TWO Green Army projects have been given the green light in the Noosa region, confirming a funding commitment that was made during the 2013 federal election, Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss has announced.
“A Green Army project, to be supervised by the Noosa and District Landcare Group, will be commencing soon along the Noosa River, within the Noosa National Park and the North Shore area,” Mr Truss said.
“The project will include erosion mitigation, vegetation management and track maintenance works within the Noosa River catchment and nearby coastal dune areas. Work will be undertaken to rehabilitate vegetation, reduce the impact of river pollution and increase species diversity through improved local habitat.
“Noosa and District Landcare will supervise a second project to repair flood-damaged land and riverbank areas in the Upper Mary River Catchment.
“This project will carry out work focused on landslip remediation revegetation, rubbish and debris removal and weed management. These works will improve the land condition, biodiversity and water quality in both private and public sites along the upper Mary River and its tributaries.“
Each project will provide paid work for a project supervisor and 10 young people, who can explore careers in environmental conservation, while participating in local projects to improve the natural environment.
Through projects such as this, young Australians aged 17-24 have the opportunity to gain a Certificate I or II qualification, or nationally endorsed skills.
“These qualifications will help prepare young Australians for the workforce, with training provided to up to 15,000 young Australians by 2018,” Mr Truss said.
“The Green Army is a key Coalition election commitment, with $525 million allocated over four years, bringing the Federal Government’s total investment in natural resource management up to $2 billion over the next four years.”
Further information on the Green Army program can be found online atwww.environment.gov.au/green-army.
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