Auditor general finds no ‘clear basis’ for half of Safer Communities Fund grants

Five applicants deemed ineligible' under program's guidelines received money

Grants awarded under the Coalition's $184m Safer Communities Fund were not appropriately informed by departmental briefings", with more than half delivered without a clear basis for the decision", an auditor general's report into the program has found.

The auditor general also found that a total of $1.12m in grant funding was paid out to five separate applicants despite them having projects deemed ineligible" under the program's guidelines.