Western Australia's Minister for Regional Development has slammed a plan by the Federal Government to spend more than half of a regional infrastructure fund at Perth Airport rather than in the bush.

A total of $480 million has been allocated in the Federal budget towards upgrading the arterial road network around the airport.

The Federal Government says the project has been chosen because the airport is a gateway to regional WA and facilitates fly-in-fly-out mining operations.

But the Minister Brendan Grylls says there are many other, more worthy projects.

"I'm also surprised by some of the commentary I have heard that suggests that it's a good thing to facilitate fly in fly out work forces out of Perth," he said.

"If you want to talk to anyone in the regions, we are working as hard as we can to grow the housing, the amenity and infrastructure of regional communities because we don't think that fly-in fly-out is a positive for the community."