FREEDOM FROM DROUGHT

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 233, 2 October 1925, Page 8

FREEDOM FROM DROUGHT

WHAT IT MEANS TO US. AUSTRALIA'S HEAVY HANDICAP. GREATEST WORKS IN THE WORLD. Impressed by his visit to the North during this week, the Hon. Crawford Yaughan, ex-Premier of South Australia, commented to-day upon the great natural advantages New Zealand possessed over Australia. "It is very evident to mc," he said, "that your Dominion has many advan- j tages. Australia is essentially a place ' where there is either a feast or a famine. Droughts, which are unknown here, are a serious menace to her. Portions of the Common\Vjealth are indeed still desert regions, but it is a great tribute to engineering genius and the enterprise of progressive Governments to find arid areas gradually brought under cultivation for pastoral and wheat production purposes. Australia has met its droughts by great water conservation schemes. It is safe to say that the Commonwealth has the greatest irrigation works in the world. For over 600 miles water is pumped from Perth to Kalgoorlie, in West Australia. This great feat was performed some twentyyears ago, and it has turned hitherto waste territory into an area of great productive value." Mr. Vaughnu referred also to South Australia, with its variable climate and occasional droughts. There, irrigation and water conservation had .been brought to a high state of perfection. Some of the greatest engineers had been | consulted, and the schemes entered upon had resulted in the State of South Australia possessing a wonderful scheme of canals, dams and other irrigation works. Reinforced concrete pipes, which had proved the best for water mains under both high and low pressures, had resulted in the settlement of areas once utterly valueless.

Gigantic Pumping Schemes. In South Australia the quantity of water available for irrigation was approximately 690,000 acre feet a year. Consequently, with full storage development, the State could rely on irrigating 6ome 272,000 acres along the Murray River. The estimated maximum quantity of water required was 30 acre inches. Arrangements were made with the leading reinforced concrete pipe companies . for the laying of extensive mains in different sections of the State. What were known as irrigation settlements along the Murray were well served by reinforced water mains. At Cobdogla, South Australia, an I experiment was tried with some 1200 | acres of lan t d, which were irrigated by concrete lined open channels. Temporary pumping plant was installed, but later replaced by gas pumps having a capacity of 2,857,500 gallons an hour. This plant ; delivered into the main channels and fed ' a canal about two miles in length, from ! which the famous Loveday irrigation [area was supplied. It was estimated i that the contract would aggregate 34,000 i tons of pipes, and, as an illustration of | modern engineering enterprise, the contractors, the Hume Pipe Company, produced over 200 tons of pipes in one shift. Australian governments were all taking a keen interest in reinforced concrete work, and in 1922 the contract for the Loveday irrigation settlement called for reinforced concrete pipes amounting to £268,000, for some 270 miles of pipes. New Zealand's Position. Continuing, Mr. Vaughan said: "Although New Zealand has not to com- ■ bat droughts in the same way as Australia has, I notice that reinforced concrete engineers have done good work for the Christchurch drainage contract, and it is indeed a tribute to the enterprise lof that city to see that an expenditure iof some £40,000 has been authorised. j "In Auckland you are less than four days' steam from Sydney," he concluded, , "but, although this is my first visit to New Zealand, I have realised fully why you kept outside federation. The commercial conditions of tiie country demand that it should have a distinct Government of its own. Undoubtedly you are entitled to the term 'nation,' and 1 may say that Australia, since its troops were associated with yours in the days of the war, recognises that there is an underlying unity. Though New Zealand stands as a distinct part of the British Empire, my conversations with business men and others show mc that there is a distinct Australasian attitude in the matter of World politics. With a virile race, and following up the traditions of sound government, which has been evidenced over many years, there is a wonderful future ahead for this country, and no I one wishes it more success than I."