NSW: Govt unveils volunteer program for older unemployed

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2000
NSW: Govt unveils volunteer program for older unemployed

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - Employment Services Minister Tony Abbott today unveiled Green
Reserve, a program designed to provide work experience for 2,000 older volunteers in the
next 18 months.

Projects include rehabilitating bushland, conducting energy audits of community buildings
and promoting recycling programs.

"We think you'll get the best results out of older people by asking for volunteers
and I'm confident we'll get a lot of great community projects going," Mr Abbott said.

"My experience of environmental and Bushcare groups is that they tend to be comprised
of older people and this is an opportunity to try to expand that."

Green Reserve will cost $3.85 million and starts in March.

Participants will commit two days per week over six months and get $20.80 per fortnight
to cover transport and meals.

It will be run by the Australian Trust for Conservation volunteers, which runs the
government's Green Corps program, and 70 per cent of placements will be in rural and regional
areas, Mr Abbott added.

He said committing two days a week should not interfere with job seeking.

"It will be the same as Work for the Dole for the under 40s," he said.

"Time in work experience helps people to maintain their enthusiasm. If all you're doing
is knocking on doors and being rejected you can get very dispirited."

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KEYWORD: RESERVE

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