Marino Announces Green Army Funding for the South West

16 August 2010

Federal Member for Forrest, Nola Marino MP has announced that the South West will benefit from four new Green Army projects if a Liberal Government is elected.

"The Liberal Party is committed to establishing a workforce of up to 15,000 people across Australia dedicated to tackling local and regional environmental priorities," said Ms Marino.

"Each Green Army project will run for 6 months and cost a maximum of $125,000 - this includes costs for wages of 1 team leader and 9 participants, cost of materials, training and other associated costs," Nola Marino MP said.

The new projects will be granted to the following South West environmental groups:

Geocatch

Geocatch is a community organisation set up as a subregion of the South West Natural Resource Management district of the South West. It operates in the Busselton region.

They conduct a number of programs include riverbank restoration and revegetation programs, weed control, and water quality improvement programs.

A Green Army team will be attached to Geocatch to expand their activity.

Coast(SWaP) - the South West and Peel Coastal Management Coordinating Committee Incorporated

Coast(SWaP) is a community body with eight coastal Local Governments as members. Their aim is improve coastal environmental outcomes through fencing and revegetation of degraded areas from Preston Beach in the north to Busselton in the west.

A Green Army team will be attached to the Coast(SWaP) to expand their activity.

Brunswick River Restoration Action Group

The Brunswick River is an iconic waterway of the South West of Western Australia. Its environmental and social values are supported by a number of organisations, most locally the Brunswick River Restoration Action Group.

This group assists landholders in river bank stabilisation and revegetation, and in weed eradication.

A Green Army team will be attached to the group to work on these outcomes with continued input and funding support from local landholders and the local community.

Land Care District Committees (LCDC)

The group of South West Land Care District Committees have worked for many years in the region delivering real action on the ground to control weeds and feral animals, revegetate areas that have been degraded, and improve environmental knowledge and awareness.

A Green Army team will be made available to the region's LCDC to enhance their activities

"The four locally based Green Army units will tackle local projects that require the urgent attention," concluded Ms Marino.