New allegations of pork barrelling over a $177 million bushfire relief fund

The funding also included more than $3.95 million to Snowy Valleys Council to construct infrastructure at the Batlow Caravan Park for itinerant workers. More than $3.5 million was allocated for a new cider manufacturing and distribution centre.

Projects related specifically to fire damage included the Wombeyan Cave Road at Bullio, which received $8 million, and the Bilpin Fruit Bowl, which received $1.23 million to upgrade damaged infrastructure.

However, other bushfire-affected electorates including the Blue Mountains say they were never told about the fund, as reported by Michael West Media this week.

A subsequent “open” round of $250 million in grants was promoted with a detailed assessment process late last year, for which applications closed on Thursday.

The government is facing accusations the first round of funding was kept secret from some of the worst bushfire-affected areas.

“There are still people across the state living in tents and caravans and local businesses struggling to stay open after the fires, and we have Coalition ministers doling out money based on politics rather than local need,” inquiry chair, Greens MP David Shoebridge said.

“It is now essential for the council grants inquiry to be extended to keep an even closer watch on how the next $250 million is issued.”

Mr Shoebridge said the lack of transparency had the hallmarks of the controversial Stronger Communities Grants Fund which is the subject of the ongoing parliamentary inquiry. That fund handed out $250 million worth of grants to local councils in mostly Coalition-held electorates in the lead up to the 2019 state election.

Mr Shoebridge will move a motion to order the production of all relevant documents to the bushfire funding when Parliament returns next month.

Fellow committee member and Labor MP John Graham accused the government of “doubling down on its pork barrelling,” despite knowing its grants processes were under scrutiny.

“This model in which they are just picking community groups, giving them money and getting away with it has to stop,” he said.

A spokesman for the Department of Regional NSW, which is led by Deputy Premier John Barilaro, said the bushfire relief fund was a “staged program” that was not yet complete.

“[The Department] worked closely with the National Bushfire Recovery Agency to agree on an initial set of known, priority, shovel-ready projects that met the criteria set under the national Bushfire Local Economic Recovery framework and were suitable for early co-funding,” he said.

He said the open round would prioritise the most fire-impacted communities across NSW.

Labor’s emergency services spokeswoman Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle slammed the initial roll-out, describing it as a “secret process with no transparent checks and balances”.

Ms Doyle said she had spoken to multiple business owners that were fearful of recrimination for speaking out about the relief fund because they were relying on success in the open round.

“This is public money meant to help communities recover from the most devastating bushfire season in living memory,” she said, adding that further examination by the parliamentary inquiry was “essential”.

Leader of the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party Robert Borsak, who is also on the committee, said he would support the expansion of the inquiry.

It will resume on Monday to examine the administration of arts and cultural grants and is expected to confirm two additional hearings to explore the bushfire relief fund.

Mr Barilaro will face the inquiry on February 8, after he accepted its offer to appear as a witness despite Premier Gladys Berejiklian refusing.