A Ballarat environmentalist has described news the federal government’s Green Army will be axed as “disastrous”.
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Ray Draper, chair of the Ballarat Environment Network, said Tony Abbott’s Green Army came virtually free to Landcare groups and other local environmental organisations.
The Greens have been promised $100 million for Landcare groups in return for the party’s support of the 15 per cent backpacker tax, but Mr Draper said the deal was a mere “pittance”.
He said the funds would soon disappear once Landcare had to pay for contracted labour instead of free work from young unemployed people.
Ballarat Environment Network has used the Ballarat Green Army on a number of occasions, including for weeding, fencing and gorse removal.
The Leigh Catchment Landcare group also used the Ballarat Green Army while testing for the endangered growling grass frog.
Mr Draper said both groups would now be at a loss.
“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.”
Ballarat Green Army manager Matthew Jackson was unavailable for comment.
Only a year ago, Ballarat’s Green Army was celebrating its success, with seven participants graduating from the Yarrowee River Beautification and Restoration six-month project.
Participants had undertaken a range of activities, including laying mulch for heritage trees in Buninyong, planting native grasses, and maintaining the Burrumbeet walking track.