There are only ten members of the federal government's Green Army project working in the ACT despite an election promise to create "the largest standing environmental workforce in Australia's history".
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The federal government has allocated $525 million over four years to the project – modelled on John Howard's Green Corps – in the hope it will provide "real and lasting benefits for the environment" and serve an alternate work-for-the-dole scheme.
But the voluntary program, which intends to provide 17 to 24 year olds with skills and training to further their career prospects, has been relatively unpopular in the ACT since launching last year.
A Department of Environment spokeswoman said only one project was operational in the ACT involving up to nine participants and one supervisor.
"The team is targeting environmental weeds and degradation along the Queanbeyan River as it passes through the city," she said.
"Participants have been involved in nursery and plant education; planting, mulching and weeding along the Olympic Park rehabilitation site and site surveys."
The spokeswoman said a further Belconnen-based project was expected to begin in early 2015 and involve seed collection, plant propagation, water testing, erosion prevention, revegetation and weed control.
"The call for participation in this project will occur later this year," she said.
The spokeswoman said community organisations, environmental groups and local councils had applied for the second round of projects in late 2014, with successful applicants to be announced in coming weeks.
"The application period for round two projects closed late last year [and] we anticipate further projects from the Canberra region will be amongst the applications," she said.
But while Environment Minister Greg Hunt has praised the Green Army's support for "practical grassroots environment and conservation activities", a new clause for second round applications may steer projects away from local concerns.
Green Army projects must now "be directed towards meeting Australia's relevant international obligations or, alternatively, directed towards protecting and conserving matters of national environmental significance".
According to the Department of Environment spokeswoman, the Green Army project is expected to support 250 projects nationwide during 2014-15 before administering 1500 projects in 2018-19.
The scheme is funded directly by the Commonwealth government although the Department of Environment spokesman stressed the scheme was not a grants project.
"The Green Army program covers costs associated with the team, such as participant allowances; supervisor wages; uniforms; safety gear and basic equipment such as hand tools; participant training; and local transport costs," she said.
"Project sponsors are required to cover any other costs to support the successful delivery of the project," the spokeswoman said.
