In a decision that was supported by two of the four Diamantina councillors plus mayor Robbie Dare, the council resolved to increase their remuneration to the maximum amount payable under local government regulations.

It gave Cr Dare a 26 per cent wage increase, from $85,679 to $108,222, deputy mayor Doug Cooms a 73.5pc increase, from $35,970 to $62,435, and councillors a 107pc rise, from $26,118 to $54,110, effective from July 1.

Two of those councillors, Don Rayment and Steve Cramer, asked to have their vote against the motion recorded, and each has submitted formal letters that say their salary increase will go to charity.

As reported by the Courier Mail, Cr Rayment said he physically couldn't work any harder, while Cr Cramer said he believed the pay rise was unethical in light of the financial conditions brought on by coronavirus.

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Although neighbouring councils are yet to confront their own remuneration decision, three mayors confirmed that their rate of pay was either at the maximum amount for category one councils or close to it.

Bulloo mayor John 'Tractor' Ferguson said his shire's policy was to always adopt the Local Government Remuneration Commission recommendation.

"If you're going to do the job properly, you should take the pay," he said. "We've never had any problem with the public for doing that."

At Quilpie, mayor Stuart Mackenzie confirmed that he and his councillors were receiving the maximum amount, after not taking it when it was first brought in some years ago.

"The last council was of the view that it didn't want to decide every year so they'd just take what the commission recommended," he said. "The timing of Diamantina's decision is probably unfortunate."

Boulia mayor Rick Britton said his councillors had settled on a middle ground to date, thanks to having a mix of experienced and new councillors.

"It's not fair that councillors that have been there a long time get paid bottom dollar, but it's not the climate to go to the maximum," he said.

Saying he was "on a fair wicket" in his third term as mayor, Cr Britton said his diary showed that last year he'd spent 160 days on teleconferences, travel and meetings on council business away, which didn't include phone calls or time spent in the shire.

"It's a lot more involved than when I first got on council," he said, noting that owner-operators such as himself and some of the Diamantina councillors had to employ people in full-time positions to cover the time they were putting in to council business.

"You can't employ someone for a day," he said. "Rob will earn his dollars for the Diamantina shire, he's proved it before."

Cr Dare stood down as Diamantina mayor at the March 2012 poll after a number of years in the job.

While he was reluctant to comment and inflame the situation any further, he said he would be happy to be judged by his outcomes.

"I'm here to work, I've not stopped for one day since we were voted in," he said. "People in the shire say to me, you've been voted in, let's see what you can do."

Paroo Shire councillors, whose pay scale was less than the maximum before the March 28 poll, have agreed on no increase but not before an enterprise bargaining-style motion failed to gain support.

New councillor Patricia Jordan moved that remuneration be set at the current rate - $88,042 for the mayor, $42,987 for deputy mayor, and $33,747 for councillors - for the year but be increased by 2.25pc, similar to the enterprise bargain wage increase due to staff next financial year, but it lapsed for want of a seconder.