The team has been working hard since October 2014 to improve the local environment through targeted conservation measures, including planting, weed control, watering and providing regular environmental maintenance throughout the community. 

They have worked through both humid and wet conditions.

Federal Member for Calare John Cobb attended the launch and congratulated the eight participants and their team supervisor, Jack Fry, on the work they had completed as part of the project to date.

He is confident the Green Army’s work will continue to result in “good, practical things which help the community and the scenery”.

“We are great fans of [the project] and we are putting close to $6 million into it over the next four years,” Mr Cobb said.

Bathurst mayor Gary Rush praised the efforts of the team, the support of the Federal Government, and pledged council’s continued assistance with making the project a success.

“Council are very pleased to participate, and we are very willing to participate,” he said.

Mr Fry, who has worked closely with the participants, emphasised that the Green Army was a vast improvement on anything implemented before it, as the participants genuinely want to make a difference. 

“This was a formal interview process that applicants applied for and were hand picked to be a part of,” he said.

“These guys want to be there and are genuinely interested in conservation.”

The current Green Army project is the first of six to be carried out over the next few years and will finish in April.