Teams of young people have started work in Yass and around the Upper Lachlan Shire under the Federally funded Green Army programme.

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor met recently with teams working on separate projects to restore Yass Gorge and revegetate and improve parts of the Upper Lachlan catchment.

Mr Taylor said the training opportunities at TAFE and hands on work experience would help participants be job ready. “Part of the programme is enrolling young people in units of study at TAFE toward a certificate in Conservation and Land Management. There are also great benefits in learning to turn up to work every day, working as part of a team and gaining practical skills in looking after the environment.”

Yass Landcare Group spokesman Ross Webster said the young people were doing a “magnificent job” regenerating the riverbank at Yass Gorge.

“They’re taking pride in what they’re doing – targeting exotic species like blackberry and replacing with natives such as Kangaroo Grass - and it will be of great help to local landcare groups and the community who will continue the work once the Green Army finishes,” Mr Webster said.

Team member Matthew Freeman, 23, from Yass said he was picking up a new set of skills.

“I was out of work for about a year and a half. It’s tough, especially if you don’t have a driver’s licence. There could be some good opportunities that come from this.”

Mr Taylor also met recently with the Green Army team at Crookwell who will assist Landcare groups at Peelwood and Fullerton, Breadalbane, Heffernan's Creek and Roslyn.

He said the local projects were part of training 15,000 young Australians over the next four years on environmental action.