House debates

Monday, 3 March 2014

Statements by Members

Environment

1:55 pm

Photo of Karen McNamaraKaren McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

Yesterday I joined with volunteers from the Berkeley Vale Scout Group for Clean Up Australia Day. For the past 20 years Australians have devoted more than 24 million hours towards the environment through Clean Up Australia Day and collected over 200,000 tonnes of rubbish. This year I lent a hand cleaning up the foreshore of the magnificent Tuggerah Lake at a clean-up site organised by scout patrol leader Kate Sanderson.

Kate is 14 years old and belongs to the 1st Berkeley Vale Scout Group. Kate has achieved her Grey Wolf Award, which is the highest award in the Cub Scout section, and is now working towards her Scout Medallion. As part of organising the clean-up site, Kate coordinated other scout members to assist her. Kate will also return to the site over the next three months with her own scout patrol to ensure that there is continued environmental improvement. I was honoured to have been invited by Kate and the Scouts to lend a hand on Clean Up Australia Day. The 54 Clean Up Australia Day sites across Dobell demonstrate our community's commitment to our local environment.

This government is serious about assisting local environmental groups who are working to deliver practical improvements to our local environment. Our Green Army program will be Australia's largest ever environmental workforce, building to 15,000 participants by 2018 and capable of delivering 1,500 on ground environmental projects. The Green Army will recruit young people aged 17 to 24 years who are interested in protecting their local environment while gaining hands-on practical skills and experience. I congratulate and thank Kate, the Berkeley Vale Scout Group and all volunteers across my electorate who volunteered their time on Clean Up Australia Day.