Ray Draper, the chair of the Ballarat Environment Network, said Tony Abbott’s Green Army came virtually free to Landcare groups.

He said news that Landcare would receive $100 million as part of the backpacker tax deal was a “mere pittance” that would soon disappear once the organisation had to pay for contracted labour.

Ballarat Environment Network has used the Ballarat Green Army, made up of young unemployed people, on a number of occasions, including for weeding, fencing and gorse removal.

Mr Draper said he also worked with the Leigh Catchment Landcare group, where he worked alongside the Green Army while testing for the endangered growling grass frog.

“Now the Green Army comes virtually free to the Landcare groups. What happens when the Landcare groups need extra labour, they will have to pay for it out of that $100 million, so they will have to pay contractors,” he said.

“It’s a pittance in the whole scheme of things, there needs to be 10 times as much as that.

“You’re looking at around $50 to $100 an hour depending on what work’s to be done.

“It sounds really good – $100 million – but by the time people pay out for all the jobs that need to be done, there’s not enough money to go around.”