THE Green Army might work well enough clearing up a patch of lantana on the coast, but there will need to be a much more professional and solutions-based approach in rural NSW, says Little River Landcare chief executive officer Pip Job.
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"We don't want people just doing it to pick up their welfare payments," Ms Job said.
"The Green Army looks like it will deal with problems as they arise, but Landcare is about getting at the root causes of problems and looking for solutions," she said.
This solution-based approach was vital for agricultural areas, and Ms Job said the Green Army would need to follow suit if it wanted to have an impact west of the Blue Mountains.
"I think it (the Green Army) will have heaps of value in coastal areas... but out here, caring for the environment needs to be looked at differently."
Ms Job (pictured) also saw an opportunity for Green Army participants to become involved in rural areas.
"Imagine if we could get them involved in the farming sector," she said.
Ms Job said a properly trained and motivated Green Army could provide a potential new workforce in rural areas, if they were encouraged to stay and find jobs in those areas after completing their Green Army requirements.
"The question is how will this program encourage people to remain involved?" she asked.
Ms Job said another question that needed an answer was how exactly Landcare groups and the Green Army would work together in rural areas, and said she was still waiting for a clear picture from the federal government on exactly how and where the Green Army would function.
"We still don't really know what it looks like," she said.
Roderick Makim
Senior journalist for The Land.
Senior journalist for The Land.
