Michael Sukkar (Deakin, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for the Environment. Will the minister update the House on how the Green Army is improving the environment and job opportunities for young people in electorates like mine, Deakin, and in Canning and across the country?

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Greg Hunt (Flinders, Liberal Party, Minister for the Environment) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to respond to the question from the member for Deakin. There was a time when people dreamt into being environmental programs such as pink batts; green loans; Bill's favourite, 'cash for clunkers'—in fact, it is a metaphor for his whole career—and, of course, the carbon tax. Well, they are all gone and we have cleaned up that mess.

Something else which is cleaning up the mess around Australia is the Green Army. It is cleaning up our waterways, our rivers, our parks and our gardens, and the member for Deakin is one of the 90 Green Army ambassadors on this side of the House. In his electorate, we have the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary, where there has been weed control, mulching, path works—I have been able to visit it—and projects such as Heatherdale Creek Parklands or the Eastfield Park rehabilitation. This is practical work, cleaning up local environments and making a difference not just on the ground but to the lives of young people, and this is something that is of immense importance.

We said that we would have 250 projects within the first year; we had 300 projects. We said that we would achieve 750 projects by the end of the second year; we have already announced or commenced 700 projects. We said that we would span the country and, in fact, in Canning we have seen some remarkable projects underway. I know that the Bridging the Gap project was one of the last that Don Randall visited, and it was a wonderful project. What was very touching, and an example not just of what we wanted to see with the environment but of the human development of these magnificent young people, was that at his funeral, unprompted, unknown and unprepared by anyone on the government side, the young people chose to form a corridor to bring in a guard of honour to be there for that community. This is an example of young people being part of their community, of being engaged and then of forming connections.

This is a project that we are immensely proud of around Australia and in electorates such as Deakin and Canning and everywhere. It is about jobs, it is about opportunities, but, above all else, it is about the pride of work and engagement. So this, for us, is something that we are immensely proud of, and I believe that all members on all sides can be proud of our young people. We can say that they are doing the right thing by the environment, they are doing the right thing by themselves, but, above all else, they are being a part of the community. (Time expired)