CAIRNS Mayor Val Schier has been accused of buying her way back on to local radio - and the council is picking up the tab.

Yesterday, Cairns Regional Council chief executive officer Noel Briggs said he would launch an investigation into the agreement, believed to be worth up to $26,000, which bought the mayor an hour of air time each Friday morning.

The time slot is on celebrity radio presenter John McKenzie’s 4CA 846AM talkback show, but no disclaimer advising that it is paid comment is made on the show.

"The mayor has advised me she knew nothing of it before today and that she only recently became aware that an arrangement has been made between council and 4CA," Mr Briggs said.

"I’ve heard rumours of a figure equating to $20,000… but I would hope the figure is not in that magnitude."

The revelation came after Cr Sno Bonneau asked the mayor in yesterday’s council meeting to "clear the air" about an "arrangement" with the station.

Cr Schier, who refused to appear on the show during her first year in office, was shocked by the query.

The Cairns Post has been told McKenzie repeatedly attempted to contact the mayor last year over various issues but she would refuse to comment.

Later, when the council attempted to get back on air, officers approached the station and asked how much it would cost for the mayor to speak about current issues, such as the dengue outbreak.

Former Cairns mayor Kevin Byrne, who used to speak on the same radio station for an hour every Wednesday, yesterday said he was "flabbergasted" the council would pay to comment on air.

"We never paid," Mr Byrne said. "I never did and I did it for 10 years.

"It was very popular and I understand they (the radio station) had no trouble selling that hour," he said.

Cr Rob Pyne said he was shocked.

"Everything, from the way these decisions are made to the relationship between councillors leads me to believe this council is in danger of becoming dysfunctional," he said.

A shocked Cr Schier told The Cairns Post she had not overseen a written agreement or had any discussions about cash for comment but had yesterday learned a commercial arrangement had been made with the station.

"I was unaware of it until this afternoon," Cr Schier said.

"I would never have supported it. I ran for council on a platform of transparency and that includes transparency in decision making in the organisation.

"I thought that John McKenzie had finally changed his mind – he had not allowed me on previously."

In a leaked email written by the mayor, she appears to point the finger at council officers.

"I have become aware this afternoon that a commercial arrangement has been brokered by the manager of corporate communications between council and 4CA in relation to my appearance on the 4CA show on Friday mornings," the mayor's email stated.

Mr Briggs said he was aware of an arrangement, but said he believed it was for advertising and did not know the specifics of the agreement.

"I’ve just checked with the finance department and I haven’t received an invoice to date and I’m just checking that," he said.

4CA boss Steve Hirst said the council had entered into an agreement with the station and the mayor had been speaking on air for the past four to five weeks.

But he said he could not comment further on the agreement.

"I’m surprised the council don’t know what arrangement they have with us," Mr Hirst told The Cairns Post.

"I was contacted by council to arrange to get Val on the radio.

"There is nothing that the council don’t know about it," he said.

Radio presenter John McKenzie did not respond to calls yesterday.

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