Luke Howarth (Petrie, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Hear, hear! The Petrie electorate's Green Army projects will have three supervisors and up to 27 participants. This means a total of 30 people will gain valuable, life-long skills and friendships. Projects in my electorate have been guided by local community needs. I encourage environmental groups in my electorate, which I have been working with closely, and others right throughout the electorate to let me know if there are other areas in the Petrie electorate that can benefit from Green Army projects. We will put together a project and get it happening for the benefit of the environment and for the skills that local young people will develop when working on these projects.

I want to detail the three projects, as I believe they will make a real difference to the electorate. The three projects are the North Lakes Reserve project, Osprey House and the Hays Inlet Eco-path. The North Lakes Reserve project will ensure noxious weeds and trees are removed and native trees and vegetation are replanted to enhance the environment for the enjoyment of not just the local people but also the animals living in the area. North Lakes and Mango Hill are some of the fastest-growing areas in Australia. There is a large reserve there—hundreds of acres—where this project will be implemented. Not only will it remove weeds and have native trees and shrubs replanted but there is also a local freshwater creek and habitat that runs through the area and this will be cleaned up. The creek will be restocked with native fish to help provide a biological mosquito control element to the Green Army project.

The second project in my electorate is Osprey House. Osprey House is on the Pine River at Griffin, also known as Dohles Rocks. This project will rehabilitate the northern brackish water lagoon, replant native trees and vegetation and build a timber boardwalk and birdwatching house. It will also provide education benefits to the local community. Again, this project allows Green Army participants to learn valuable carpentry skills, landscaping and horticulture, as well as an understanding of the brackish water ecosystem and local koala habitats. The duration of this project is expected to be six months.

The third Green Army project in Petrie electorate is the Hays Inlet Eco-path. This project will improve the health of the natural landscape and provide greater access for the community and tourists to enjoy the environment. This project is based at Redcliffe. There is a large tourism element in that part of the electorate. It is also close to parklands. It will also improve the environment along the foreshore of Saltwater Creek at Hays Inlet. This project is adjacent to the Clontarf Beach State High School. This school has a very active marine education program that includes a state-of-the-art eco-centre. The boardwalk in this project will give students and teachers easy access to the site, which will create an outdoor classroom. This project is expected to run for 26 weeks, giving participants training in environmental management through revegetation, restoration and weeding work as well as carpentry skills.

I would like to personally thank the Redcliffe Environmental Forum, the Mango Hill and North Lakes Environment Group and the Osprey House team for their tremendous contribution in helping me to establish these Green Army projects in the electorate. It was their knowledge that provided the technical aspects for my submissions to the department for the three projects. These hardworking environmental groups are specialists. They live, work and volunteer in the community and they understand the environmental wants and needs of locals. It was important to me to ensure that these projects had the full support of the community and the local environment groups.

Personally, I am looking forward to being part of future projects that will no doubt be created as a result of the Green Army program—projects that will be inspired by locals who want to care for the beautiful landscapes that surround us and who also want to gain new-found environmental knowledge and skills. As a community we have the responsibility to protect our environment, now and for future generations, and we should not underestimate the part these small local projects play in that. Since being elected I have thoroughly enjoyed working with community groups throughout the electorate.

The bill's overall importance lies in the outline of the details regarding the Green Army allowance—a key factor of these projects to get young people working and give them the experience they need. The specifications presented in the Social Security Legislation (Green Army Programme) Amendment Bill 2014 offer the fairest and most viable means of distributing the Green Army Allowance. This legislation is a win-win for so many in the community. I believe, however, that the most important aspects of these projects is the relationships these young adults will form with each other as a group. Life is certainly about relationships and creating meaningful ones with each other. They will be able to use these skills in the workplace, as well.

I want to see local youths from all backgrounds participating in Green Army projects throughout the electorate. I want Indigenous Australians, school leavers, gap year students, graduates and unemployed job seekers all to take part in these projects, should they choose. If they have a love for the environment, have a good work ethic and want to work as part of a team, then these projects will suit them well. I support the Social Security Legislation (Green Army Programme) Amendment Bill, and I must say it is great to be part of the coalition government, providing good local environmental outcomes for each of our electorates.

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