PORK-barrelling claims against the WA Nationals and Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls, will be handed to the state's Auditor-General and public accounts committee.
Opposition regional development spokesman Mark McGowan this morning levelled rorting claims at Mr Grylls, saying money from the $95.5 million Country Local Government Fund had been used to sweeten National Party electorates.
The fund was set up to distribute Royalty for Regions money to country areas through a process where councils put in submissions for certain projects.
Mr McGowan said Labor's analysis of the spending showed $55.9 million went to five National Party electorates, while the six seats held by the Liberal Party received $14.9 million and Labor's five electorates gained $17.3 million in the 2010/2011 round.
"The National Party is using public money to pork barrell their own electorates and starve Liberal and Labor electorates of resources," Mr McGowan said.
"It seems the communities that produce the most royalties and need new infrastructure and funding for core services like health and education are missing out."
He called on Mr Grylls to explain the distribution of funds and said the matter would be referred to Auditor-General Colin Murphy and the Parliament's public accounts committee.
"I would say to Mr Grylls stop rorting this fund, stop using it as your own play-thing, start spending it more wisely on things that are more necessary," he said.
"Stop spending it on country towns often in very close proximity to Perth, on wasteful things. If you have a look at in past years what this money has been spent on, it's been spent on lifts in council buildings in close proximity to Perth, it's been spent on housing for the CEO of the local council."
He said the scheme was taking away money from royalty-producing areas like the Pilbara and spending it in electorates that barely contribute any royalties.
"In fact, the Pilbara electorate only received $4.1 million while the Central Wheatbelt, Mr Grylls' own electorate, received $13.8 million," he said.
"No fair system would take money from a major royalty-producing area like the Pilbara and deliver it straight to an area like the Wheatbelt that does not have the same need for infrastructure or programs."
Mr Grylls' spokesman said he would be addressing the media later today.
