On Friday they held a barbecue to thank Orange City Council for its sponsorship and assistance with building a boardwalk at the Ploughmans Lane wetlands.

Green Army supervisor Greg Cozens said the federal government’s Green Army program started on March 5 and will continue until August 12 when the final touches will be made to the boardwalk. 

“We started off on some weed control and weed eradication at Black Sallee Reserve, which is part of Gosling Creek Reserve, we got rid of some of the woody weed out there,” Mr Cozens said.

“Then we moved over to Ploughmans wetland and created a raised boardwalk and access path from Stirling Avenue down to the boardwalk.

“The boardwalk is 200 metres and the pathway is 120 metres.”

The foundation for the boardwalk for the Orange wetland enhancement and endangered ecological community restoration was built by council contractors but the Green Army workers laid the pathways and used wheelbarrows to move 35 tonnes of rock to fill in 120 gabion cages they made to line the path as well as between 30 and 40 tonnes of rock for a drainage layer under the path. 

He said the Green Army workers are paid about double the unemployment benefit and work five days a week, six hours a day to prepare them for work once the project is finished.

“It’s a training and work experience program,” Mr Cozens said.

“A couple of them want to go on to landscaping, other’s just want to get whatever work they can, it gives them lots of work skills, they’ve got to commit themselves to working five days a week plus their study.” 

He said the participants achieved their first aid certificate and white card and did training in planting trees and shrubs, working safely in conservation, treating weeks and natural area restoration.

tanya.marschke@fairfaxmedia.com.au