Drought funding used for music festivals, cemetery upgrades and a virtual gym

While many shires use grants for water infrastructure projects, Labor questions if money should go directly to farmers

Music festivals, cemetery upgrades, public toilets and a virtual gym are among the hundreds of projects to receive federal grants under the government's signature Drought Communities Program.

As the government fends off criticism of its national drought response, a Guardian Australia analysis of $100m in grants awarded under the program in 2019 shows that while many shires have used the grant program for water infrastructure projects, much of the funding has been spent on events, the purchase of equipment and maintenance work.