With the federal budget just around the corner MP Mark Coulton has raised concerns that the Albanese government has been ignoring the Parkes electorate and, as an extension, rural Australia.

"It has been ten months since the election and five months since the Federal Budget yet key funding for the Parkes electorate is still to be released by the Labor Government," Mr Coulton said.

"The Growing Regions was supposed to be Labor's answer to the former Coalition Government's Building Better Regions Fund, but it is yet to be established."

Mr Coulton says that instead the government is instead just piggybacking on coalition-driven initiatives.

"The Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program was already well established and was a Coalition initiative which has been extremely popular, yet neither program has seen funding released."

"I have called on the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Local Government to prioritise access to this funding, which is so needed by councils and communities in the Parkes electorate."

The current Federal Shadow Minister for Local Government, Darren Chester says rural communities are missing out on necessary funding under Labor.

"Rural and regional communities are telling us they have shovel-ready projects but Labor has abolished the previous grants program and failed to provide an alternative in a timely matter," said Mr Chester.

This sentiment is echoed by a spokesperson for the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridgett McKenzie.

"The government has failed to open a single new program that would enable the [western plains] community or Shire Councils to apply for community grants," they said.

Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King

On the other side of politics sits the Federal Minister for Transport and Local Government, Catherine King.

A spokesperson for Minister King says that while the funding for the Growing Regions Program has not been finalised, the government remains firmly committed to rural Australia.

"Given the significant problems highlighted in a report by the Australia National Audit Office into the former government's management of the Building Better Regions program, we are committed to the delivery of regional programs that will support value-for-money projects and are based on transparent and merit-based processes, in line with public expectations," said the spokesperson.

The problems refer to the less-than-favourable findings on how the BBRF $1.15 billion was directed.

 The Australian National Audit Office found that "65% of approved projects were not those assessed as being the most meritorious in the departmental assessment process."

The review also found that "Funding decisions were not appropriately informed by departmental advice, and the basis for the funding decisions has not been appropriately documented."

"The Growing Regions program will be open for proposals shortly, and with plenty of time for organisations to provide carefully considered applications."

"The Government has also delivered on the election commitment to expand the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program with an additional $250 million for road infrastructure in outer-urban and regional areas. This funding is on top of the existing $500 million commitment for Phase four."