a reason not," she told 9News.

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It just happens that MP is opposition leader Peter Dutton.

The 54-year-old former police officer has held the marginal seat of Dickson in Brisbane's north since 2001.

But Smith says some locals are not happy with his performance.

"There's a real feeling that we haven't been well represented for 24 years," she said.

"Really for the last 10 of those, he's been quite absent from the community.

"People really rack their brains to think what he's done for our local community and there's that energy for change, but they're not going to Labor."

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Smith, 40, who lives in lives in the semi-rural area of Camp Mountain with partner Peter, an electrical engineer and their eight-year-old son, thinks she has a chance at usurping Dutton.

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She has 500 volunteers on board, as well as 3000 other locals supporting her campaign, 1000 of them being donors, she said.

"We started with about 20 of us around the kitchen table the middle of last year," she told 9News.

"We liked the idea of having an independent who would represent our community."

Issues locals want action on are the cost of living including energy bills and grocery bills, housing and homelessness.

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She also wants to make sure the area gets its fair share of infrastructure cash for things like roads and transport.

"A lot of people can't get to work without driving. We've been called out as a traffic blackspot," she said.

And while Smith has a background as an environmental consultant, including for action group Lock the Gate, she said that isn't a big issue for most locals.

"I think people just want cheaper power bills," she said.

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And she's not worried about her and Labor splitting the vote against Dutton and the Liberals.

The margin is under two per cent, and another party or representative, Labor, has not won since 1998.

"I think that's the great thing about preferential voting system," she said.

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"People can put either me or Labor first, if they want to, or any number of eight other candidates on the ballot, and then they can preference as they wish," she said.

As for what independents can actually do if they get into parliament without the backing of a major party, she's confident of making a difference.

"I think there's a lot that can be done, and especially given the issues that so many people have raised with me are local issues around funding and support for projects.

"You kind of don't need to wait for legislation."