In the forested hills and boulder-strewn beaches of remote northeast Tasmania, there is anger and disbelief that Tony Abbott’s Green Army is earmarked for the axe. Source: The Australian
The program, tipped to be a victim of cuts in the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook today, has helped fund the ongoing rehabilitation of a major scar on the local landscape and provided hope, experience and skills to dozens of young jobseekers in a depressed region hard hit by the collapse of forestry.
Those involved are pleading for a reprieve for the program, accusing its opponents of seeking its demise purely because of its – association with the deposed prime minister.
“Some people don’t like it because Tony Abbott thought it was a good idea and there is this ideological point of view about it being aligned to the Direct Action policy on climate change, but none of that is the fault of participants,” said Todd Dudley, North East Bioregional Network president.
Those Green Army participants who have worked with Mr Dudley’s group to restore a failed pine plantation on Skyline Tier to native forest – as well as with Parks and Wildlife to build bird boxes and penguin fences, and with the local council to remove invasive plants from beaches – say the experience has been transformative.
“I loved it – I got a cert(ificate) one in land management out of it, a good stepping stone, and now I am hoping to get my cert three,” said 24-year-old father Manaia Clarkson, who completed a second six-month stint earlier this year.
“It’s the kind of work I love, being outside, and I’ve really enjoyed working in conservation.
“There may be places where it (Green Army) is not working but people will definitely regret it here if they do axe it. I don’t think they should. I’ve applied again for next year.”
Kelsi Riley, 22, said the program helped teach basic job-ready skills, such as how to work in a team and adjust to a routine.
“Just to put on a uniform every morning and go and work with a team is really important – and to have something you’re keen about to do with your day,” she said.
The Australian understands Green Army funds already allocated will be honoured, but many projects such as Skyline Tier – bank on ongoing funding when each six-month funding round lapses.
Josh Frydenberg would not comment, his spokesman referring to the Federal Environment Minister’s comments last week when he described the Green Army’s 1000 projects as successful but stressed the need to find budget savings.
Mr Dudley, who said the northeast Tasmanian project had helped him start a spin-off TAFE course, accused Greens and academics who had attacked the Green Army of being ignorant of its benefits, both social and environmental.
“Because most politicians and academics live in cities, they just don’t understand that context of rural and remote communities — the opportunities for education, skills and employment are so limited,” he said.
“Programs like this are quite essential, particularly as it does align to the need for land management … There’s a lot of focus on tourism and ICT but the reality in quite a lot of rural areas is that many people are just not suited to that work.”
Mr Dudley said he was outraged that Greens leader Richard Di Natale had rejected a program that in 18 months had restored at least 150ha of degraded pine plantation to native forest, while providing paid employment and training for 27 young jobless locals.
Senator Di Natale, whose Senate deal securing $100 million for Landcare may have contributed to the push to cut the $360m scheme, earlier this month dismissed the Green Army as “not an environmental program” but “an employment program — and a bad one at that”.
The scheme, launched in 2014, offers $500 to $960 a fortnight to young people aged 17 to 24.
