Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (NSW, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I am pleased to have the opportunity to rise to speak in support of the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Green Army Programme) Bill 2014.

The green light for the creation of a Green Army to deliver environmental projects in Australian communities was first given with legislation passing the House of Representatives on May 15. This important milestone followed the commitment of $525 million over four years in the federal budget. The Green Army will generate real benefits for the Australian environment and will give young people aged 17-24 the opportunity to gain training and experience in environmental and heritage conservation projects.

The Green Army is a key coalition election commitment and will support practical, grassroots environment and heritage conservation projects across urban, regional and remote Australia. From July this year, 250 Green Army projects will be established, providing employment and training to around 2,500 participants. The Green Army will become Australia's largest-ever team supporting environmental action across the country, building to 15,000 young people by 2018. It is capable of delivering 1,500 on-ground environmental projects in communities across Australia.

The Green Army will make a real difference to the environment and local communities through projects such as restoring and protecting habitat; weeding; planting; cleaning up creeks and rivers; and restoring cultural heritage places. More specifically, as Minister Hunt said to the House on February 24, the Green Army will make a real difference to the environment and local communities through projects such as: propagation and planting of native seedlings; weed control; revegetation and regeneration of local parks; habitat protection and restoration; improving water quality by cleaning up waterways; revegetation of sand dunes and mangroves; creek bank regeneration; foreshore and beach restoration; construction of boardwalks and walking tracks to protect local wildlife; and cultural heritage conservation.

More than 150 projects were announced by the coalition during the 2013 election right across Australia—for example, the Cumberland Conservation Corridor in Sydney; the Kings Bridge to Duck Reach area of the South Esk River in Tasmania; at Cape Moreton on Moreton Island, in Queensland; at Victoria's Barham River system between Apollo Bay and the Marengo Flora Reserve; in the Mettams Pool area in Stirling, Western Australia; and within the Mount Laura Conservation Park in South Australia.

Most importantly the Green Army will provide opportunities for our young Australians looking for a hand-up rather than a handout, as it provides training. It is an initiative designed to be built from the grassroots; fostering teamwork, local ownership and community spirit. The Green Army will deliver tangible benefits for the environment and skills development for thousands of young Australians. It will have significant benefits for young Australians. This is both an environment program and a training program. It will help young people increase their skills base, gain practical experience and enhance their job readiness. It is a matter of choice for our young Australians because it is voluntary. It will recruit young people ages 17-24 who are interested in protecting their local environment while gaining hands-on practical skills and experience. Participants will be eligible to receive an allowance and have the opportunity to gain certificate I or certificate II qualifications in areas such as land management, park management, landscaping or horticulture.

Projects announced during the election campaign will be rolled out from July. This is an example of the coalition government at work, rolling up its sleeves and working carefully and methodically to deliver its promises and commitments to the Australian people.

Applications for service providers closed on 7 May for the tender. Applications for additional first-round projects were subject to a tender process, which closed on 9 May; and, to be eligible projects, had to be ready to commence between July 2014 and June 2015. Applications are currently being assessed, and then Minister Hunt will announce the project in the coming weeks.

Round two of the applications for projects will be released in due course. Projects will be assessed on a merit basis against their environmental benefits, their contribution to the local community and their potential to enhance skills training for participants. I understand that project proposals submitted by individual groups and organisations to the Australian government are diverse. The passing of this legislation will be great news for communities around Australia that will benefit from the rollout of very worthwhile environmental projects.

Given the time, I will not go through the specifics of this bill. I know that Senator Birmingham has indicated some of those specifics. I say, though, that a priority for investment through the initial rounds of the program will be our election commitments. The projects will run between 20 and 26 weeks with participants having the opportunity to develop job ready skills and to undertake training. A Green Army team will be made up of a team supervisor and up to nine eligible participants. While participating in the program, participants will receive a Green Army allowance, which will be disbursed by the provider. Those receiving such an allowance will not receive a social security benefit or social security pension simultaneously—in other words, no double dipping. Team supervisors will be employed and paid a wage by the service provider. Placements will be of a six-month duration and will provide an alternative to income support for young Australians interested in engaging in work-like experience, activities and training.

The Green Army is a central component of the government's cleaner environmental plan, which is focused on the four pillars of clean air, clean land, clean water and heritage protection. Clean land is essential for a cleaner environment. Our plan is focused on cleaning up and revegetating urban and regional environments and other complementary reforms to strengthen natural resource management and landcare delivery across Australia. The Green Army itself complements the government's Direct Action approach to climate change. It will provide Australians with the opportunity for individuals, communities, organisations and companies to help address our environmental challenges and reduce our emissions on the lowest possible cost basis.

The Green Army builds on the Howard government's successful Green Corps program established in 1996. Over the life of the Green Corps program, participants delivered the following outcomes: propagated and planted more than 14 million trees; erected more than 8,000 kilometres of fencing; cleared more than 50,000 weeds; and constructed or maintained more than 5,000 kilometres of walking track or boardwalks. I wanted particularly to speak on this bill to acknowledge the success of Green Corps in the Illawarra, where my electorate office is located and where I grew up. Along the shores of Lake Illawarra, close to where my parents' home is located, I observed the success of many young Australians who enthusiastically and diligently turned the Lake Illawarra foreshore into a stunning environment where people now walk, talk and play. Also, it was my great pleasure to participate in quite a number of presentation ceremonies after people received their certificates.

Regrettably, though, under Labor's watch, this important initiative was torn apart, rebadged and failed to improve the environment. Then, consistent with other Rudd-Gillard-Rudd programs, it was terminated in 2012. Young people no longer had the opportunity to gain practical skills and improve their local environment. Labor's approach to the environment is to hit families, businesses and the economy with the carbon tax. The carbon tax is an attack on the entire Australian economy. What is worse is that it does not even work. Despite a $7.6 billion tax, emissions for the first 12 months barely changed, by 0.1 per cent. While I am talking about Labor, let me reflect on Labor's commitment to the environment. It is embodied in a carbon tax—and 'Electricity Bill' Shorten is living up to his name.

This project is a plus for the all sections of society, even the Greens. This is surprising, given their claim to green credentials. We are even proposing to look after protected species. The minister recently noted a significant proportion of the work will be focused on protecting species, such as the Tasmanian Devil, the quoll and the bilby—Australian mammals which have been critically damaged or endangered—and yet the Greens are not going to support this bill.

In summary, this is an initiative that has something for everyone, whether it is local or community based or broader with regional benefits. It will provide opportunities for and engage young Australians with a passion for horticulture and community, and protecting endangered species, the beaches, parks, waterways and paths by roadways. I commend the bill to the House.