Members of a Queensland community on the receiving end of controversial federal funding to build a new school swimming pool say they did not want the pool anyway.

Key points: Money from the 'Female Facilities and Water Safety Stream' was sent to Mango Hill State Secondary College for a pool that will not be built

Money from the 'Female Facilities and Water Safety Stream' was sent to Mango Hill State Secondary College for a pool that will not be built The school is in the Petrie electorate, which Luke Howarth was at risk of losing in last year's federal election

The school is in the Petrie electorate, which Luke Howarth was at risk of losing in last year's federal election Mr Howarth has claimed the Queensland State Government has made excuses to not build the pool

Coalition MP Luke Howarth announced the $2 million for a new pool at the Mango Hill State Secondary College in his electorate of Petrie just a week out from last year's federal election.

The money came from a now-controversial Commonwealth sports program worth more money than the grants scheme that landed Bridget McKenzie in trouble.

Mr Howarth said many residents supported the project. But months later, the pool is not going ahead.

Parents said there were concerns about the cost and space required.

"My understanding was that the majority of people at the P&C (Parents and Citizens group), if not all of them, were against the pool," said Karel Rees, who has two children at the school and is a member of its parents and citizens association.

"Even the principal wasn't keen on the idea."

Mango Hill State Secondary College is in a rapidly growing area north of Brisbane and is still under construction to fit future students.

Luke Howarth and Scott Morrison campaigning in Petrie. ( ABC News: Marco Catalano )

"At the moment there's just grades seven and eight at the school, with just under 250 kids," he said.

"So the buildings are there for that at the moment and each year it's going to go up to include grade nine, then 10, ongoing.

"I've got another kid that's due to go there in a few years' time.

"I wanted to make sure there was enough room and there wasn't overcrowding at the school or overcrowding in the classrooms because we decided to put a pool in and couldn't build more classrooms."

Labor critical at 'attempt to sandbag' Petrie

The federal funding came from the $150 million "Female Facilities and Water Safety Stream".

That program was announced on the eve of the election and was pitched as a sports grants scheme to help local clubs make their facilities more female-friendly.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 44 seconds 44 s Andrew Probyn: Projects were 'carefully attuned' to problems Coalition was facing

Guidelines for the program were promised, but never published. And the great majority of the funding went towards swimming pools in just 11 Coalition-held seats.

Labor has described it as a "slush fund" and "sports rorts on steroids".

Local state Labor MP and Queensland Health Minister Steven Miles said the Mango Hill pool went to the heart of the problem with the whole grants scheme.

"It certainly looks like they've thrown him [Mr Howarth] some money at the last minute to try to change the result of the election," Dr Miles said.

He said the state's education department had found it would cost an additional $2.5 million to $3 million to complete the project.

Despite the scheme's stated aim to encourage girls into sport, the federal grant was also not enough to cover changerooms.

And the pool and its surrounding areas would take up around 5,200 square metres, using up the school site's only viable spot for future buildings.

"Obviously the community would appreciate a pool," Dr Miles said.

"But the education department looked at projected population growth and the size of the site, and the population growth is projected to be very large.

"We have, at a number of our schools, had to build up because we haven't had sufficient space to expand."

Coalition MP Luke Howarth visits Mango Hill State Secondary College in January. ( Facebook: Luke Howarth )

He said the grant for the pool looked like pork barrelling to protect Mr Howarth in the electorate of Petrie. Mr Howarth held the seat with a margin of just 1.6 per cent heading into last year's election.

"It was very clearly, I think, an attempt to sandbag Petrie and save Luke's seat," Dr Miles said.

"Ultimately I suppose it worked, I suppose it delivered what they wanted.

"But the whole process is pretty strange from the community's perspective."

Howarth disappointed in delay

But Mr Howarth has rejected the allegation that this was pork barrelling and said he had campaigned for a pool at that site since 2018.

"No, it wasn't pork barrelling," he said.

"Any marginal member worth their salt lobbies for projects."

He argued there was "only one reason" the pool did not go ahead and that was due to opposition from Mr Miles.

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Mr Howarth said he had contacted a local pool supplier who advised him on the total cost required to complete the project.

"I was quoted $1.5 million (for the pool) and I was quoted $500,000 for a clubhouse, which equals $2 million and therefore that is what I sought funding for," Mr Howarth said.

"I didn't speak to him about space at the time but, look, it's not rocket science.

"It's 50 metres long and it's eight lanes wide and obviously it would have a clubhouse and fencing and so forth.

"I've been to the school … there are areas where it could go near the tennis courts."

Mr Howarth said hundreds of people, including some parents, have also signed a petition for the pool to be built.

He said he had found an alternative site for a pool in the community which would be announced next Friday.

Parent Alana Pirret said she was disappointed there was not going to be a swimming pool at the school.

"I think it goes without question that a pool would definitely benefit the children of this school and the community," Ms Pirret said.

"I think there's one person who's stood in the way of this pool."