KAMERUNGA residents last night accused their local MP of gagging public debate and refusing to consult over a controversial youth intervention centre in the suburb.

A vote of no-confidence in Barron River MP Steve Wettenhall was unanimously carried by angry residents after they left an invitation-only briefing session by Department of Communities staff about 8pm.

The residents claimed Mr Wettenhall "deliberately misled" constituents by promising public consultation then closing last night’s meeting to all except the 27 residents who lodged submissions to the Northern Outlook centre for "vulnerable youth" on Stoney Creek Rd.

"With (Steve) Wettenhall as the chair, he refused to take any of our motions inside the meeting so we had a meeting of our own immediately afterwards outside the door," concerned resident and spokesman for the Cairns Rainforest Estate Consultative Committee Peter Schaefer said last night.

At that impromptu meeting, Mr Schaefer said he and 22 other residents also unanimously voted to reject the department bureaucrats’ "unconvincing arguments" in favour of the project.

This included an independent traffic study which found there would be no detrimental effect from the centre on traffic, pedestrians, cyclists or parking.

"We’re saying even a small number of extra traffic movements on Stoney Ck Rd will make it unsafe, so nothing should be put there until it is fixed," Mr Schaefer said.

An artist’s impression of the proposed "adventure-based learning centre" for youths vulnerable to school suspension was also unveiled last night.

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