Mount Isa residents can still make corruption and fraud related complaints against councillors for free. 

Mount Isa City Council, in north-west Queensland, proposed charging a new fee of $200 for every complaint made against councillors earlier this year. 

The council wanted to impose the fee in response to waves of false and unmerited councillors. Mount Isa says that last year alone, it spent $200,000 investigating complaints that ended up going nowhere.

But the proposed $200 fee was shot down at the annual Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference last week.

Instead, Mount Isa will now require complainants to identify themselves. Anonymous accusations will be ignored.

“A few people were worried that [a fee] would give the impression that we weren't open and transparent, or that only rich people could complain,” Mount Isa City councillor Peta MacRae said this week.

“I think the community misunderstood.

“I think they thought this was to do with community complaints about council services, but this was about complaints that are put to the independent assessor about councillors.”

Ms MacRae says vexatious complaints also take a huge mental toll on local government leaders. 

“People are politically weaponising [complaints] … it's a really insidious and blatant form of bullying that is being experienced by councillors right across Queensland,” she said.

“This is a big issue all over the state.

“Councillors feel they can't speak openly, freely and candidly to the community in fear of having a complaint lodged.

“If you've got a genuine complaint, you should put your name to it.”