Andrew Southcott (Boothby, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to provide an update about new Green Army projects in my electorate. But before I do I would like to thank Cooper Smith from Ipswich Grammar School for his assistance. Cooper visited parliament and my office today as part of this year's Work Exposure with Government Program and helped draft these comments.

I have spoken previously about Marion council's Green Army project to protect and restore grassy woodland in the Sturt River catchment, and it will be a great pleasure to attend the graduation of those participants in two weeks' time. However, last month I was very pleased to announce two more Green Army projects, focusing on the Mitcham Hills and the Seacliff to Brighton sand dunes. These projects involve the protection and restoration of grassy grey box woodlands in the Mitcham Hills and the conservation and restoration of the Seacliff to Brighton sand dunes.

The Green Army is firstly, and always will be, an environmental program. In both projects, young people will be removing potentially damaging weeds and introduced species, and revegetating Indigenous flora. But, importantly, the new Green Army project being led by Mitcham council has another purpose, which is to focus on decreasing the level of bushfire risk in our local area. This will be achieved by attacking and removing fuel sources such as woody weeds and feral olives, and the project delivers on my election commitment to that end. In addition to diminishing bushfire risk, the condition of local grey box woodlands will be greatly improved. Popular trail networks and surrounding fauna will benefit through the revegetation of indigenous flora and through track surface maintenance.

The new Green Army project being led by Holdfast Bay council focuses on the restoration and conservation of the Seacliff to Brighton sand dunes and the surrounding environment. Again, this will be achieved by the eradication and removal of harmful foreign plant life which is damaging the dunes. It will also formalise beach access paths and reconnect these dunes with the nearby Minda dunes.

Young people in Boothby interested in joining the Green Army will now have the opportunity to be part of one of these projects and help our community deliver important local conservation outcomes. These projects are not only taking care of our environment; they are making a positive difference to local communities as well as providing important training and skills for young people. Personally, I believe that the combination of these factors is a great strength of the Green Army program and is an important key to its success in the present and will be in the years ahead.

These projects—the removal of woody weeds and the restoration of native vegetation in the Mitcham Hills, and also the revegetation of the sand dunes—have been key environmental priorities of mine in Boothby for a long time. I am very pleased that, by working with both Mitcham council and Holdfast Bay council, we will be able to deliver on this.