trips.

Cr Lorraine Wreford won permission at last Tuesday's council meeting to spend $2520 on a Local Government Managers Association conference on the Gold Coast late this month.

Cr Kevin Bradford opposed the trip, saying mayor Janet Halsall and chief executive Mike Tyler were already packing their bags for the same conference.

Cr Wreford said she would bring back lots of ideas to benefit the community.

"I think it's within the spirit of the council that we use our education and conference allowance to go to relevant conferences,'' she said.

Councillors had earlier agreed to a 12-month moratorium on all overseas and interstate travel, following criticism of the council's reputation as a travel junket haven. The ban only applies, however, to trips funded under councillors' annual $5000 education, training and conference allowance.

Cr Steve Beardon was appalled at the travel ban backflip.

"It sickens me to see hundreds of thousands of dollars every year being wasted in travel and booze-ups for every letter-opening,'' he said.