THE federal electorate of Bowman received $718,000 in grants from the Community Sport Infrastructure Program, a fund which the government is accused of using to shore up marginal and targeted seats leading up to the last election.
MP Andrew Laming said the fund worked out at $660,000 per electorate, meaning Bowman received a little more than the average.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Morrison government used the $100 million community sports program as a slush fund, overlooking projects approved by an independent panel in favour of marginal seats.
The National Audit Office found Nationals deputy leader and Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie ignored merit-based recommendations by Sport Australia for almost half the projects in favour of seats which were important to the government's re-election.
Mr Laming said Bowman received $484,783 for the Victoria Point Sharks (change rooms upgrade to include female facilities), $184,000 for Wellington Point Cricket (female change rooms), $50,000 for Wellington Point Bowls (lighting).
"So we received a total of $718,783," he said. "Bowman is not regarded as a marginal seat and these grants, particularly the change rooms, were considered high priority.
"I've never met a Redlander who argues about fair change room facilities for both male and female sports people."
Mr Laming said in addition to the grants, Redlands won $500,000 for the Redland Bay Cyclones/Sharks Cricket. This money was subsequent to the election.
In November, the auditor criticised the government over a $220 million jobs scheme which saw conflicts of interest and ministers' personal interventions in spending.
The review into the Community Sports Infrastructure Grant, released on Wednesday, showed that 41 per cent of projects awarded funding were not recommended by Sport Australia based on assessment against the program's criteria.
"The award of funding reflected the approach documented by the minister's office of focusing on 'marginal' electorates held by the Coalition as well as those electorates held by other parties or independent members that were to be 'targeted' by the Coalition at the 2019 election," the report said.
Opposition sport spokesman Don Farrell said the government's politicisation of taxpayers' funding for community sports clubs was appalling.
He called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to sack Ms McKenzie who is already under pressure over the handling of her agriculture portfolio.
Senator McKenzie said the sports funding program was popular.
"All projects selected for funding were eligible to receive it," she said.