His key focus is preventing the planned expansion of coal mining on the Breeza Plains.

He says the seat’s main contenders, incumbent Barnaby Joyce and independent Tony Windsor, are polarising figures.

“I also don’t think [independent candidate Rob] Taber will be able to wedge the vote,” Mr Cox said yesterday. His decision coincided with the opening of Mr Taber’s election office in the Beardy Street Mall.

Passers-by were offered free coffee and cake at the opening, attended by an ABC Four Corners filming crew.

There are now nine candidates vying for the seat, tipped to be a showdown between Mr Joyce and Mr Windsor, who retired at the 2013 election.

Then, Mr Joyce won more than 64 per cent of the vote on a two-candidate preferred basis, with Mr Taber winning 35 per cent of the vote.

Scone resident David Ewings will stand for Country Labor, Mercurius Goldstein will stand for The Greens, Jamie McIntyre will stand for his 21 Century Party, David Mailler will stand for CountryMinded and Archie Lea will stand for the Christian Democrats.

Mr Cox, 57, has no election office, however, he has set up a Facebook page which drew 20 likes.

“THIS is effectively a two-horse race; I’m chasing the disaffected voter,” Mr Cox said.

The son of dairy and beef farmers, Mr Cox became a full-time solicitor in February 2012, starting as a rural criminal-litigation solicitor in Moree in 2012.

He became interested in the coal mining and coal seam gas debate in 2009, when he was the primary negotiator for Forests NSW.

 “I had to look at all land access agreements for coal companies and coal seam gas  already operating on state forest land,” Mr Cox said. “Many didn’t have land access agreements and part of my role was to ensure they had a legal right to access the land, together with ensuring environmental safeguards were put in place.”

The work made him take a stand against proposed new coal mines in the electorate.

“People have to ask themselves, do they want new coal mines to proceed in the New England, because if they vote for the Nationals, they will,” Mr Cox said.

He said he was hoping to pick up the informal vote.