The ACT Greens have committed to more long-term funding certainty for community environmental volunteer groups such as Landcare ACT. Photo: Landcare ACT.
Certainty for environmental volunteer groups, a sustainability hub and a new native plant nursery – these are what the ACT Greens want to deliver if they win the October election.
The party’s $20.5 million ‘people-powered sustainability’ four-year election policy has an emphasis on long-term funding for environmental groups.
ACT Greens deputy leader Rebecca Vassarotti said Canberra’s more than 100 environmental volunteer groups contributed 300,000 in conservation work each year, worth around $22 million.
She said now was the time to give them certainty so they didn’t have to operate “from hand to mouth”.
“Community-led environmental volunteers are the lifeblood of the ACT’s efforts to protect, restore and bolster our beautiful environment,” Ms Vassarotti said.
“As our native habitats are torn up by climate change and construction on the edges of the city, the precious wildlife that rely on these habitats are being pushed towards extinction. But as a community, we can turn that around.
“Now more than ever, we need to give certainty to our environmental volunteers … securing the viability of these groups is one of the best investments we can make.”
A cornerstone of this policy is $16.5 million over four years to establish a sustainability hub for local “environmental champions”, educators, artists and enterprises that engage in circular economy practices and community sustainability.
The organisations could include the Conservation Council, SEE Change and the Canberra Environment Centre, all of which have highlighted the need for more long-term funding to keep delivering their services.
The money would also guarantee ongoing funding for the ACT Catchment Management Groups, FrogWatch and Waterwatch, ACT Landcare, ACT Wildlife and Wombat Rescue, and funding for veterinary services to support volunteer wildlife rescuers and carers.
There would also be a new ‘Gardens for Wildlife’ program to support Canberrans to create and manage wildlife-friendly gardens, and the ‘Adopt a Patch’ program for communities to transform their local laneway, verges or similar public spaces into a native habitat without needing to form an ongoing Urban Park Group.
ACT Greens Ginninderra candidate and environmental volunteer Adele Sinclair said it was the work of smaller groups that helped the government lead new initiatives to protect native species.
“I know the massive impact environmental volunteers can have in our community, from obvious things like weeding, planting trees and caring for injured wildlife to researching and advocating for changes to government policies and processes,” she said.
“Whether it’s at a small level in your back garden or on a bigger level in a local reserve, community-led conservation is integral to maintaining a healthy environment and providing habitat for native wildlife.”
Separately, the remaining $4 million would be used to set up a new native plant nursery to complement the existing service in Yarralumla.
It’s expected $2 million would be allocated to establish the nursery, and then $500,000 each year for four years to stock it with plants.
The ACT 2024 election will be held on 19 October.
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