Two young members of the indigenous Gulaga Green Army last week got to show off their handiwork to Federal Member Peter Hendy.
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Yuin Campbell, 19, and Tony Campbell, 22, from the Wallaga Lake Koori Village are two of the eight young indigenous local people being employed by the Green Army program work on the slopes of Gulaga Mountain.
Ms Campbell said she enjoyed the work, although the lantana removal component of the job had been “tough”.
They then switched their attention to making natural looking concrete blocks using a special rubber mould.
They have made 70 so far but the planned improvements of the walking track from the saddle to the summit will require as many as 500 of the blocks.
A helicopter last week completed the first lift of the blocks from the Green Army’s base at Bellbrook Farm up to the mountain saddle staging area.
Both Campbell family members said working on local country was important to them and they hoped to stay in the area and find work.
Also present were the chairpersons of both the Gulaga and Biamanga boards of management, Iris White and Paul Stewart.
“It gives a sense of belonging working on our home country,” Mr Stewart said.
Mr Hendy said he was impressed with the work of the Gulaga team.
The Green Army concept was to engage young people on projects that improve the environment and accessibility or places such as Gulaga Mountain.
“The other part of it is as important and that’s skills development in young people and hopefully increasing their participation in the workforce,” he said.
Other Green Army projects in the area include one at the Eurobodalla Botanic Gardens and another at the Panboola Wetlands at Pambula.
The Gulaga and Biamanga boards also planned to put in additional bids of funding to continue the Mount Gulaga improvements.