CONTROVERSIAL political figure Pauline Hanson has announced her intention to stand for the seat of Lockyer at the next state election.
The electorate, which stretches from Greenbank to Toowoomba, has been held by LNP MP Ian Rickuss since 2004.
Ms Hanson said she had family ties to the electorate despite living in the neighbouring Beaudesert electorate.
"My family connections to the area go back to my maternal grandmother born in 1888, to parents who emigrated from Ireland to the area between Forest Hill and Laidley," Ms Hanson said.
Ms Hanson, 60, has returned to lead the right-wing One Nation party she founded 17 years ago.
The former federal MP stood in Beaudesert in 2009 but her bid failed, just like similar attempts at the NSW upper house and Senate.
Known for her controversial views on immigration, she said she would not campaign on the topic because it was a federal issue.
She said foreign investment and green tape were two of the most important issues for the Lockyer electorate.
"Queensland is gripped by rising unemployment, crippling debt, farmers and their families forced off their land due to drought conditions, banks and government green tape," she said.
Ms Hanson also spoke of the dangers of coal seam gas (CSG).
"There are no safeguards against the destruction CSG mining can do to our environment and health, but more importantly our water," she said.
Mr Rickuss said much of Lockyer was already protected from CSG by its strategic cropping land status.
"There's no coal seam gas wells in the Lockyer, there are no coal seam gas exploration wells in the Lockyer, and there are no coal seam gas exploration permits in the Lockyer, you can take it from me," he said.
Mr Rickuss said he was "not overly worried" about Ms Hanson's nomination.
"I'm quite happy to stand by my record on the things that I've delivered for the area, things like the improvements at Greenbank State School, those sort of issues are really important to people," he said.
"I take politics seriously, I think it's a serious business when you represent your people, I don't want it turned into a circus."
The state election will take place in the first half of next year.
