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Mobilising The Green Army

The Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, has announced further details of the government’s Green Army, one of its key environmental election promises.

Hunt released a Draft Statement of Requirements which sets out the key design features of the Green Army. The scheme is due to commence in July this year.

The government has invited feedback on the draft requirements, ahead of inviting applications from service providers.

Text of media release from Greg Hunt, Minister for the Environment.

Taking the next step to mobilise the Green Army

The Coalition Government has today moved closer to the launch of the Green Army with the release of the Draft Statement of Requirements, setting out the key design features of the programme as well as the proposed delivery arrangements.

The Green Army is a key Coalition election commitment and will commence from July 2014. This voluntary initiative will recruit young people aged 17–24 years who are interested in protecting their local environment while gaining hands-on, practical skills and experience.

The Green Army will become Australia’s largest-ever environmental workforce, building to 15,000 participants by 2018, capable of delivering on-ground environmental projects.

The Green Army will make a real difference to the environment and local communities through projects such as restoring and protecting habitat, weeding, planting, cleaning up creeks and rivers and restoring cultural heritage places.

Fostering teamwork, local ownership and community spirit, the Green Army will deliver tangible benefits for the environment and skills development for thousands of young Australians.

The consultation process now underway provides an opportunity for all members of the public to provide practical advice about the on-ground delivery of the programme including recruitment and training of participants, project management and other administrative details. Public comments are invited until 4 February 2014.

Feedback received on the Draft Statement of Requirements will improve the delivery arrangements for this very important initiative. It will be used to inform the final content of the Request for Tender that will be released in the coming months to invite applications from potential service providers.

Information for groups interested in submitting Green Army projects will be available in the coming weeks. The Government is committed to start implementing Green Army projects from July.

We can make the biggest and most lasting change when we harness the energy, knowledge and experience of those working in the field. This is the start of a process that will make a real and significant difference to the environment.

This information is taken from the website of the Department of the Environment.

What is the Green Army?

The Green Army is a hands-on, practical, grassroots environmental action programme that supports local environment and heritage conservation projects across Australia. The Programme provides opportunities for all young Australians aged 17-24 to gain training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation fields and explore careers in conservation management, while participating in projects that generate real benefits for the Australian environment.

Green Army teams of ten (up to nine participants and one team supervisor) will be deployed across the country to help communities deliver local conservation outcomes. Projects will be guided by local community needs and contribute to Australia’s national and international environmental priorities and obligations.

The Green Army Programme is on-going, and initially up to $300 million is available for the Programme over three years from 1 July 2014. The programme will support 250 projects in 2014-15, 500 projects in 2015-16 and 750 projects in 2016-17.

Who is involved?

  • Service providers will be contracted by the Australian Government to engage the Green Army teams, manage activities to ensure projects are completed and report regularly on progress.
  • Project sponsors such as local councils, community groups or natural resources management organisations will develop project proposals. Sponsors will submit proposals to the Department of the Environment, which will be assessed and recommended to the Minister for Environment for approval.
  • Green Army participants, aged between 17-24 years who may be Indigenous people, school leavers, gap year students, graduates, the unemployed and people with disabilities.
  • Green Army team supervisors who are over 18 years old and engaged by the service provider to manage Green Army teams in the field.

How do I get involved?

The Green Army draft Statement of Requirements is now open for comment (see above). There will be future opportunities to be involved. Keep and eye on this page for details

Service providers

The Request for Tender will identify and appoint service providers who are experienced and capable of delivering the programme’s administrative components. Services providers can be single, multiple or part of a consortium to the deliver services required to help implement the programme.

Further information on the Request for Tender will be available shortly.

A Green Army project involves environmental and/or heritage activities that can be undertaken by a Green Army team for 20-26 weeks.

Project Sponsors

Project proposals are developed by organisations, such as a local council, community groups, a local catchment management authority, a natural resource management body, a heritage organisation, a local Indigenous organisation, or a State/Territory government agency.

Funds associated with the deployment of a Green Army team are provided by the Green Army programme. Project sponsors are responsible for ensuring all necessary resources and funding is available to undertake the project.

Applications for the first round of projects under the Green Army programme will open in February 2014, with the first projects underway in July 2014.

Participants

Green Army participants will generally be engaged full time (30 hrs per week) on a project and undertake formal training in areas such as work-readiness, conservation and land management, heritage conservation, leadership, project and human resource management and trades (e.g. heritage trade skills). Participants will be supported to obtain Certificate I or II qualifications where possible, and units may also be undertaken towards more advanced levels. All participants will be paid an allowance.

Further information on how to get involved will be available soon.

For further information email greenarmy@environment.gov.au or call 1800 780 730.

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Malcolm Farnsworth
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