Gympie council CEO Shane Gray has refuted criticism of unprecedented delays in its awarding of environmental grants, and said such funding needed to be signed off by councillors, something which had not been done in the past. The council s process came under fire this year in a letter written and signed by three of the region s environmental groups: Cooloola Coast Care Association, Gympie and District Landcare Group, and Koala Action Gympie Region. The groups slammed the council for a delay in awarding grants funded by the Environment Levy, and said projects were being pushed back by up to five months as a result.