Darwin council ‘Green Army’ plan taking shape with almost 100 new jobs on offer

NEARLY 100 jobs are on offer for students and backpackers looking for their next pay cheque with Darwin council’s Green Army starting to take shape.

Nearly 100 jobs are on offer for students and backpackers looking for their next pay cheque with Darwin council’s Green Army starting to take shape. Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis, pictured with council alderman George Lambrinidis, says 80-100 people could be employed through the initiative. Picture: Che Chorley

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NEARLY 100 jobs are on offer for students and backpackers looking for their next pay cheque with Darwin council’s Green Army starting to take shape.

Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said he had begun to reach out to employment agencies and had mapped some of the main areas the army would rejuvenate, including Trower Rd, Ross Smith Ave and Lee Point Rd.

“I now have a program in the works outlining the streets, parks, laneways and other places to be tended to by the Green Army,” he said.

“We have already identified the areas we want to work on, our people drew the plans very quickly.”

Mr Vatskalis said council was lucky to be in a position to hire more employees but couldn’t guarantee any more jobs being created.

“We can’t employ everybody, the reason for that is we have all our people still employed and we are trying to keep them on board,” he said.

“I’ve heard some councils down south have had to sack one third of their work force so we are in a lucky position where we can hire new people at all.

“(But) if we need to extend the Green Army later, council will consider it.”

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While it might still be two or three weeks before the Green Army hits the streets, many plants are already ready to go, while desperate times are making for a more thrifty council.

“We have dedicated $1 million to the Green Army and we’ve already bought 3500 from local nurseries,” Mr Vatskalis said.

“Normally we would be painting fancy four-wheel drives with fancy signs saying ‘Green Army’ but we aren’t going to spend our money on that crap, we’re going to spend money on what we need to which is giving people jobs and getting them out there on the streets.”

The concept, initially brought to council by alderman Mick Palmer, could see a total of 40,000 hours worked – which, split between 100 employees, could run for a minimum of almost three months.

While Mr Palmer wanted to see the army limited to backpackers and students, it has been opened to anyone living in Darwin who has been left without a job.

Mr Vatskalis said the scheme would look to serve two important purposes during the lockdown – creating jobs and beautifying the city.

“Letters are going out to employment agencies in Darwin to assist in employing people who have lost jobs with COVID-19,” he said.

“We want to help those who have specifically lost their jobs because of coronavirus and who want to keep working.”

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Mr Vatskalis also indicated the next lot of projects which could be brought forward to stimulate the local economy over the coming months, with the Darwin velodrome refurbishing, Casuarina pool redevelopment and renovations of Darwin civic centre the next cabs off the rank.