It has become known as the "sports rorts affair" or the "McKenzie scandal", and an audit found it was used as an attempt by the government to win marginal electorates during the 2019 election.
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However, for a small club caught in the middle, the money was essential for basic infrastructure.
Senator Bridget McKenzie, the then Minister for Sport has taken the brunt of criticism over the "pork-barreling" controversy, and Prime Minister Scott Morrison has distanced himself from the affair which has been likened to one similar to the Labor government of the early-1990s.
We applied for everything for 12 months, and in the end we got a grant.
- Candelo Campdraft Association president Neil Hukins
"The authority for making the decisions in relation for that program was the Minister for Sport. That's a fact," the Prime Minister said during question time earlier this month.
"The only authority sought from the Prime Minister's office and from myself was in relation to announcements."
The day before polling day last year, Ms McKenzie's office sent out an email listing Round 3 recipients of the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program, which included four Eden-Monaro announcements.
"The Liberals and Nationals are investing in upgrading sporting facilities across Australia because we recognise the wider health, social and community benefits that come from greater activity and participating," Ms McKenzie said at the time.
Included on the list was the Candelo Campdraft Association, which received $145,000 for shower block and toilet refurbishments at the Candelo Showground.
Three days before early voting commenced, on April 29, Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro Fiona Kotvojs visited the showground to announce the approved funding.
The association's president Neil Hukins said the refurbishment work is now complete, and the grant came after a number of earlier applications were turned down.
"It's a shame this [controversy] had to happen, but that's the way it is," Mr Hukins said.
"It's one of those things. We did what we had to do. We applied for everything for 12 months, and in the end we got a grant.
"The work will benefit the community, and the showground is a good evacuation point during bushfires, and firefighters can also camp here now and have showers, so it's a win-win for everybody," he said.
The work included the construction of three male and three female shower cubicles, gas hot water and disability access, and Dr Kotvojs said that the time the Coalition's goal is to reduce physical inactivity across the nation by 16 per cent by 2030.
"They have hundreds of competitors come for the campdraft and this investment will make it much easier to attract even more interest and increase their enjoyment of the event," Dr Kotvojs said at the time.
"To have a shower, it's not a luxury...but it is."
Dr Kotvojs went on to lose the election by just 1685 votes on a two-party preferred vote. She is currently campaigning for the electorate's by-election following the early retirement of Mike Kelly due to ongoing health issues.
On Friday she said she was "pleased" the project has been completed with the controversial funding "given its importance for the local community".
"I provided a comprehensive submission to the Select Committee on Administration of Sports Grants. Changes to projects in round three were made in accordance with the program's guidelines," Ms McKenzie said in a recent statement.
Then sitting MP Dr Kelly's office did not respond to an email from the Bega District News in March seeking comment on whether he thought the electorate was targeted by the Coalition funding during the 2019 campaign.
Following a request by shadow attorney general Mark Dreyfus, the Australian National Audit Office looked into the program, which involved $100million across 684 projects across three rounds between December, 2018, and April, 2019.
The office's report was released in January this year, and found that the applications recommended were chosen by the minister's office rather than Sport Australia, including the Candelo Campdraft Association funding.
It found almost three-quarters of the approved projects had not even been recommended by Sport Australia.
"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.
In February this year, the Senate resolved to establish a Select Committee on Administration of Sports Grants to investigate the administration and awarding of funding under the program.
The committee will present its final report on June 24 after being granted an extension.
