Mr Brown has been endorsed by the Greens and will likely take on Coalition stalwart Bob Baldwin when voters head to the polling booths late next year.

He has previously served as a councillor on Maitland City Council and has had unsuccessful tilts at State and Federal Parliament.

It is likely that Paterson and the neighbouring Hunter electorate will look ­different by the time the federal vote takes place, with a boundary redistribution expected to be finalised in February.

Mr Brown said Paterson’s new boundaries would make it a virtually new seat.

“Firstly, I am very proud and humble to represent the Greens and secondly this almost new seat of Paterson is calling out for a representative who cares about the top issues of social justice and the ­environment,” he said.

“The poisoning of the land and water around the Williamtown RAAF Base fits right into these two categories – cleaning up the environment from the toxic chemicals and, most importantly, making sure the people living in the area receive adequate compensation and health care. 

“So far they have been denied any ­justice at all. [They have been] totally ignored.”

Mr Brown, a former journalist for the Newcastle Herald, Cessnock Advertiser and Maitland Mercury, attracted 6.4 per cent of first preference votes when he contested the state seat of Maitland earlier this year.

In 2013, when the incumbent Mr Baldwin won the federal seat of Paterson, Mr Brown won 6.7 per cent of first preference votes.

“At a national level I put climate change as the top issue,” Mr Brown said. 

“People can be assured that I would, as their representative in Parliament, push for an increased emphasis on renewable energy. 

“That’s where the jobs are.”

Mr Baldwin told Fairfax Media in October that he would contest the next election for whichever seat covers the geographic base of towns that are currently part of Paterson.