“The Green Army is making a real difference to the environment…”
THE $2.04 million Dandenong Ranges Environment and Bushfire Fuel Reduction Grants Program is off to a great start.
We’ve had more than 30 applications for grants in the small, medium and large categories, with requests for funding ranging from $2000 projects to large projects for over $1 million – and I’m sure as I write this, more applications will be flowing in.
Through the Federal Government’s National Landcare Program, I am proud to say that this is part of my $3 million commitment to the Dandenong Ranges environmental health.
We have already launched the $450,000 project to remove the threat of wandering trad and other weeds in the Dandenong Ranges and progress is being made on the Bullen Bullen Indigenous Trail.
Aside from this $3 million commitment to environmental health of the Dandenong Ranges, we’ve also already had two Green Army groups graduate from their courses.
Providing young people with an opportunity to gain valuable skills, the Green Army Program has also done some great work in our local area.
I met with our first graduation group at Birdsland Reserve to celebrate not only a full graduating group with everyone passing the course, but also almost full employment as a result of the program for all participants.
In the second group the result was very similar, with all participants but one (who secured gainful employment after completing the educational portion of the program) successfully graduating.
Some went on to work with Green Army facilitator organisations, some went on to other local environmental organisations and one even continued on to a hospitality apprenticeship at a high-end Melbourne restaurant.
The Green Army is making a real difference to the environment and local communities through projects like these by restoring and protecting habitat, weeding, planting, cleaning up creeks and rivers and restoring cultural heritage places.
In fact, our second graduating group have done some great work at the beautiful National Rhododendron Garden in Olinda and our first group attended to the land works required in the southern and eastern areas surrounding the Puffing Billy Corridor – both notable attractions of La Trobe.
If you would like more information about our Green Army, please call 1800 780 730 or contact my office on 9768 9164.
