BY DAKOTA TAIT
The State Government's facing accusations of grant rorting yet again, with the Hunter mostly missing out in a gambling revenue grant program.
According to an analysis by the Sydney Morning Herald, opposition and crossbench seats received around a quarter of the ClubGRANTS Category Three funding over the last eight years.
Three quarters of the cash, around $75 million, went to Liberal and National electorates.
The program provides NSW registered clubs which profit more than $1 million from poker machines with a dollar for dollar tax rebate, limited at 2.25 percent, if they contribute to the funding pools.
The Category Three grants can go toward large-scale projects relating to sport, health, or community infrastructure.
The electorate of Swansea didn't receive a cent in the program, despite there being an estimated 763 poker machines in the region.
Swansea MP Yasmin Catley says it's no surprise, following similar scandals around the Stronger Communities Fund.
"The real issue with this is, there would be thousands of deserving community projects that have missed out on funding, simply because they live in the wrong area," Ms Catley said.
"We've seen here, pork barrelling at its absolute worst, by the Minister himself awarding three quarters of that grant funding, that is supposed to go to disadvantaged communities, to regional, rural communities, to areas of need, being used as the Government's own piggy bank."
Newcastle, which has around 1482 poker machines, received an estimated $969 for each machine.
Sydney seat Wahroonga, with only 29 machines, received more than half a million dollars, or almost $18,000 per machine.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp says it's a case of deja vu.
"The Hunter has absolutely been rorted again," he said.
"We knew the Government's grant process was a sham, now there's independent proof."
