The Minister for Employment Participation, Brendan O’Connor, today announced 59 Green Corps projects across Australia, providing new work experience opportunities for young people and also helping to improve their local environment.
Green Corps is an Australian Government-funded program providing young people aged between 17 and 20 with an opportunity to participate in projects that conserve and restore Australia’s environment and cultural heritage.
Mr O’Connor said the latest round of projects, which are due to start in later this month include locations right across regional, rural and remote areas of Australia.
“Many young people enjoy the outdoor activities of Green Corps and are keen to contribute to environmental regeneration and heritage restoration,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Green Corps enables them to work with people of their own age under the supervision of a qualified team leader and gives them training in recognised skills that are designed to lead to full-time work opportunities in related fields.”
During the course of each 26-week project, participants work towards a minimum of a Certificate I qualification in horticulture, conservation and land management.
Five organisations, Central Victorian Training Group, Conservation Volunteers Australia, Greening Australia, Job Futures and Mission Australia, will deliver Green Corps projects around Australia.
Mr O’Connor said that in line with its election commitment the Government had reviewed the current employment services including the Green Corps program.
“Following extensive consultation, the Government has designed a new, streamlined employment services system that will provide more streamlined and tailored services for job seekers,” he said.
“Under the new Employment Services System which begins from 1 July 2009 Green Corps activities will continue as part of work experience for job seekers.”
Projects in the latest round include:
- Restoring a heritage orchard at Mount Stuart near Hobart, for community use with participants also researching historic gardening and organic methods;
- Protecting the sand dunes from erosion by revegetating with local plants at Queensland’s Alva Beach;
- Learning conservation skills as part of a Certificate I in Conservation and Land Management on a project at the internationally recognised Peel waterways system, the largest in south-west Western Australia;
- Improving Melbourne Zoo via landscaping and planting, path and irrigation system installation to world-class standards;
- Restoring a traditional site with local medicinal plants and providing a habitat for birds and animals with Congress (Alukura Division) in Alice Springs, following bush fire damage several years ago;
- Working with the Friends of Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens and Lismore City Council in northern New South Wales on an area of degraded bushland, including constructing nesting boxes for wildlife; and
- Building a viewing platform, providing interpretive signage, monitoring water quality and revegetating the area with native plants to reduce the human impact to Mount Barker in South Australia.
For more information about participating in these projects visit www.greencorps.gov.au.