Turnbull Government backbencher Stuart Robert's testimony to Queensland's crime watchdog has been described by a Gold Coast councillor as "unbelievable".

Mr Robert told the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) last week the reason he helped divert $60,000 of Liberal National Party funds into the campaigns of two independent candidates before last year's Gold Coast council elections was to stop the Labor Party getting a foothold.

But independent councillor Peter Young said he believed he was the real target in the Gold Coast Council Division 5 election, not the Labor Party.

"I'm confident Mr Robert does not consider me an ally," Mr Young said.

"I've often been pigeonholed as an anti-development environmentalist."

Mr Young believes Mr Robert secretly diverted money into the campaign of his ex-staffer Felicity Stevenson in order to protect the interests of his pro-development donors.

"Felicity Stevenson even put me last on her how-to-vote card, behind the allegedly pro-ALP candidate," he said.

A spokesman for Mr Robert described Cr Young's claims as "false and disappointing".

"The management of Ms Stevenson's campaign was entirely up to the candidate, including preference arrangements," he said.

"The funding was provided to Felicity Stevenson by the LNP before Cr Young announced on February 10 that he would be contesting the election."

'My personal belief is that Peter Young was the target'

Felicity Stevenson's how to vote card from last year's Gold Coast council elections. ( ABC News )

In his testimony to the CCC, Mr Robert singled out AWU industrial advocate Stacey Schinnerl as the Division 5 candidate he was trying to stop.

But Ms Schinnerl has told the ABC she was rung by Ms Stevenson on February 13 last year and offered a preference deal.

"The offer was that we both put Peter Young after each other on our how-to-vote cards," she said.

Ms Schinnerl said the offer was not accepted.

"My personal belief is that Peter Young was the target, and it goes back to protecting donors to the Liberal Party," she said.

"Peter Young tends to vote against development applications that threaten the environment."

Mr Young won the contested division with just under 40 per cent of the primary vote. Ms Stevenson polled 20 per cent and Ms Schinnerl finished third on 16.6 per cent.

The LNP's financial support of Ms Stevenson was not made public until after the election.

Ms Stevenson was one of six candidates in the 2016 Gold Coast elections who hired former Tony Abbott staffer and developer lobbyist Simone Holzapfel on their campaigns.

Last May, 7.30 asked Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate whether he was aware Ms Holzapfel was working on so many campaigns at once.

His response was that he did not ask Ms Holzapfel for her client list.

Sorry, this video has expired Tom Tate questioned by 7.30 over the role of his campaign manager

The CCC is examining allegations of illegal activity in three Queensland 2016 council elections, including the failure of candidates to declare they are running as part of an organised bloc.

Cr Tate and Ms Stevenson are scheduled to appear before the Crime and Corruption Commission today.