“We’re not fat cats”: Cairns leader defends ratepayer-funded cash splash, flies “cattle class”

Cairns’ deputy mayor has delivered a scathing broadside at critics, accusing residents of “nitpicking” over spending ratepayers’ money on accommodation at a luxury resort and upgrades to the mayor’s new office.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden and Deputy Mayor Brett Olds following her election victory on March 16, 2024. Picture Emily Barker.

Cairns’ deputy mayor has delivered a scathing broadside at critics, accusing residents of “nitpicking” over spending almost $50,000 of ratepayers’ money on accommodation at a luxury resort and recent upgrades to the mayor’s new office.

In an extraordinary 35-minute monologue delivered on his community radio program, Brett Olds took to the airwaves to attack Cairns Regional Council’s detractors while highlighting that top staff “suck it up” by flying economy rather than business class to save money.

The outspoken Division Nine councillor started by acknowledging he and seven other elected representatives chose to stay at the Reef House Boutique Hotel and Spa, a five-star luxury resort based on the northern beaches, for a council funded workshop last month.

But the expense – signed off on by interim CEO John Andrejic – was justified, the councillor said.

“It wasn’t a luxury retreat,” Mr Olds said. “No-one was having big palm fans (waved on them) and feeding us grapes while we were drinking piña coladas by the pool.

“We worked our asses off.”

The Reef House Boutique Hotel and Spa, Palm Cove.

The councillors didn’t have time to enjoy the adults only retreat’s heated and tranquility mineral pools, complimentary gin-infused welcome drink or curated room arrival, due to their hectic schedule, Mr Olds said.

“They’ve got full-time sleep therapists, they do yoga on the beaches, cocktail classes, wine matching and they have full-time people that they hire there to do those things,” he said.

“We didn’t get to do any of those things because we were in intensive workshops all day, every day.

“You don’t have to agree with me. I’m just explaining because no journalists or radio stations called me up, or anyone, to ask for our explanation.”

The Reef House Boutique Hotel and Spa and Adults is considered one of the best luxury hotels in Australia. Photo: Supplied

The Cairns Post contacted the council last month regarding the luxury workshop and received a joint statement from Ms Eden and the councillors which it included in its subsequent story regarding the “off-site” trip.

An early morning bike ride with fellow councillors along the Northern Beaches Leisure Trail had reinvigorated the elected representatives, Mr Olds said.

“We all talked about it, like ‘How’s this going to look?’ We knew that some people thought it might not be a good look,” he said.

“We needed to get together and do this and invest in ourselves for the next four years.

“We need to make sure that we’re collaboratively working together when we’re thinking about the vision for Cairns.”

Division Nine councillor Brett Olds presents a radio program on Cairns FM 89.1. Picture Emily Barker.

During his radio program, Mr Olds acknowledged recent criticism from Member for Cairns Michael Healy before adding that ratepayers’ money was spent locally.

“I get how it sounds and the optics, especially in a cost of living crisis,” he told listeners.

“I’ve had a few people reach out to me and say, ‘Hey this doesn’t look good’ and I agree if you believe the headlines.

“We thought about going away from Cairns so people wouldn’t see us. We said, ‘No. That’s not right. If we’re going to spend money we want to spend it locally.’”

Despite raising rates by almost seven per cent in June, Mr Olds said criticism of the workshop was unwarranted.

“When you’re talking about huge budgets of $660m-plus (like Cairns Regional Council’s) and you’re going to start nitpicking away at $19,000 here, $30,000 (there) and everything else, let’s be honest and start looking at everything,” he told 89.1FM’s listeners.

Cairns Regional Council Mayor Amy Eden says the decision to hold the workshop at the Reef House followed a “thorough evaluation of multiple venues, both within and outside our local government area.” . Picture Emily Barker.

MAYOR’S OFFICE

The city leader’s criticisms didn’t stop there, with Mr Olds blasting recent media coverage of Mayor Amy Eden spending almost $20,000 to upgrade her new office.

Ms Eden sacked former CEO Mica Martin in April, then within days moved into her workspace — which is bigger than where the mayor was previously based.

Mr Olds said he spoke to Ms Eden about her decision to move into Ms Martin’s office only recently.

“It was trying to make it out that she’s just wasting money, all your rates and everything else,” he said of recent reports.

“There are a couple of new chairs in there but everything else is (pre-)existing.

“Existing tables and chairs, an existing plant that was already there. There were some new curtains that were ordered and they’re not in just yet.”

Cairns Regional Council mayor Amy Eden and her former campaign advisor, now interim chief executive John Andrejic along with People and Organisational Performance director Christine Posgate at a Cairns Regional Council ordinary meeting. Picture: Brendan Radke

The mayor, her deputy and CEO had also created significant savings within the council’s budget by choosing to fly economy when on important council business, Mr Olds said.

“We go cattle class because you guys are paying for it,” he said.

“I’m a big guy. Could I get a benefit out of a business class seat? Y’know, I’m really tall. I’m a bit of a fat guy, I’ve got big shoulders.

“Yeah, I could probably get some benefit rather than sitting in these tiny little economy seats.

“But I suck it up. I sit in economy because you guys are paying for it.”

The former CEO spent $27,558.64 on the same office space, Mr Olds said, while former mayor Bob Manning spent $19,164 on his old workspace.

Mr Olds also accused the Cairns Post’s editorial staff of writing “negative” stories about Ms Eden after the council decided to pull sponsorship funding from the masthead.

The Cairns Post denies this claim.

In a statement, Mr Olds thanked Cairns FM for allowing him “to tell the full story”.

“It was a great opportunity to put all the facts out there,” he said.

Originally published as “We’re not fat cats”: Cairns leader defends ratepayer-funded cash splash, flies “cattle class”