ABC Rural 

Silver Lining Foundation workers Neil and Daniel prepare for a day’s work in their forestry division. (Jodie van de Wetering)

Indigenous workers find Silver Lining

By Scott Lamond from Murgon 4605

Monday, 18/10/2010

They say there’s a silver lining in every cloud.

But for a group of young Indigenous people in south-east Queensland that’s not just a cliche.

The Silver Lining Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation offering young Indigenous people paid work experience and on the job training.

Training of fencing to forestry happens on a 235-hectare grazing property in the South Burnett between Murgon and Wondai and most of the contract work occurs offsite.

Alfie Fisher Senior says gaining employment has turned his life around.

“This is like a wake up call,” he says.

“It’s a reawakening of our skills, our talents and out working abilities; and from here on we can see opportunities.

“I’m one of the fellas who actually enjoy it here, I love it.”

Alfie says like many if he wasn’t doing this he’d be just wasting his time.

“This is a godsend to us and a chance to show what we can do.”

General manager Danny Hoogstraten says the foundation was set up to give Indigenous youth a second chance by getting them into meaningful work.

“Everyone gets the opportunity to get Indigenous wage subsidies but we do get some funding mainly based on training projects,” Mr Hoogstraten explains.

“We’re a dual service provider so we go out contracting and do work outside the property and also we train the guys in between.”

The Silver Lining Foundation was established six years ago and there’s always a long list of people waiting for a spot in the program.

At any one time up to 10 people from around the South Burnett region are being trained.

One of the older workers is Eric Gyemore who sees himself as a mentor to the young trainees.

“They are all showing one another that they can work instead of being on the dole,” he says.

“We do fencing, nursery work, chainsaw work, forestry management and plenty more.”

Meanwhile, Private Forestry Southern Queensland’s Sean Ryan says it’s a unique opportunity that allows his organisation to access trained people for native forest management and plantation development.

“We’ve got quite a considerable demand for thinning and treatment gangs especially trained gangs so they’ve got a big opening in the future.”

Trainee Terry Davidson wants this work to lead to full time employment.

“I’d like to own my own house for me and my little family, that’s my main goal.”

Audio

Scott Lamond visits the Silver Lining foundation

Listen: MP3 

Jodie van de Wetering talks to trainees Daniel and Neil

Listen: MP3 

© 2010 ABC |

FOREST MANAGEMENT SURVEY

Take part in the 2010 Re-vegnet.au Forest Management Survey and help us tailor the project to suit your needs.

As the lead partner in Re-veg.net.au, Private Forestry Southern Queensland invites you to participate in the project and in the process of developing the landholder network. An initial landholder survey has been developed with the aim of improving and measuring the delivery of forest land management information.  This survey will be the first step for landholders wishing to be involved in the training and incentive program.

By completing the Forest Management survey, you are helping us to design an extension and education program relevant to the needs of landholders in your region. The information that you provide in the survey is strictly confidential.  Your personal details will be used to assess your eligibility for the incentive program; to contact you regarding upcoming events; and to assist you with property management planning should you continue with the program.

Click here to take survey

More information about the Re-veg.net.au project

Media Release

Queensland, 13^th January 2010

Landholders across six east coast catchments will benefit from

Re-veg.net.au, a $4 million dollar forest management project.

Private Forestry Southern Queensland Inc (PFSQ) in conjunction with SEQ Catchments and the Central Queensland Forest Association has been successful in their submission to the Caring for our Country Australian Government funding round.

From the NSW border in the south to Bloomfield in the north and west to the Great Dividing Range, Re-veg.net.au will assist landholders over the next four years to implement vegetation management plans with a targeted education, extension and on-ground incentive program.

Project manager and PFSQ Executive Officer, Sean Ryan summed up the project by saying, “A healthy forest is a productive forest and a productive forest benefits everyone”.

The majority of project funds have been allocated to on-ground work, including improving the health, ground cover and productivity of overstocked regrowth forests, revegetating recharge and discharge zones and linking fragmented essential habitat forests.

“Managed properly, a healthy and productive forest can add enormous value to the farm enterprise and at the same time can provide recognised environmental services to the broader community” Mr Ryan said.

As the lead partner in the project, Private Forestry Southern Queensland is inviting landholders to participate in the project and in the process of developing the landholder network. The first step for interested landholders is to complete the Forest Management Survey. This survey has been developed with the aim of improving and measuring the delivery of forest land management information.

“By completing the Forest Management survey, landholders are helping us to design an extension and education program relevant to the specific needs of each region,” said Mr Ryan. “The information that landholders provide in the survey is strictly confidential and will be used to assess eligibility for the incentive program, to make contact with landholders regarding upcoming events, and to assist with property management planning and on-ground works should they continue with the program.”

To access Re-veg.net.au Forest Management Survey, follow this link http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5NYNHBJ or visit Re-veg.net.au and follow the web link.

For further information regarding the Re-veg.net.au project contact Private Forestry Southern Queensland on (07) 54836535, email pfsq@bigpond.com or visit the Re-veg.net.au website.

Revegnet.au has been developed to progress through a logical flow from definition of best management forest, reafforestation and revegetation practices, mapping and risk assessment of priority areas, the improvement in skill and capacity building of landholders, developing property management plans and the implementation of those plans via an incentive program for on-ground works. These works will include fencing riparian areas and unstable drainage lines, revegetating recharge zones, linking fragmented essential habitat forests and improving the health, ground cover and productivity of overstocked regrowth forests.

Revegnet.au will ensure a network of critical endangered ecological communities buffered and linked via reafforestation to allow for a resilient recharge/discharge of biodiversity functions across the landscape.

For more information visit http://www.pfsq.net

Revegnet.au is funded by the Australian Government’s Landcare funding from Caring for our Country