A signature environmental policy of the Abbott government, the Green Army, will be abolished at this month's mid-year federal budget update, saving more than $350 million.
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The decision was taken by the budget razor gang, the Expenditure Review Committee, more than a week ago but the savings were used to cover the extra $100 million the government promised to give to Landcare as part of last week's deal with the Greens to pass legislation for the backpacker tax.
The Green Army was a pet project and key election promise of Tony Abbott and was established after the 2013 election by former environment minister Greg Hunt.
It aimed to create an "army" of 15,000 people aged between 17 and 24, drawn from the ranks of the unemployed, to work on local conservation projects such as landscape restoration and species protection.
In the May budget, $360 million was set aside to fund the Green Army over the four years to 2019-20.
It was established in the controversial 2014 budget, funded by a $484 million cut to Landcare, which performed pretty much the same jobs as the Green Army except by those with environmental expertise.
