MURWILLUMBAH farmer James McKenzie is pushing for a place on the Tweed Shire Council in a bid to expose what he describes as "systematic corrupt misconduct”.

The 50-year-old has engaged in a long-running dispute with various governing bodies, including the Tweed Shire Council, alleging they have, among other things, "misused funds and stolen Wollumbin as the heritage and name of my family's mountain and applied it as a fake Aboriginal name to Mt Warning”.

"Very few people have any real inkling of the real issues and scandals in Tweed Shire Council,” he said. "My heritage has been stolen by council.

"I ran on these scandals eight years ago and they didn't listen. My priority is to expose these scandals.”

A descendent of one of the district's oldest pioneering families, MrMcKenzie continues to operate a 200ha property at Eungella, north-east of Mount Warning.

"I'm a fifth-generation farmer,” Mr McKenzie said.

"I run beef cattle on the flats and salvage sawmilling from the mountain. I'm a committed environmentalist and land manager.”

Mr McKenzie's ties to the land and region mean he is a strong advocate for the Tweed as a tourist destination, but he warned that politicians are destroying the "tourism marketing and tourism potential of the region”.

"They are killing the Tweed and none of them care,” he said.

"What they are doing is fake regional marketing.

"I would be looking at a TV campaign into the Gold Coast to piggyback onto the millions of dollars of Gold Coast marketing.”

He also plans to "turn the region on” by installing a webcam atop the mountain on his property and has investigated establishing a flying fox as a tourist attraction.

A former deputy president of the Tweed and Coolangatta Tourism association, past president of Murwillumbah Apex and founding president of Mount Warning Restorers, Mr McKenzie said he had the "runs on the board” to serve on council.

He is one of only four candidates not on a group ticket.

Mr McKenzie ruled out any preference deals and said he would continue to adhere to his low-key approach to the campaign.

"No how-to-vote cards, no expense account, no booths to be covered but I am genuine about my desire to be elected,” he said.

"I have given service on the tourism board and in roles for the shire for years so yes, I am genuine but my priority is to expose these scandals.”