The organisation applied to be awarded a project under the scheme and was notified last week that it had been successful.

Catchment program co-ordination manager Peter Sacco said the resource would now be directed to a partnership with the Upper Kiewa Landcare Group and Alpine Shire on waterway restoration work for the upper Kiewa River and Simmons Creek, which would start in February.

“When the Green Army project was first announced we decided to take on a bit of a lead role to understand as much about the program as possible in regard to it being a potential resource for our region,” Mr Sacco said.

“So we spoke to as many appropriate organisations — those responsible for public lands and land management — in the region who would use this program as a resource and how it could be applied to their work.

“If this was the resource the federal government was putting forward then we needed to figure out how to best utilise that resource for the best outcome for our region.”

Mr Sacco said NECMA had taken a positive approach towards it and looked at how it could leverage this resource for the benefit of its community and catchment.

“Everyone agrees this is a good initiative,” he said.

“I get a bit concerned about people being negative for the sake of being negative, without knowing anything about the initiative.

“We see it as a positive opportunity for people to get exposure and experience in the environment and natural resources field.

“There has been some sentiment that it is just a ‘work- for-the-dole’ program but we believe it is an environment training program, that means employment for the region, engaging younger people in environmental initiatives and supplying a practical tool to support partnerships in the community to deliver environmental outcomes.

“We want to talk about the program as positively as possible because we want to attract the most interested people and we want it to be successful.”

Mr Sacco said Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA), the national program manager, supplied 10 people who were going through a six- month project, with a supervisor and training.

“They work with us as the project sponsors who have been awarded the project, manage and co-ordinate the training, the recruitment of the supervisor and the young people in the program.

“The team will be supplied with resources like personal protection equipment and the project comes with a $10,000 budget.”