Documents released under Freedom of Information showed that Mr McCormack's panel intervened to also fund $5.3 million for an airport project in Temora that was not recommended by Department of Infrastructure staff.

The two grants were $5.35 million to the Temora council for an airport runway, apron and taxiway upgrade.

The documents detailed one major grant for Wagga $10 million for a new PCYC sporting hub on Fitzhardinge Street, under the Community Development Grants program, which was recommended for by department staff.

Mr McCormack wrote to then Finance Minister Matthias Cormann other federal ministers in August 2020 advising them of the panel's decisions for the Building Better Regions fund..

Mr McCormack wrote that 49 of the 163 projects that were approved "were not recommend (sic) for funding by the Department" but "the Department did not specifically recommend that these projects be rejected".

"Please note that although not recommended by the Department, all the projects were assessed as Value with Relevant Money and no ineligible projects were funded", Mr McCormack wrote.

Mr McCormack this week defended the ministerial panel's funding decisions as "entirely appropriate".

"I was sent by the people of the Riverina to Canberra to deliver for the people of the Riverina," he said.

"Not a single project that was 'not recommended' by the Department received approval. All projects approved were assessed by the Business Grants Hub as eligible and representing value with relevant money.

"I am extremely proud of all Building Better Regions Fund projects which have been approved in the Riverina electorate, including the Temora Airport...they all came from up from the community which identified them as important to their local economies and services."

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The Temora airport grant was announced in early March 2019, just a few months before the federal election on May 18.

"The Temora Airport upgrade will benefit existing operations, provide much-needed safety upgrades and enhance the Temora Aviation Museum, which is one of the Riverina's most popular and successful tourist attractions and an important contributor to the Temora economy," Mr McCormack said.

"Consideration of Building Better Regions Fund projects began months before the 2019 election was called and approval of the Temora Airport project had no connection to the election."

Temora mayor Rick Firman said the airport had been in "desperate need" of an upgrade, which was still under construction, and likened Mr McCormack's panel to councillors making decisions on behalf of ratepayers.

"I hold the very firm view that the bureaucrats do a fine job in most circumstances, however, the community and the electorates elect their member of Parliament...and they are the ones that are directly answerable to the community," he said.

"It's like in council: we have staff that recommend certain courses of action and councillors will either accept, reject or amend that advice."

Cr Firman said there was "no way" that people in Temora would have a problem with the grant.

"We have missed out on plenty over our time and so have other councils around our region; sometime you win and sometimes you lose and we are happy for those that are successful," he said.

"These were crucial works that needed to be done and we did our very best and Mr McCormack was very generous in his response to our advocating and lobbying.

"At the end of the day bureaucrats can recommend all they want but the buck stops with ministers and MPs"

Labor duty Senator for the Riverina Deborah O'Neill said she found Mr McComrack's letter about the grants to be "infuriating":

"There are many worthy local projects across the Riverina electorate and all round regional Australia have missed out because their applications didn't suit the political goals of the Deputy PM Michael McCormack," she said.

"It's disgraceful. Community groups work hard on these applications, they don't have unlimited time or money to sink into applications that never stood a chance.

"Every community group or council which applied and missed out is owed an apology. If you have to be in a marginal Liberal National seat to be handpicked to receive a grant, Mr McCormack should let everyone know now so groups can save the time and effort of applying."

According to the ABC, which originally applied for release of the letters, the finance department redacted the details of the 112 projects not recommended for funding, and their total value, on the grounds that they "contain the outcome of Cabinet deliberations".

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