The deputy mayor of the Gold Coast has been criticised for voting in favour of developments by her own political donors, dozens of times.

Investigations aired on the ABC say Donna Gates has not left the council chamber for nearly 30 votes in which she declared a “real or perceived conflict of interest”.

After last year’s local government elections, Councillor Gates declared $174,000 in campaign donations, including tens of thousands from developers and property industry firms.

Queensland does not have the same ban on developer donations to councillors that New South Wales has, and does not have any requirement for councillors to abstain from a vote in which they have declared a conflict of interest.

In Victoria, councillors “with a direct interest in a matter subject to [a] decision at a council meeting…must declare a conflict of interest at that meeting and leave the room before discussion and voting…takes place”, if they receive donations of $500 or more from a person or company.

Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission has launched an inquiry into recent local government elections involving candidates in four south-east Queensland council areas, including the Gold Coast.

The watchdog is investigating whether candidates “unlawfully influenced a council decision in relation to a development application in favour of a donor”.

Cr Gates is among those called to give evidence.

“I make a declaration of the possibility of a perceived conflict at council meetings,” she told the inquiry.

“I have, in the main, stayed in the room to vote in the public interest because I firmly believe that that's what I need to do.”

Gold Coast City councillor Bob La Castra told reporters that Queensland's Local Government Act should be changed to stop councillors voting on applications by developers they have accepted donations from.