LEETON Shire Council has become unwittingly embroiled in the federal government's "sports grants scandal" that has been making national headlines.
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Council was this week identified as being one of many local governments or sporting organisations listed in a federal government spreadsheet detailing how likely it was to receive funding for a project it had applied for.
The colour-coded spreadsheet had been put together by then-sports minister Bridget McKenzie's office.
The document detailed the rating Sport Australia gave clubs or local governments who had applied for funding under the sports grant scheme, with Leeton Shire Council listed as being highly likely to receive this money.
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Council had applied for close to $500,000 to use to complete the Leeton Showground grandstand project.
However, council did not receive the money from the scheme, which is currently under fire after Ms McKenzie and her office allegedly approved grants for those in marginal seats at this time, including in her own electorate.
Federally, Leeton shire is part of the Farrer seat, which was not considered to be marginal at last year's election. However, the matter is not as scandalous as it first appears at face value, according to council general manager Jackie Kruger.
"Certainly it was disappointing to receive the news at the time that we had not received this money," she said.
"However, we did end up having that money funded by the (federal government) anyway under another bucket of money.
"So we didn't get the sports money, but we did (get it) from the Commonwealth's community development program fund.
"So we were fortunate enough to get the funding ... just through a different avenue."
The grandstand project has recently started construction and is also being funded by a large chunk of money from the state government and Crown Lands NSW.
