Cairns mayor admits misconduct for sharing confidential information

A Far North Queensland mayor says she has "learned a tough lesson" after publicly admitting to misconduct as a councillor by sharing confidential information with a journalist.

The Queensland government's Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA) found Cairns Mayor Amy Eden released "information that the respondent knew, or ought to reasonably have known, was confidential to the local government".

The Councillor Conduct Tribunal found Cr Eden shared an email that contained an extract of legal advice council CEO Mica Martin had obtained in relation to councillors using discretionary funds to support a public art project.

She also forwarded an email exchange between herself and Ms Martin, detailing a conversation from a councillor workshop.

"Discussion had occurred about the possibility of council funding the costs of a former councillor who was involved in legal proceedings connected with the person's former position as councillor," the tribunal's findings read.

Cr Eden shared the information in 2023, when she was still a first-term councillor.

She became mayor of Cairns in 2024.

"It's a tough lesson to learn," she told ABC Far North Breakfast on Thursday.

"On one of the particular occasions, I didn't think that I'd done anything wrong.

"Unfortunately, a couple of words I sent in an email were quotes from legal advice."

Mayor spared financial penalty

The OIA took the matter to the tribunal, which last week found Ms Eden had "admitted the allegations at an early stage".

The OIA argued Ms Eden failed to remediate the breach or issue a public correction and had demonstrated "a lack of insight".

The OIA said the breach risked reputational and governance harm to the council.

It proposed that Cr Eden be required to pay the council $1,669.

The tribunal spared the mayor from doing so after she argued no other councillors found to have released confidential information had been made to pay a financial penalty.

The OIA said there were "several factors" behind why it had taken so long to resolve the matter.

"The allegations were initially contested by Mayor Eden, requiring a full investigation and the completion of natural justice processes," the OIA said.

"In February 2026, Mayor Eden subsequently agreed to the facts of the allegations, after which the OIA filed a misconduct application with the Councillor Conduct Tribunal the next business day.

"Delays in the resolution of misconduct complaints are commonly associated with subject councillors taking extended periods to provide submissions to the OIA as part of natural justice processes."

The OIA said it received about 1,000 complaints about councillor conduct each year, with matters typically investigated within 60 working days.

"Average complaint management time frames, including legal and natural justice processes, have significantly improved in the past two years following legislative amendments," the OIA said.

Cr Eden must now attend training to address her misconduct behaviour.

However, when she admitted the misconduct in the council chamber this week — as ordered by the tribunal — other councillors publicly called on her to give a more detailed explanation of what had occurred.

Anna Middleton, one of two councillors who tried to question the mayor about the matter after her admission at the council meeting this week, said the community "have a right for transparency" and "for it to be clear about what this admission is about".

Cr Eden shut down any discussion.

"It's not up for another councillor to question or interrogate that," Cr Eden told ABC Far North Breakfast.

Cairns Regional Council policies state that internal legal advice and closed council workshops and briefings must remain confidential.

"I'm not hiding behind anything. I've made a mistake, I've owned it, and I'm moving forward," the mayor said, adding she had since been agitating for councillor workshop topics to be made public.

"People want to know what is being discussed at the table behind closed doors."