MOONEE Valley councillor Rose Iser has stood aside as president of the Victorian Local Governance Association after confirming she will run for preselection as a Greens candidate in the seat of Melbourne for the November 2010 state election.

Cr Iser, who is one of four confirmed candidates for the preselection battle, said she wanted to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest.

"The VLGA has a vital role in advocating to State Government on behalf of our members and I want to ensure that any such perceptions don't weaken our capacity to effectively represent our members and the local government sector."

The successful candidate will be up against Labor's Education Minister Bronwyn Pike, who has held Melbourne since 1999.

At the last election, Ms Pike retained the seat Australia's most marginal Greens-Labor battleground with 52.1 per cent of the vote.

Other candidates for Greens preselection include former Liberty Victoria president Brian Walters SC, former candidate Jen Alden, and first-timer Bruce Poon.

Cr Iser, a Flemington resident who represents South Ward, has been involved in local government for nearly three years and president of the VLGA since February.

Mr Poon is a volunteer for Vegetarian Network Victoria, and Ms Alden contested the Greater Bendigo City Council and ran for Northern Victoria in 2006 as a Greens candidate.

Mr Walters is an outspoken advocate for public interest causes and is a spokesman for Free Speech Victoria.

Melbourne Greens members will be sent preselection forms in the next month, and a postal ballot will be conducted to determine the successful candidate.