“While answers on a number of outstanding questions have now been supplied, the answers to some of the questions have in fact done nothing but confirm some of our most serious concerns,” Mr Beyersdorf said.

His comments followed a report from Mr Chet-wynd published in The Leader this week outlining details of the Yaraandoo sale to tourism operators Jack Gordon and Lorraine Smith of Moffat Falls Pty Ltd.

Mr Beyersdorf said a cash offer for the property made by Armidale company Narcam had not been considered by the council at its meeting on March 19.

“This basically meant that council was erroneously relying on the lower and superseded (previous) offer of $600,000 from Narcam as a basis of comparison with the Moffat Falls bid,” Mr Beyersdorf said.

“It is a pity the mayor did not use the opportunity of his press release to answer the most recent questions that have arisen since the extraordinary council meeting (on July 17).”

The questions related to the contract of sale, “namely a number of substantial and worrying discrepancies between the report to council (June 25) and the actual contract, where, without informing or seeking the approval of council, the date of the first repayment was extended from two to three years with an interest-free period of three years, effectively almost halving the claimed interest rate of three per cent to 1.7 per cent.

“In addition, a clause allowing for the adjustment of the purchase price commensurate with any loss or damage suffered by the purchaser was not even brought to the attention of council.”

Mr Beyersdorf said this meant that at two important meetings, on March 19 and June 25, the elected councillors were not in possession of all information needed to make an informed decision.

“The mayor and general manager still have questions to answer about these discrepancies, but it is of equal concern that the majority of councillors seem to be blithely unconcerned at the fact that information received at two council meetings, which was the basis of important decisions by council, was incomplete and inaccurate to say the least,” Mr Beyersdorf said.

“I’m really beginning to wonder whether these councillors are as concerned about the need for proper process and their responsibility … as they are about primitive politicking, using their numbers in a totally undemocratic manner in an attempt to shut down legitimate questioning on these serious concerns.”