The meeting is disclosed in the official diaries of ACT ministers, which were finally posted online on Tuesday, as journalists entered the federal budget lock-up and attention was focused elsewhere.

The ACT diaries are published under the territory’s new freedom of information legislation, which began in January. The first three months of meetings have been released, but no details are provided.

ICD Property is headed by Michael Mai, reported in the Australian newspaper to be son of Boliang Mai, one of China’s most successful businessmen. ICD built Melbourne’s EQ tower with Chinese company Sino-Ocean Land, reported to be one of China's largest listed developers. Mr Mai has other big projects in Sydney and Perth.

Mr Barr met the ICD and its related Mai Capital on January 18 for a purpose that has not been disclosed. Mai Capital describes itself as an Australian investment firm that is creating a bridge between Australia and China.

Mr Barr's spokesman said the meeting had been with development manager Bobby Kennedy, deputy managing director Matthew Khoo, operations director, Sal Quah an acquisitions manager Ben Mckinnon.

MAI  had outlined its focus on investment in "healthcare and agricultural technologies", and Mr Barr had "outlined the benefits of investing in Canberra". MAI had also held meetings with the Suburban Land Agency.

Also in January, Mr Barr met Scentregroup, the Sydney-based firm that owns the Westfield shopping centres. And on March 29, he met Geocon, the Canberra developer headed by Nick Georgalis that has a string of high-profile high-rises on the go, including Grand Central being built in Woden the Wayfarer in Belconnen, with Republic planned nearby, Midnight in the city, Infinity anounced for Gungahlin, and a new 16-storey hotel planned for Garema Place. Geocon has now lodged plans for a 24-storey tower as part of a group of four it wants to build on the former Tradies club site in Woden.

Mick Gentleman, who is planning and urban renewal minister, met the chief executive of Elton Consulting, presumably Kim Anson, on January 30. Elton is a big consultant in the local development scene – including consulting on Manuka Oval and on the high-profile Ginninderry housing development in west Belconnen. Dan Stewart, who was deputy chief executive of the government’s Land Development Agency until mid-2015, is a partner in Elton.

Mr Gentleman also met consultant Tania Parkes in February, and held two meetings with the Nous Group. He met the chief executive of Andrew MacCallum Architecture in January and the chief executive of the Hellenic Club in February.

Health and transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris, who is tackling a string of problems in the health system,  has held meetings with the secretary of Unions ACT, Alex White, the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Transport Workers Union, United Voice and the Health Services Union.

On March 14, she held a meeting that included United Voice, Health Services Union, Australian Salaried Medical Officers Federation, Unions ACT, Community and Public Sector Union, and the next day she met the Royal Australian College of Surgeons, before the Health Services Union was back again on March 27.

She also met in March with the British government-owned Behavioural Insights Team, a firm that applies models of human behaviour to public policy-making.

Industrial relations minister Rachel Stephen-Smith has also held a list of meetings with unions, including the national president of the Community and Public Sector Union, Unions ACT, United Voice, the Nursing and Midwifery Federation, the Transport Workers Union and the Manufacturing Workers Union, some more than once in the three months.

Ms Stephen-Smith and gambling minister Gordon Ramsay met the then Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union secretary Dean Hall on January 22.

Greens minister Shane Rattenbury, who is minister for climate change, met Beast Solutions, a company which employs Simon Corbell, former deputy chief minister, who left the ACT Parliament before the 2016 election.

The ministerial diaries don’t include electorate or party political matters, media interviews or information that could disclose personal details about someone, affect a court case, or disclose information about security, public safety, or law enforcement.