Council & Business
14 August, 2023
Youth Council project backed
Young people in the shire could soon get on the road to undertake an environmental tour of the region as part of a volunteering project — with the initiative being steered by a State Government grant. Nine organisations across Loddon Mallee...
Young people in the shire could soon get on the road to undertake an environmental tour of the region as part of a volunteering project — with the initiative being steered by a State Government grant.
Nine organisations across Loddon Mallee, including the Central Goldfields Shire (CGS) Youth Council, Girl Guides Victoria and the Bendigo Sustainability Group, will share in a grant worth $50,480 to support the participation of local youth in environmental volunteering programs.
The funding, which is part of the government’s Volunteering for Nature — Environmental Volun-teering Plan headed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), will help the benefiting groups organise green projects.
These projects cover a wide range of areas, including community tree planting events, citizen science activities to record wildlife observations, climate change action, and environmental leadership.
Out of the total grant, the CGS Council will receive about $2000 for its proposal consisting of an environmental volunteering road trip of the shire.
Likely to be held in September during the school holidays, the project will include a series of eco-friendly activities according to council’s acting manager community partnerships David Leathem.
“The idea is that young people will tour the shire and take part in multiple workshops aimed at promoting an understanding of, and participation in environmental volunteering,” he said.
“Some of the proposed things we’re planning also involves working with local environmental groups to create that connection between them and our young people.”
Mr Leathem said that the road trip would be an educational event benefiting the youth as well as the shire’s surroundings.
“The project came about through the Youth Council — they were looking at their annual action plan for the year and what they could do in the environmental space,” he said.
“The grant is enabling some of [the Youth Council’s plan] by informing young people about sustainability and environment. It is also inspiring them to become local environmental advocates.
“We know the importance of both, our biodiversity and our young people. We understand it is important for them to recognise just how diverse our local environment is and also start to think as we all are, what actions they can take to protect, and preserve their local area.”
DEECA community and partnerships program officer Amy Atkinson echoed the sentiment and said the project was an opportunity for the shire’s youth to become more environmentally conscious.
“Many young people are concerned about the environment, these projects empower them to join local environmental groups and to protect and learn more about our environment,” she said.
“The CGS Youth Council’s [project] is a chance to see what is already happening across the shire and to understand how young people can get involved.
“It’s open to local young people and it’s a chance to meet others who have similar interests.”
Council will release further details regarding the environmental volunteering road trip, including an itinerary, in the coming weeks.