What is the Green Army?

WHAT IS THE GREEN ARMY ?

Volunteers aged 17-24 years old work for up to 30 hours a week on environmental conservation projects such as weeding, planting, cleaning up creeks and re-vegetating sand dunes and mangrove habitats. They get an allowance of between $614.40 to $996.60 a fortnight. But if they're unemployed they won't be able to claim the dole at the same time.

HOW DID IT BEGIN?

It was Tony Abbott's election commitment at both the 2010 and 2013 elections. The Abbott government originally committed $300 million, funded through a $484 million cut to Landcare. The "army" was set up in 2014 with the hope that it would lead to 15,000 placements and 1500 projects by 2017. Funding was cut at last year's mid-year budget review by capping projects at 500.

HAS IT BEEN SUCCESSFUL?

Landcare said it's been a hit in getting a new, younger workforce to replace its usual older network of volunteers.

WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM?

Reportedly to be dumped in the upcoming mid-year budget review to fund a $100 million investment in Landcare the Greens secured in return for its support on the government's 15 per cent backpacker tax.