Local coal miner Andrew Jackson will stand as One Nation's candidate for the seat of Gladstone at the Queensland state election on 26 October.

Mr Jackson, 60, has been working in the Central Queensland coal industry for almost 40 years and said he supports a strong future for the much-maligned commodity.

“Labor and the Greens may demonise coal but it continues to power Australia, boost exports, provide jobs and support regional Queensland communities like Gladstone," he said.

“In the Gladstone electorate, mining directly supports more than 2300 jobs and indirectly supports about another 17,000 jobs. Mining contributed S3.9 billion to Gladstone's economy in 2022-23, with about $1.5 billion benefitting more than 540 local businesses and more than 140 local charities and sport clubs.

“My extended family is one of many in our community that depends on mining for a living. 1 will always stand up to Labor or Green attempts to sacrifice this industry on the altar of climate change.

“We need to abandon hyper-expensive renewables and forge an independent energy policy that prioritises affordability, reliability and jobs over the climate change scam. That means protecting the coal industry."

Mr Jackson, who is married with children and grandchildren, said his main priorities were practical measures to reduce the cost of living, strong policies to address youth crime, supporting small businesses, regional health and addressing Queensland's housing crisis.

"I'm also going to focus on regional mental health," he said.

“With my church, I run a men's group in Gladstone which gathers regularly to ensure social connections and look after each other. Mental health sendees have been slashed nation-wide, but I'll work hard to get improved mental health resources in our community.

"Regional centres like Gladstone are being short-changed and neglected in Queensland. I want to help bring regional Queensland back to the centre of government decision-making, look after our $116 billion mining sector and $27 billion primary production sector, and prioritise the essential services it needs but has been denied.

“There's a lot of potential in Gladstone. It's a great regional community that can be even greater.

"I want to be a strong, loud and accountable voice for the Gladstone community in Parliament."

Local coal miner Andrew Jackson, pictured here with Senator Pauline Hanson who visited Gladstone over the weekend, will stand as One Nation's candidate for the seat of Gladstone at the Queensland state election on 26 October.