Mr Draper, who held the seat from 2003 to 2011, will go head-to-head with the man that removed him from office, sitting Nationals MP Kevin Anderson.

Speaking exclusively to The Leader, the 56-year-old father of two denied his shock political resurrection was fuelled by revenge, saying Mr Anderson’s failure to deliver for the community had spurred him to run.

“I want my kids to have a real future in this district,” Mr Draper said.

“But what we’re seeing now is that after eight years of hard work from me, Kevin has dropped the ball.

“It’s oOK for him to go and open things I had already opened years earlier, but you have to have a vision for the future and I think that’s lacking.”

He cited the rapid expansion of coal mining on prime local agricultural land, “unfair” water pricing in the Peel Valley and the looming sale of electricity poles and wires as key battleground issues for the seat. 

Mr Draper, who has run a driving school in the four years since leaving parliament, said he had been swamped by locals concerned about the lack of delivery from the Nationals and urging him to run in 2015.

“Much was made of the need to have a representative who was ‘at the table where the decisions are made’ prior to the last state election,” Mr Draper said.

“Disappointingly, the community has now experienced four years of inaction from the incumbent MP, who is more interested in petitions and photo opportunities than add- ressing issues that directly affect local people. 

“Kevin Anderson will happily turn up for scones, a cup of tea and a nice photo, but when a fight is looming he is nowhere to be seen.”

He implored supporters to rally behind him and help create a campaign fighting fund.

“It is going to be an enormous challenge because of the resource factor; the Nationals will outspend us ten to one,” Mr Draper said.

“I mortgaged our farm three times when I ran previously and my wife Sharon said she wouldn’t allow me to do it again.”

He described former New England independent Tony Windsor as a “great supporter”, but said his decision to back Labor in a minority government had effectively jettisoned Mr Draper’schances of holding the seat in 2011.

“It had a significant impact on that result,” Mr Draper said. “A lot of people have apologised to me but said they had to send a message to Tony Windsor.”

Mr Draper suffered a dramatic swing against him at the 2011 election, with Mr Anderson now holding the seat by a margin of almost 16 per cent.

So far, the political foes are the only two candidates nominated for Tamworth for the March 28 election.