The Green Army....really hope it works out

[ramblingboy42]

This is a pleasing new initiative or a pleasing revamped one if you like.

I just hope that the highest percentage of the funding goes to the teams and projects rather than a junket for the "service providers" or agencies .

15,000 employees across Australia focussed on one goal with trained , qualified leadership is one of the best things I have heard in ages.

I note that it is not a work for the dole scheme and all appointments will be made in a normal application process , so we should see all participants and happily working in a chosen endeavour.

Millions of trees, pest eradication, land care management....I love it.

Environment Minister launches the Green Army with the announcement of the scheme's first projects - ABC Rural (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-02/green-army-launched/5643248)

[Chucaro]

I hope that in this project also the red tape will be eradicated or minimized.
Great initiative!

[bob10]

Sounds good, but I can't help wondering if more money shouldn't be spent on training apprentices, in skills that will be needed for future growth. Seems that the Green Army are volunteers, and good on them. But, 6 months of collecting seeds or planting trees is not going to prepare them for non existent jobs. Official figure show we have 730,000 unemployed, and 147,000 vacancies [c] . I sincerely hope it helps, but I can't help feeling the scheme is more for the politicians ego's than a step up to work. Bob

[akelly]

It's a ridiculous scam. Lower wages than the legal minimum, no WHS protection for "volunteers", projects that are already done by other organisations (Landcare anyone?) and 9 people per project?

Yeah, sounds like a great way to generate "green" photo ops for climate science deniers. Not a waste of money at all.

[Barefoot Dave]

Hmm $500M axed from Landcare, where the government gets next to no recognition.
$525M channelled through 'Not for Profit' (well, one at least) with lots of bragging rights.
We all know that not for profit means all the money will be managed in the most efficient way possible :(
It would be interesting to compare political donors with the Service providors chosen.
Cynical, Me?

[ramblingboy42]

I couldn't see anything about " no WHS " anywhere in the article.

20,million trees.....wonderful'

What wages do you expect a trainee to be on? $16/hr seems fair to me....I know for a fact that many tradespersons are only on $25-27/hr.

My son is a biomedical technician trainee in his 1st year. I'm sure he's not on $16/hr.

[Barefoot Dave]

I agree that the promise of the program is large. But, it is a politicians promise....
Yep, no mention of no WHS. The Safety Act, 2011 makes no differenciation between paid or unpaid workers. These are stated as paid anyway.
Yes, they are taking applicants only, but I give that 6 months until it becomes a defacto alternative to recipients: "Give this a go, you can stop losing money runnig around to interviews for jobs you don't want".
Just too many snouts at the trough.
A better option would have been to make Landcare the manager of hte scheme with appropriate spport from a training organisation. As it stands, all I see is a lot of snouts at the trough with little real overall benefit.

[Chucaro]

I agree that the promise of the program is large. But, it is a politicians promise....
Yep, no mention of no WHS. The Safety Act, 2011 makes no differenciation between paid or unpaid workers. These are stated as paid anyway.
Yes, they are taking applicants only, but I give that 6 months until it becomes a defacto alternative to recipients: "Give this a go, you can stop losing money runnig around to interviews for jobs you don't want".
Just too many snouts at the trough.
A better option would have been to make Landcare the manager of hte scheme with appropriate spport from a training organisation. As it stands, all I see is a lot of snouts at the trough with little real overall benefit.

Valid point IMO

[Bushy049]

I think a few people are missing some good points to this , tho I do see some valued criticisms. 20 million trees is never a bad thing in any catchment area, over the past 5 to 10 Years iv seen our Blackwood river show some great signs of improvement. And this can be attributed to similar regeneration project like ribbons of green ect thought our our catchment. "Job readiness" a young bloke who can turn up to an interview and say "I did this for the last six months". "Yes I know the concept of a JRA and job plan" would go down well with a me in an interview. It's not about working in the environmental industry, it's a opportunity for young people to get a start. These are just a couple of thing

Sent from my HTC_PN071 using AULRO mobile app

[ramblingboy42]

It's not proposed as a "voluntary" scheme.

It is designed to to install a permanent , trained , workforce of 15,000 employees across Australia , working in teams , with trained team leaders.

Volunteers will be able to work in areas like tree planting and seed gathering as they always have.

The title Green army is a bit yukky though.

[akelly]

If you've only read the propaganda about this nonsense scheme you may want to have a look at the actual bills.

Here's a quote from one of them: "The Bill also specifies that participants of the Green Army Programme will not be considered workers or employees for the purposes of various Commonwealth laws. "

So the "green army" (SMDH) is made up of "participants", not workers. Therefore no access to WHS, Fair Work Act or any other employee protection. (link: Social Security Legislation Amendment (Green Army Programme) Bill 2014 (http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2014B00010/Explanatory%20Memorandum/Text))

Wake up folks. Do you seriously think 20 million trees are going to be planted? Where are these 20 million seedlings, who is transporting them, where are they being planted and who is caring for them once they've been planted?

This is an utter scam, pure and simple.

[ramblingboy42]

the Trees For Life Scheme have planted 32million seedlings since 1981 on a voluntary basis.

what could be done in properly managed commercial venture?

So akelly , who is developing this scam? Who is profiteering?

If it is such a scam , report it with your evidence to ACCC and if found wanting , it will be disbanded.

I have no problem with that at all.

[Barefoot Dave]

"The Bill also specifies that participants of the Green Army Programme will not be considered workers or employees for the purposes of various Commonwealth laws. "
I'd like to see that stand up in the Supreme court.
Oh, wait. Then we'll see another rash of retrospective legislation that is the forte of this mob.