A TOUR of Shoalhaven River and efforts to stop and reverse erosion on its banks was the focus of a visit by shadow environment minister Greg Hunt yesterday.
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While on the river Mr Hunt announced that his government would reinstate a Green Corps-style program if elected this year.
Since the late 1990s Green Corps participants have provided the manpower to local organisations such as Riverwatch, Landcare and the Catchment Management Authority to rehabilitate riverbanks and wetlands.
A few years ago the current government stopped funding Green Corps.
Mr Hunt announced yesterday that the Shoalhaven would be likely to benefit from the Liberals’ plan to bring back a beefed up Green Corps rebadged as Green Army.
“It’s part of a broader program, 15,000 young people working toward improvements in the environment over a five-year period and I think we’ve found a fantastic project,” Mr Hunt said.
“In all of Australia this is one of the best examples of young people working with conservation groups and Riverwatch in particular to help clean up and protect local environments.
“Green Army will involve projects of $150,000 or more; it’s successive projects over a period of years,” he said.
Liberal candidate for Gilmore Ann Sudmalis said policy regarding the Green Army would not be released until after the budget but she planned to identify a number of local projects that could be ready to go should they get the green light.
