IRRIGATION WORKS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 35, 20 November 1937, Page 11

IRRIGATION WORKS

POSSIBILITIES IN CANTERBURY. THE MINISTER’S OPINION. (Special to the “'Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, November 19. The development of irrigation is a*egarded by the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. R. Semple) as one of the major public works of the future, according to remarks made by him in a statement which he issued to-day concerning the prospects of the irrigation scheme in Canterbury. “There are wonderful possibilities in this country for irrigation,” Mr Semple said. “In Canterbury alone there is a possible area which could he irrigated totalling 600,000 acres. This could bo done under* a new system of mechanised construction at between £6 and £7 an acre, thus enabling the farmer to get water for approximately 6s an acre. Based on the results obtained in the Ashburton district, the productivity of the soil would be increased at least fourfold. The results already achieved have surpassed all expectations, although last season was somewhat better than usual. Results from the Redcliffs scheme were phenomenal. Cases are recorded of 12 to 15 ewes and their lambs being carried to an acre, also of fivefold increases in the yields of lucerne, clover and grass for hay; of 100 pea* cent, increases in wheat and oat yields, and of complete recovery of burnt-out pastures which would have had to be resown if not irrigated. All farmers except one are taking water this season. A conservative estimate of the agricultural betterment resulting from irrigation of the Canterbury Plains is from £lO to £ls an acre.” Saving In Costs. Explaining the saving in costs of construction which had been achieved, the Minister said that the cost of excavation in the Ashburton County scheme had varied from less than 2d a cubic yard to 9d in bad conditions. The average cost would be about 6d. The total excavation was approximately 3,000,000 cubic yards, of which 160,000 cubic yards had been removed. It was anticipated that the work would he completed by November, 1939. When all the machinery arrived, the monthly excavation would exceed 120,000 cubic yards. By way of comparison, the Minister pointed out that the work would cost not less than 4s 6d a cubic yard by hand excavation, and dray and truck haulage, and it would require about 1100 men to complete the job in the same time. The total number of men employed on mechanical excavation, repairs, fitting and servicing of the plant is 30, and by hand methods it would take them 70 years to do the work which they would carry out in two years. Enormous Possibilities. “We have conclusive evidence, based on our experience of the last year or two, that the possibilities are 1 enormous,” said Mr Semple. “My own view is that Canterbury alone could feed New Zealand if scientifically irrigated at a cost that farmers could meet. There has been some adverse and unfair criticism of mechanisation, but in my opinion there was no other way in which this work could be done unless we incurred a liability instead of creating an asset. . “We have practically completed the survey of the Canterbury Plains. We are also conducting a survey in the Marlborough district, and there are other areas that we propose to survey as soon as the staff has completed the works already in hand. It seems to me that this will constitute the major public works of the future. There are, of course, many other considerations beside irrigation. There is the question of preventing speculation in land after irrigation. It would never do to permit the land speculator to receive benefits from the nation’s enterprise. We want to improve the lot of the farmer and to protect the State at the same time.”