Cairns Regional Council Mayor Val Schier has issued a statement saying she is “flabbergasted” at Mr Entsch’s unsubstantiated claims and unwarranted attacks on a Council officer.

“If he has any evidence he should give it to the acting CEO, Ross McKim, immediately,” said Cr Schier.

“My Council wants to work in partnership to get the facilities this region needs and deserves. I urge Mr Entsch to stop making attacks on Council Officers and to talk to local and state representatives about getting projects up and running".

“Council will not be drawn into discussions such as this in the middle of a Federal election campaign, especially when it involves attacking a very hard working officer who has been with Council for only two months, and who has not been involved with any tendering processes for Council during that time or previously.”

Mr McKim said Mr Entsch’s claims of Council bias against local businesses in relation to the Cultural Precinct project are untrue and unfounded.

“The original feasibility study, undertaken almost two years ago, was arranged by the State Government’s Department of Public Works Project Services Division, and it was that Division which engaged all consultants. Council has not finalised the tender briefs for any significant work to be undertaken on the Cultural Precinct project, nor have we made any decisions on engagement of consultants or contractors,” said Mr McKim.

"We have only just been given the assurance by the Federal and State Labor Governments that funding will be made available for the next stage of the project, so we have certainly not entered into any tendering processes or any other kind of commercial relationships, apart from some initial marketing material, which was produced by a Cairns based creative agency".

“We have not finalised the design brief that will go out to tender, which will be the next significant stage of the project. When this process is undertaken, Council will follow the normal legal purchasing processes which accompany all of our major tendering processes".